MPs reject Sh19b request by State from Consolidated Fund

By ALLAN KISIA

Kenya: The Government suffered a major blow after Members of the National Assembly put on hold a request for authority to withdraw Sh19 billion from the Consolidated Fund.

MPs yesterday forced an adjournment on a Motion that was seeking to raise funds to meet the Government’s unforeseen expenses pending approval of the Sh1.6 trillion budget for the new financial year.

The chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee Mutava Musyimi pleaded with colleagues to debate and then pass the Motion-Supplementary Estimates II, but MPs were categorical that they had to seek an adjournment on the Motion.

Legislators said they would not allow the Government to seek more funds for the next financial year yet it had not allocated the remaining Sh5.4 billion to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) kitty for the current financial year.

Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo said it would be illegal for the MPs to pass the Motion since the money had been appropriated but was yet to be disbursed with the financial year coming to an end in 10 days.

He explained that the law states that the Government should allocate 2.5 per cent of the total revenues collected to the CDF kitty every financial year. “If we pass the Motion, it would mean that the current financial year would come to an end without the disbursement of the total money as required by law,” he said.

Midiwo further explained that the kitty has to be given the remaining Sh5.4 billion for the total amount allocated to CDF to make 2.5 per cent or more of the total revenue.

Midiwo said the Motion could be debated if Mutava moves an amendment to the Supplementary Estimates II to include the Sh5.4 billion or if the Government quickly disburses the funds. He further said Mutava must assure the House that the unused money would not go back to Treasury at the beginning of the next financial year.

Pleaded in vain

CDF committee chair Moses Lessonet also tried to plead with colleague to pass the Motion but in vain.

Lessonet told the House that the Sh5.4 billion would be disbursed to the constituencies by July 1, the beginning of the next financial year.

The MPs expressed fears that the remaining Sh5.4 billion would go back to Treasury for being unutilised.

Mutava said the Appropriation Bill 2013 would include an additional Sh5.4 billion to cater for the shortfall of the money granted in 2012-2013 financial year.

“Unless someone has another reason to shoot down this Motion, I don’t see why we should adjourn. Look for other reasons and not CDF if you don’t want the Motion to pass,” he stated.

MPs said the Sh5.4 billion had been factored in various projects in their respective constituencies with some saying they had allocated part of the money for bursaries.

“This is an attempt by some people in the Executive to kill CDF,” claimed Midiwo.

He lamented that projects in the constituencies have stalled for over a year due to the delays in disbursement of the funds.

Leader of Majority Aden Duale, however, downplayed the matter and said the problem is not as complicated as some MPs are putting it. “CDF is dear to all of us. The remaining money is available,” he stated.