CDF: The fund that only a few know of ......

CDF: The fund that only a few know of.....

By J.M Okinda and Community Times Team

Our leaders and professionals are very good at coming up with attractive names for projects, ideas and policy documents. Things like Poverty Eradication Strategy Paper, Free Primary Education, 150,000 housing units every year and 500,000 jobs for the youth every year should sound familiar to you by now.

What prompted us to write this piece of story was the high level of ignorance among the rural people about the various development funds available to them in this country.

One such fund is the now controversial Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which has put Members of Parliament and their constituents on the warpath.

It was one Monday afternoon that our team engaged a form four candidate to test his mastery of government functions when I asked him what CDF means. “Is it not part of the first ten letters of the alphabet?” replied Patrobas. “Of course CDF is part of the alphabet, but what does the abbreviation stand for?” we asked again. At this point, the boy went blank and confessed he had no idea what CDF was.

Another constituent interviewed by Community Times to find out if he had any idea of what CDF was and any project that has benefited from it said he was actually a beneficiary of CDF through the Gem Constituency Bursary Fund. “ I’ve personally benefited from this fund through the constituency bursary scheme for needy and orphaned children remember filling some forms at school to the same effect” said the student at St. Mary’s School Yala.

The experience above are just some of the classic examples of widespread ignorance about CDF and other development funds available to local people. Patrobas is just one of the thousands of constituents who have no idea whatsoever on what CDF is and what it does. Ironically, he is supposed to be a beneficiary of projects funded under CDF directly or otherwise. This kind of public ignorance over a critical development policy championed under CDF is wanting. It raises serious credibility and accountability issues on the management and leadership of CDF in Gem and many other constituencies.

“The Gem MP and CDF management has kept a lot of information a top level secret among a selected clique of politically correct individuals. You hardly hear of any community meetings to brainstorm, discuss and prioritize development projects to be funded under CDF. What you see are schools and health centers being either built afresh or renovated” claims a Gem constituent.

The uneven allocation of CDF to various projects in the constituency attest to the heavy political scheming and manipulation involved. “It is politically immoral to play games with sensitive community development issues. CDF belongs to the people because it comes from the taxes they pay the government, says Philip Ochieng, a development analyst based in Nairobi.

“Community members must now start to demand to be involved in the discussions and selection of projects to be funded under CDF. Without their involvement in CDF, politicians and well-placed individuals will continue to have a field day” says a senior opinion leader in Gem whom did not want to be named.

But reacting to accusations that politicians have an upper hand in determining CDF affairs, Councilor Ochieng Kiddis defended the MP and termed those accusing the MP over CDF as ‘malicious’. “The MP should be the last person to be accused over CDF funds. He rarely attends the committee meetings and therefore his influence is so minimal, offered Councilor Ochieng.

Councilor Ochieng who is also the Gem CDF committee Chairman took issue with the provincial administration for he termed as ‘ a well orchestrated mission’ to frustrate politicians who are determined to bring development to their people. He blames the Chiefs and Divisional Officers for failure to call barazas so that people could be sensitized about CDF. “The DO and his officers no longer call barazas as required. They have the machinery to mobilize the locals to participate in development forums such as CDF, but they don’t do that” claimed Kiddis.

Speaking to our reporter at his Wagai Office recently, Councilor Ochieng claims the provincial administration were used to siphoning funds meant for development projects in the rural areas but now the loophole has been blocked. “Some of them are reacting to this new policy by trying to frustrate politicians in their efforts to develop their areas. CDF involves the people themselves and there is no room for ‘eating’ as they were used to” said Councilor Ochieng

Despite all these pitfalls, the CDF chairman had a promise to the people of Gem. “Gem CDF has only been actively in operation under my chairmanship for the last four months. We are still struggling with management and administrative problems and as soon as we settle, we shall hit the road running and our people will see a lot of changes, promised Councilor Ochieng.