Constituency Development Fund
The Kenyan Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was introduced in 2003 during the Kibaki presidency.
The fund was designed to support constituency-level, grass-root development projects.[1] It was aimed to achieve equitable distribution of development resources across regions and to control imbalances in regional development brought about by partisan politics.[2] It targeted all constituency-level development projects, particularly those aiming to combat poverty at the grassroots.[3] The CDF program has facilitated the putting up of new water, health and education facilities in all parts of the country, including remote areas that were usually overlooked during funds allocation in national budgets.[4][5]
Funding
- From the Kenyan Institute for Social Accountability[6]
- The Constituency Development Fund was introduced in Kenya in 2003 with the passage of the CDF Act 2003 by the 9th Parliament of Kenya. The CDF Act provides that the government set aside at least 2.5% of its ordinary revenue for disbursement under the CDF program.
- Three quarters of the amount is divided equitably between Kenya’s 210 constituencies whilst the remaining 1/4th is divided based on a poverty index to cater for poorer constituencies.
- The constituency is the unit of political representation in Kenya of which there are 210 in the country. Each constituency is further subdivided into locations for local administrative purposes. A district is a grouping of 4-6 constituencies and before the implementation of CDF in 2003; the district was hitherto considered the unit of local development.
| Year | Total Annual CDF Allocations |
|---|---|
| 2003/4 | KSh 1.3 billion |
| 2004/5 | KSh 5.6 billion |
| 2005/6 | KSh 7.2 billion |
| 2006/7 | KSh 9.7 billion |
| 2007/8 | KSh 10.1 billion |
| 2008/9 | KSh 10.1 billion |
| 2009/10 | KSh 12.0 billion |
| 2010/11 | KSh 14.3 billion |
Corruption
There have been many examples of, and complaints about, mis-use of the funds.[7] This has led to the CDF Act 2013[8] (effectively repealing the CDF Act 2003) and significant changes to be applied in 2013.[9]
References
- ↑ "CDF was focus of Uhuru’s stimulus plan". The Standard | Online Edition. Eastandard.net. 12 June 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
- ↑ "Constituency Development Fund". Kippra.org. 9 January 2004. Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
- ↑ "New source of funding for Kenya's rural projects.". Construction News. Entrepreneur.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
- ↑ "Senator hails Kenya's CDF". Office of Public Communications – Office of Government Spokesperson. Communication.go.ke. 29 November 2006. Archived from the original on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
- ↑ Jerry Okungu (13 November 2006). "The Beauty and Shame of Kenya's Constituency Development Fund – CDF". Afroarticles.com. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
- ↑ Constituency Development Fund, The (Kenyan) Institute for Social Accountability
- ↑ Albert van Zyl (2010). "What is Wrong with the Constituency Development Funds?". Budget Brief 2010 No. 10. International Budget Partnership.
- ↑ http://www.cdf.go.ke/ - Constituency Development Fund Board
- ↑ Laban Wanambisi (8 April 2013). "Public to Elect Constituency Development Fund Committee Members". allafrica.com.