President William Ruto has assured Members of Parliament that the government will release all remaining National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) allocations before the end of the current financial year.
The announcement, made during the 20th-anniversary celebration of NG-CDF at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, comes as a relief to legislators grappling with over Ksh15 billion in pending funds.
"Every shilling that is due to CDF will be paid before we close the budget," President Ruto declared, addressing MPs at the event.
This could spell good news for schools in need of infrastructure repairs and for parents hoping for the funds to pay for second-term fees.
Concerns over the delayed disbursements surfaced in February when it was revealed that the government owed NG-CDF over Ksh15 billion for the third quarter of the 2023/2024 financial year.
MPs had anticipated a disbursement of Ksh46 billion but only a fraction, Ksh30 million, had been released, allocated solely to bursaries.
The urgency to clear these arrears underscores the government's efforts to meet budgetary allocations before the announcement of the new budget in June.
President Ruto seized the opportunity to call upon MPs to scrutinise their NG-CDF utilisation, urging alignment with the education sector's funding model to support vulnerable students.
"No child in Kenya should be left behind because of their financial background or origin," emphasized President Ruto, highlighting the government's commitment to equitable education access.
The president also queried MPs over their use of CDF funds stating, "Any member of parliament who presides over the misappropriation of CDF or the theft of CDF should never be elected. They should never be elected because it is the ultimate betrayal of the people who elected you."
In a bid to address the infrastructure deficit in Nairobi County, President Ruto pledged the construction of 3500 classrooms within the next two months. Already, Ksh1 billion has been released for the construction of 1000 classrooms in the capital.
Directing his remarks to Nairobi County MPs, President Ruto called for collaboration with the county government to redirect NG-CDF funds towards classroom construction.
This initiative gains significance as over 24 schools, predominantly in Nairobi County, grapple with heavy flooding.
President Ruto stressed that the expansion of classroom infrastructure would accommodate more students who are out of classes, addressing concerns about out-of-school children.
However, despite his assertions, Nairobi County's out-of-school population, as per the Education Policy and Data Center, stands at 9,814 students aged 7 to 14, significantly lower than in northeastern regions.
