Members of Parliament mounted a protest in the National Assembly chambers by withdrawing from the house following the delay in the disbursement of National Government Constituency Development Funds.
The MPs staged a walkout on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, and prevented other MPs from accessing the chambers.
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa tried to convince the MPs that the matter would be handled by Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u but they jeered him and walked out of the chambers.
"We are now in the sixth month of the FY 2023/2024. As we speak since this House appropriated funds to the NGCDF board for disbursement to respective NGCDF committees, not a single cent has hit the bank accounts of these committees," Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi said.
One of the legislators who suffered the wrath of angry MPs was South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro.
According to videos obtained by the news desk, Osoro was tackled by his colleagues as he tried to push through.
The National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) received a significant boost in the current financial year 2023/24.
The government allocated a total of Sh53.5 billion Kenyan shillings towards the fund, marking a 21% increase from the previous year's allocation of Sh44.3 billion shillings.
The NG-CDF has been a crucial instrument for the development of Kenya's constituencies, providing resources for various projects and initiatives at the grassroots level.
The NG-CDF has so far constructed many new schools in various constituencies, mostly mixed-day secondary ones which contribute to easier and cost-effective access to education for children from poor families.
The fund awarded Sh69.8 billion in bursaries, constructed 26,452 new classrooms, constructed 1,156 new dormitories, funded the construction of 76 new Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Campuses, and Technical Training Institutions, and funded the purchase of 1,005 new buses for schools and other education institutions and many others.