Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has finally given a way forward on the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) after coming under heavy pressure from Members of Parliament over serious delays in releasing the funds.
Mbadi was summoned to appear before the National Assembly on Wednesday, April 16, just a day after being called in.
Lawmakers had expressed frustration and even threatened to take strict measures if the CS failed to show up and address their concerns.
During the heated session, MPs demanded that Mbadi keep the promise he had earlier made — to release NG-CDF funds before Parliament went on recess.
They emphasized that thousands of needy students were depending on bursaries to return to school, and any further delay would leave their futures uncertain.
Responding to the lawmakers, CS Mbadi confirmed that the Treasury had already disbursed Ksh7 billion on Wednesday.
He further promised that an additional Ksh7 billion would be released before the end of April 2025 to help reduce the pending arrears.
“We have already transferred Ksh7 billion,” said Mbadi. “I cannot promise anything for next week because we are currently paying salaries.
However, I will ensure another Ksh7 billion is released to the board, leaving us only one month in arrears.”
Addressing the causes of the delay, Mbadi explained that his ministry was under serious financial strain due to the need to handle various pressing obligations.
These include disbursing funds to county governments, servicing the national debt, and meeting other critical demands like security. He made it clear that the hold-ups in releasing CDF money were not deliberate.
“Sometimes we are forced to make tough decisions between paying off debts, releasing CDF funds, or allocating money for security operations,” Mbadi explained. “But I want to assure you that the delays are never intentional.”
As the grilling continued, a visibly under-pressure Mbadi warned MPs against making what he called careless and alarmist remarks about the country’s economy.
He pointed out that some comments by legislators about the nation heading toward collapse were both reckless and harmful, especially coming from leaders who had previously chaired crucial budget committees.
“Let me finish by appealing to us all, as leaders, to exercise caution in our public statements,” said the CS. “I heard one of us say that the country is on the verge of collapse — that’s an irresponsible statement and not one that should be made by someone who has chaired the Budget and Appropriation Committee.”
Mbadi also rejected the idea that Kenya’s economy is collapsing under the weight of debt. He assured the MPs that despite the current struggles, the country was making progress and was on track to become debt-free by the year 2032.
However, despite Mbadi’s explanations and promises, many MPs remained skeptical. They reminded him that he had made similar pledges earlier in the year during a parliamentary retreat, yet the funds were still delayed.
The lawmakers also insisted that the Ksh7 billion that had been released was not enough.
According to them, the government should be releasing at least Ksh21 billion to meet the needs of all constituencies fairly and support the education of thousands of underprivileged students.
Join Our Political Forum official 2025 WhatsApp Channel To Stay Updated On time https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWT5gSGufImU8R0DO30
