Members of the National Assembly are putting up a spirited fight to save the National Government- Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
The courts declared NG-CDF illegal .
Legislators however are seeking to give it legal backing in the Constitution.
Lawmakers are debating a proposal to amend the Constitution.
Matungulu MP Stephen Mule and his Gichugu colleague Gichimu Githinji are fronting the proposal
They want to establish NG-CDF and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF).
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The two also want creation of the Senate Oversight Fund (SOF) and the Economic Stimulus and Empowerment Fund.
A majority of MPs, however, want the funds separated through different Constitutional Amendment Bills.
Speaker to give ruling
House Speaker Moses Wetang’ula will decide whether the debate and the draft merit drafting as a Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill or not.
MPs want to increase NG-CDF kitty allocation from 2.5 per cent of national revenue to five per cent.
If it proceeds for for publication, parliament will seek a Constitutional amendment to entrench NG-CDF and the other funds through the parliamentary initiative.
A Supreme Court ruling found the fund unconstitutional.
Mule took the House down the success stories of NG-CDF calling on them to save it.
The MP says in the past five years, at least Sh57 billion has been allocated to bursaries benefiting at least six million learners.
However,Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo, wants Mule and Githinji to consult wide before publishing the Bill.
“Because it will be difficult to amend the Bill after publication, I request that you consult the Office of the Attorney-General, Kenya Law Reform, among others,” said Amolo.
NG-CDF was introduced 18 years ago.