Reaching the poor: Project under attack

By Dorthe Mortensen, information officer, MS Kenya

The government of Kenya declares to be dedicated fighting poverty. But a resent initiative to bring development out to people has met harsh critique and allegation of violation of the national constitution.

It has been passed into law that 2,5% of the Kenyan GNP is to be allocated to “The Constituencies Development Fund” for community-based projects. The aim is to make each and every constituency in Kenya implement development activities that are relevant for and benefiting a widespread cross-section of the poor people in particular areas.

To administrate the Fund, that provides each constituency with KSh 20 million each year (this year KSh 6 million), a Constituency Fund Committee is formed. This committee is constituted and convened by the local Member of Parliament, and includes two councillors, one district officer, two persons representing religious organisations, two men, two women, one youth and one person nominated from among active NGOs in the area.

Though the intention of bringing development out to the people is excellent, many Kenyans are afraid that the funds wont serve the intended purpose, as politicians will hijack it leaving Kenya with a parliamentary dictatorship.

It has been widely criticized that the Members of Parliament are responsible for convening and chairing the committees, since it leaves an open opportunity for them to use the fund as bribery to assure their re-election and to favour friends and relatives.

In May the Chambers of Justice – a national NGO – announced that it would take the government to court over the Constituencies Development Fund, because it contravenes the basic premises of separation of powers in the constitution.

The general claim is that it is a violation of the constitution and dangerous when parliamentarians are legislating and executing the legislation. Ironically only one parliamentarian voted against the Constitutions Development Fund.
With literally no opposition in parliament and any check and balances, it is left with civil society to safeguard that the government funds are used as intended – for creating development and reducing poverty.