MPs end induction stand-off as treasury releases sh4bn NG-CDF

After a two-day standoff over the delayed disbursement of billions of shillings of NG-CDF, Members of Parliament on Wednesday reached a consensus with the National Treasury.



This is after the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula intervened and broke the stalemate between MPs and National Treasury Cabinet Njuguna Ndung’u for the delayed release of Sh44 billion to constituencies.



On Monday, the over 300 MPs meeting in Mombasa for a five-day induction workshop stormed out of the hall demanding the release of the money before they resumed training.



On Wednesday, Wetangula arrived in Mombasa and held a closed-door meeting with the MPs where he disclosed that the National Treasury had released Sh4 billion.



Wetangula did not address the media after the closed-door meeting with the MPs.National Assembly NG-CDF committee chair Musa Sirma said they had reached a consensus and that Sh4 billion would be released to the NG-CDF accounts by the close of business Wednesday.



“After the release of the Sh4 billion, we expect more money next week. We should have received a total of Sh10 billion by next week,” said Sirma.



According to Sirma, each constituency should have received Sh50 million for bursaries, but by Tuesday next week, each constituency will have at least Sh35 million in its coffers.



Mumias West MP Johnson Naika said they will request President William Ruto to increase the money they have been promised.



He argued that the Sh10 billion expected by end of next week will not be enough if other deductions like administrative monies are made, the allocation will not be enough.



Yatta MP Robert Basil said they hope the government keeps its promise to release Sh44 billion to the constituencies, as it had said in November last year.



Basil said the Sh44 billion would have been enough for education infrastructure.President Ruto is expected in Mombasa on Monday where he is expected to meet the MPs.



Nation