Prime Minister Raila Odinga has caused a mid morning Sunday scare politically so to speak, while Statehouse operatives thought they had it all sewed together- Odinga has just pulled a fast one!
In order to save the CDF fund that was declared unconstitutional by the high court on Friday 20th Feb 2015, the CORD supreme leader has offered to meet all members of parliament to discuss the way forward to ensure that all projects initiated by the fund are completed in the transition period and also find a lasting solution by entrenching the CDF funds in the constitution via referendum.
Now, offering MPs CDF lifeline via the Okoa Kenya referendum process has sent panic among statehouse operatives who have not only worked hard to sabotage the Okoa Kenya referendum initiative but also invested a lot in county governors in a bid to have them not support the Raila led initiative.
Here is Odinga’s statement on the way forward for CDF.
CORD WILL CONSIDER A WAY TO SAVE CDF FUNDS.
CORD has noted the ruling of the High Court declaring the Constituency Development Fund to be unconstitutional.
All Members of Parliament regardless of party affiliation are undoubtedly anxious about the future of the system as are also the people at the grassroots that have many incomplete projects started under CDF.
Since the promulgation of the Constitution in 2010, legal questions have dogged the CDF system. The system has not sat comfortably in the new constitutional dispensation.
Although the court found the system as unconstitutional, it has given the National Government 12 months to regularize the matter and align it to the new constitutional dispensation.
This however can only be done through a referendum.
We at CORD have always called for devolution of more power and funds and are in the process of amending the Constitution to devolve 45 per cent of the National budget to the counties.
As part of the proposals made by Okoa Kenya, we have created a Ward Development Fund to cater for issues concerning development at the ward.
When these proposals were made, CDF was in existence and was in consideration as the ward proposals were crafted. We believe that a place still exists for CDF but it must be aligned to the constitution via referendum in the same way we plan to create the Ward Development Fund.
CORD shall therefor be seeking a meeting with Members of Parliament from across the political divide to discuss ways of securing the future of the CDF system and on the ways in which it can continue to exist within Kenya’s new Constitutional dispensation.
Similar meetings shall be held with Senators and Governors whom the court has said must be involved in the design and implementation of the new CDF system.
In the meantime, we have tasked the Committee of Experts of the Okoa Kenya Movement to draft proposals of amendment that will be part of the negotiations to secure and entrench the CDF in the Constitution.
HON RAILA ODINGA, EGH
LEADER ODM PARTY/ CORD COALITION
FEBRUARY 22, 2015.