CDF allocation to be based on area poverty indices

from Capital FM

BY CHARITY KATAGO

NAIROBI, The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) will soon be carrying out a study on the poverty levels in each constituency, to determine the allocation of Constituency Development Funds (CDF).

Planning Minister Henry Obwocha said the study would be complete in the next three months and would be used to disburse the devolved funds allocated in this year's budget.

“We have the statistics district by district but as you know many districts have a number of constituencies. The poverty levels may not be constant in a district therefore we want the bureau to go down and sort out the constituencies,” said Obwocha.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Board of Directors, Obwocha also announced funding worth Sh1.1 billion for the bureau.

Obwocha said the bureau is currently working on two other reports, one on employment and the other on consumer price index.

New Board Chairman Peter Mwita said he was pleased to be taking up the position, at a time when funding to the organisation had increased by 30 percent.

“Our expectation is that with a sound bureau in place and re-invigorated national statistical system, the Government and other stakeholders will get quality official statistics to track progress being made towards meeting our development goals and targets on poverty reduction,” said Mwita.

He however challenged the Government to further address the issue of inadequate staffing for the bureau.

The CDF is currently pegged at 2.7 percent of the total revenue collected by the Government annually.

Last year, the Treasury released Sh9.7 billion to the kitty, with the top recipients being Bahari with Sh60.4 million, and Eldoret North with Sh60 million.

Most constituencies were allocated an average of Sh45 million last year, with Mvita, getting the least amount of Sh36 million.

The fund is managed at the national level by the National Management Committee (NMC) chaired by Ol Kalou MP Karue Muriuki and Nduati Kariuki as vice-chairman.

The NMC allocates funds to each of the constituency development committees according their population, size and state of infrastructure. Poverty indices were also considered but not as the major determinant for fund allocation.