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Mugirango MP: NG-CDF offers pathway out of poverty, dependency
22nd July, 2025 06:17 PM
West Mugirango Member of Parliament (MP) and National Assembly Minority Whip Stephen Mogaka has described the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) as a transformative tool that goes beyond mere financial allocation.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, Mogaka positioned the fund as a unique development model capable of reshaping Kenya’s economic trajectory and inspiring global poverty alleviation strategies.
“If you asked me what NGCDF has achieved for Kenya to date, I would say this is a development model that this country will very soon be exporting to other developing nations. It offers a pathway out of poverty, dependency, and into industrialisation,” Mogaka stated during the afternoon session.
The MP’s remarks come as the NG-CDF continues to fund thousands of grassroots projects across the country. According to data from the NG-CDF Board, more than 12,000 projects were supported nationwide by 2024, ranging from school construction to local infrastructure development. Mogaka argued that this model of direct constituency-level funding empowers communities in ways that centralised government programs cannot.
Civil society criticism
Mogaka’s spirited defence of the fund included sharp criticism of civil society organisations, which have frequently challenged the NG-CDF in court. He suggested that some of these groups are influenced by external donors with ulterior motives.
“Because this is a very unique development model, it is no wonder then that civil society is being funded by neocolonialists to fight this NG-CDF. Why is it that every time the NG-CDF is taken to court, it’s by civil society? Who funds them?” Mogaka asked.
His remarks echoed concerns raised in various policy circles about foreign influence on local governance. A 2019 study by the Journal of Modern African Studies indicated that up to 60 percent of Kenyan civil society funding comes from Western donors, fuelling long-standing debates over accountability and sovereignty.
Constitutional protection
Mogaka argued that the legal challenges facing the NG-CDF have not weakened it but instead turned it into what he called a “super development model.” He urged Parliament to consider entrenching the fund in the Constitution to safeguard its continuity.
Drawing parallels with Kenya’s global success story in mobile money innovation, he likened the fund to M-Pesa, saying, “Africa will not continue being dependent. We are like Mpesa—capable of evolving and creating development models like the NG-CDF that will change the world.”
His remarks have sparked renewed debate over the role of NG-CDF in national development, with supporters praising its impact while critics raise concerns about transparency and oversight.
