'Without CDF, MPs are motivational speakers,' Policy Analyst Arnold Maliba says

The only thing that makes Members of Parliament relevant is the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), Public Policy Analyst Arnold Maliba now claims.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s Day Break Show on Friday, Maliba faulted the MPs' fight for the return of CDF which was outlawed by the Supreme Court saying that the legislators had made management of the program their sole purpose in the National Assembly.

Maliba who labelled some of the MPs ‘motivational speakers’ in absence of CDF, said a section of the lawmakers had failed in their primary functions of representation and oversight for their people.

 “The core function for parliament is representation, then legislation and oversight. What we have in parliament, a lot of them are actually CDF managers because, without it, a lot of them didn’t know what to do next,” Maliba alleged.

“When the Supreme Court had made that particular ruling until the AG made a proposal which I feel will be challenged, a lot of them didn’t know what to do next, they now had become motivational speakers and spent a lot of time speaking in WhatsApp groups because they did not know the core function of an MP.”

Maliba made the remarks after Lang'ata MP Phelix Odiwuor, also on the show, stated that "mass protests are more effective than parliament" as he objected to the formation of an office for the Official Opposition.

The analyst thus maintained that the NG- CDF should not be reinstated by the court so that citizens can monitor the work of their elected leaders.

“When Mheshimiwa here says that the streets can achieve more than parliament, that is the problem I have with parliament as it is today. I pray that CDF doesn’t come back because, without it, Kenyans will see what they are paying for,” he said.

Jalang’o on his part however defended the role of the National Assembly stating: “Parliament at work is not the plenary you see every day…parliament that is at work is the committees that are already running as we speak.”

“The CDF only takes care of bursary,  security, education, environment and sports, that is not the only work that we do. Even without CDF, I was already doing my work, representing and oversight…have been ground throughout. The things CDF supports are many,” he added.