Mwala MP and UDA National Organising Secretary Vincent Musyoka Kawaya has launched a blistering attack on ODM leaders, accusing them of fronting a scheme to snatch the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) from MPs and hand it to governors.
Speaking during a boda boda empowerment drive at Kauwi market in Kitui West Constituency, Kawaya—who also serves as Lower Eastern UDA coordinator—warned that such moves, allegedly pushed through the NADCO dialogue process, would cripple grassroots development and rob ordinary Kenyans of a lifeline.
“Hii ni live wire—wachana nayo. CDF si pesa ya county; ni ya taifa. Ukisukuma kwa magavana, wananchi ndio wataumia. Hawa watu wa ODM wanataka kutumia NADCO kama shamba ya mawe—hatutakubali,” Kawaya charged.
Direct Salvo at Raila Odinga
Kawaya did not mince words, singling out ODM leader Raila Odinga, who has in recent forums openly called for CDF and bursary allocations to be devolved to governors in the spirit of strengthening county governments.
“Raila wachana na mambo ya CDF… italeta tumbo joto. Wananchi wameona CDF ikiwasaidia—usije ukaivuruga kwa siasa za ODM,” Kawaya warned.
He further accused ODM of “cherry-picking” NADCO recommendations, pushing only those that benefit its political agenda while ignoring proposals to entrench CDF, NG-AAF, and the Senate Oversight Fund in the Constitution.
“If we must implement the NADCO report, we implement all of it—not selectively. By fire by force, tutafanya kazi na Raila kuunda serikali ijayo—but by that same fire by force, CDF lazima ibaki chini ya MPs,” he declared to thunderous applause.
The High-Stakes Battlefield
Kawaya’s outburst lands in the middle of a high-stakes war over CDF that cuts across Parliament, ODM, governors, and the courts:
Courts vs CDF: In September 2024, a three-judge High Court bench declared the NG-CDF Act 2015 unconstitutional, ruling it violated separation of powers, but allowed a wind-down window up to June 30, 2026 to prevent disruption. Parliament has appealed the ruling. Earlier, in 2022, the Supreme Court had struck down the 2013 CDF Act.
NADCO Divide: The bipartisan National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) recommended entrenching NG-CDF in the Constitution, alongside other national kitties. MPs across parties have embraced this push. However, ODM leaders, Raila included, argue the funds should be transferred to counties, while the Council of Governors strongly opposes entrenchment, insisting all local projects fall under devolved units.
ODM Internal Split: While Raila has rallied for county control, some ODM MPs have publicly broken ranks, defending CDF as the most reliable tool for bursaries and small-scale infrastructure directly touching constituents.
Why It Matters
At the heart of the storm is a ticking legal clock: if no constitutional amendment is passed by June 30, 2026, NG-CDF could face permanent collapse, wiping out bursaries and small school projects relied on by millions. MPs see this as political suicide and are pushing to entrench the fund “by fire by force.”
Governors, on the other hand, view the billions flowing through CDF as money wrongly placed in MPs’ hands, while ODM frames its push as strengthening devolution.
Kawaya’s Line in the Sand
For Kawaya, this isn’t just policy—it’s political survival. He portrays CDF as the safety net that governors have failed to provide, arguing that if surrendered, wananchi in rural areas would be abandoned.
“Wananchi wameona CDF ikifanya kazi. Wacha Raila na ODM wafanye siasa zao, lakini kwa mambo ya maendeleo, hatutakubali mchezo.”
The battle for CDF is shaping up as one of Kenya’s most consequential political fights ahead of 2026. With the courts’ deadline looming, ODM and governors demanding transfer, and MPs vowing entrenchment at all costs, the question now is simple: who blinks first—Raila’s devolution army or Parliament’s constituency defenders?
