AfriCOG is presently incubating a project on the CDF, which focuses on budget transparency and accountability. The project, already funded by OSIEA, will run from February 2008 to March 2009. It will build the fund of our experiences to help in designing future interventions.AfriCOG is monitoring developments on devolution and decentralisation within the framework of constitutional reform and will develop appropriate responses specifically around issues of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
What is CDF?
The Constituency Development Fund was introduced in Kenya in 2003 with the passage of the CDF Act 2003 by the 9th Parliament of Kenya. The CDF Act provides that the government set aside at least 2.5% of its ordinary revenue for disbursement under the CDF program.
Three quarters of the amount is divided equitably between Kenya's 210 constituencies whilst the remaining 1/4th is divided based on a poverty index to cater for poorer constituencies.
The constituency is the unit of political representation in Kenya of which there are 210 in the country. Each constituency is further subdivided into locations for local administrative purposes. A district is a grouping of 4-6 constituencies and before the implementation of CDF in 2003; the district was hitherto considered the unit of local development.
Under CDF, for the first time ever, the constituency is functioning as a development unit. Consequently at present considerable resources are being channelled towards building up institutional capacity at the constituency level to support the fund.
CDF is devoted to community based projects, which ensure that the prospective benefits are available to a widespread cross-section of the inhabitants of a particular area.
CDF ALLOCATIONS 2003 - 08
| Year |
|
Total annual allocation / % of ordinary government revenue |
| 2003 / 4 |
|
1.26 billion |
| 2004 / 5 |
|
5.6 billion (2.5%) |
| 2005 / 6 |
|
7.2 billion (2.5%) |
| 2006 / 7 |
|
9.7 billion (3.5%) |
| 2007 / 8 |
|
10.1 billion (2.7%) |
CDF POLICY MONITORING
The CDF Accountability Project through its research program CDF Case Files, the project seeks to generate information geared towards strengthening the CDF policy and implementation framework.
The CDF Accountability Project monitors CDF implementation at all stages of the social accountability chain to inform the generation of valuable recommendations and inputs to strengthen the fund's implementation.
CDF PARLIAMENTARY PROGRAM
Through its Parliamentary program the CDF Accountability Project seeks to engage in constructive dialogue with policy makers with a view to informing the development of a stronger CDF accountability framework.
CDF MEDIA PROGRAM
The CDF Accountability Project seeks to collaborate with media practitioners and institutions to deepen the skills of individual journalists to undertake investigative journalism in the field of CDF and other decentralised funds.
We publish CDF Insight individual investigative stories generated from various parts of Kenya to highlight the experiences and challenges manifest in CDF implementation around the country.
How we work
The CDF Accountability Project seeks to focus on three key advocacy objectives; the promotion of good local governance, the promotion of people's participation in local governance and the promotion of freedom to information. Local development/devolved initiatives are increasingly viewed as a means of combating poverty, promoting equality and undertaking effective local development. The constituency development fund is a local development fund in Kenya, engaged in projects that cater for the provision of basic essential services such as schools, clinics, security, local roads, water, markets and trading places etc. The impact of the fund has been enormous and CDF projects have managed to penetrate local and remote areas some of which have not benefited from government projects in many years. The CDF Accountability Project recognises the effective management of CDF as a human rights issue.
The CDF Accountability Project is supported by the Open Society Initiative for East Africa (OSIEA) which promotes public participation in democratic governance, the rule of law, and respect for human rights by awarding grants, developing programmes, and bringing together diverse civil society leaders and groups.
OSIEA plays an active role in encouraging open, informed dialogue about issues of public importance in East Africa. Launched in 2005 and based in Nairobi, the OSIEA team is headed by Binaifer Nowrojee, a human-rights advocate with extensive experience in Africa. OSIEA supports work in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda as well as regional organisations whose mandate encompasses East Africa
