Residents of Malindi sub-county in Kilifi are protesting misappropriation of National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) between the financial years 2013/2014 to 2015/2016.
Accompanied by the Haki Yetu Organization, the residents through the ‘Where is My NG-CDF campaign,’ on Friday erected a billboard in Barani displaying Malindi NG-CDF projects implementation status report as at May 2016.
According to the residents, Malindi NG-CDF documented ghost projects that were allocated funds, and their implementation status read 100 per cent complete.
Gerald Adika, a resident, revealed to the press after the erection of the billboard that what the report was bearing was very different from what is on the ground since most of the projects indicated as 100 per cent implemented do not even exist.
“The report indicates that NG-CDF is not supporting youths from Malindi at all despite having local talents going untapped,” said Adika.
The angry residents said that NG-CDF office fills project implementation status reports for audit purposes but not reflecting the reality.
John Paul Obonyo, Haki Yetu Socioeconomic Department Coordinator said that they mobilized the residents to erect the report at the roadside because the people of Malindi sub-county have the right to information.
“After creating awareness on the misappropriation of NG-CDF, we will embark on documentation of all the missing projects whose funds, approximately Sh4.5 million cannot be traced,” said Obonyo, adding that, “after documentation we will involve the office of the Director of Criminal Investigation to help us trace the money of Malindi people.”
The Haki Yetu coordinator asked former Malindi MP Willy Baraka Mtengo, whose tenure is when the ghost projects were allegedly documented, to tell the people of Malindi what happened.
"We had noted that during Willy Mtengo’s time, when these funds were disbursed, there was no openness and transparency. Projects were documented as implemented but do not exist," said Adika.
The residents claimed that some of the projects that were reported implemented and do not exist include Kanu Office to Slaughterhouse road, Kanu Office Barani road and Barani Tree Planting Activity that gobbled up Sh600,000, Sh600,000, and Sh650,000 respectively.
They also claimed that some projects reflected in the report were implemented in other constituencies.
For example, the residents alleged that a school named Bishop Baldachinno that took up Sh 2.5 million is located in Magarini constituency.
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