Marginalised constituencies in counties like Garissa, Wajir, Mandera and Tana River are on the losing end after parliament made several amendments to the CDF allocation and specifications.
Members of Parliament have passed two key changes to the law, including one that denies marginalised regions a larger share of the CDF monies.
A provision contained in the National Constituency Development Funds (CDF) Bill 2016 helped legislators to circumvent a recent court ruling that had denied constituencies Sh10 billion in CDF kitty.
The first amendment evidently removed a legal provision that allowed constituencies in marginalised areas a greater share of the entire CDF allocations. Instead, the MPs agreed that CDF funds would be shared equally among the 290 constituencies.
"The budget ceiling for each and every constituency shall be the amount stipulated in law divided equally among all the constituencies in the land," the new amendment to the bill stated in part.
The amendment was moved by the CDF committee chair Moses Lesonet of Eldama Ravine, who argued the changes would create equity and fairness in the distribution of funds.