NAIROBI, Kenya – An audit has revealed that constituency development projects worth Sh495.6 million, financed through the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), have been abandoned or left incomplete in 29 constituencies, depriving communities of essential services and facilities.
The findings come as the NG-CDF’s annual allocation soared by 68.1 per cent to Sh74.8 billion in the 2023/2024 financial year, up from Sh44.5 billion previously.
“Stalled projects are an indication that the public has been denied benefits that would have accrued from the completed projects and that value for money invested in the projects has not been realised,” Auditor General Nancy Gathungu said in her latest report covering the year ended June 2024.
The NG-CDF, designed to channel funds directly to constituencies for grassroots projects such as classroom construction, security installations, and bursaries for needy students, has come under fresh scrutiny over delays, wastage, and questionable spending.
According to the audit, projects valued at Sh6.9 billion in 157 constituencies had not been completed within planned timelines, inflating costs and slowing service delivery.
In 18 constituencies, completed facilities worth Sh101.1 million lay idle, which the Auditor General described as wasteful expenditure and a sign of poor planning.
A physical inspection revealed quality concerns in projects worth Sh696.99 million across 65 constituencies, including poor workmanship, structural flaws, and breaches in procurement and contract management.
In some cases, payments were made for incomplete work, and several projects lacked branding, raising risks of double reporting and verification challenges.
The audit also flagged widespread failure to obtain completion and handover certificates, making it impossible to confirm whether finished projects met required standards.
Beyond these issues, the report highlighted Sh26.7 billion in unspent funds across all 290 constituencies as of June 30, 2024 — a recurring problem often blamed on late disbursements from the NG-CDF Board.
The Auditor General, however, pointed to weak planning and management at the constituency level as a contributing factor.
The damning revelations are expected to intensify debate over whether the NG-CDF, a politically popular but controversial programme, is delivering value for money and if oversight measures are sufficient to curb waste and mismanagement.
