The National Assembly has unanimously passed the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to anchor three critical development funds into the Constitution: the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), the Senate Oversight Fund (SOF), and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF).
During the Second Reading of the Bill, 304 Members of Parliament voted in favour, with none opposing. At the Third Reading, 298 MPs supported the Bill, registering a unanimous vote.
The Bill, co-sponsored by Otiende Amollo (Rarieda) and Samuel Chepkonga (Ainabkoi), was introduced to the House on 12th March 2025 and referred to the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC) for consideration.
The Committee conducted extensive public participation across all 290 constituencies and tabled its report on 17th June 2025, revealing that more than 98pc of submissions supported the proposal.
JLAC Vice Chair, Prof. Guyo Jaldesa (Moyale), expressed optimism, citing overwhelming national support: “A staggering 98.4pc of Kenyans support the entrenchment of these Funds. The people have spoken.”
The principal aim of the constitutional amendment is to provide legal certainty and constitutional protection to the three funds. The NG-CDF is designed to enhance equitable access to national government services, particularly in education and infrastructure at the grassroots level.
The SOF will strengthen the Senate’s oversight role over county governments, while NGAAF will enhance support for vulnerable groups, including women, youth and persons with disabilities.
Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah hailed the NG-CDF as the “most impactful” fund at the community level, noting that it complements—not competes with—county government resources.
“These funds have enabled the national government to fulfil its obligations in education, security and social support. They are a practical example of service delivery at the grassroots,” he said.
The Bill enjoyed bipartisan support, with Members from across the political divide citing personal testimonies, constituency success stories and national development benefits of the NG-CDF and related funds.
Otiende Amollo highlighted the constitutional alignment of the Bill, stating, “This amendment distinguishes between devolution and decentralisation and seeks to complement the spirit of equitable development envisioned in our Constitution.”
Beatrice Elachi (Dagoretti North) emphasised the transformative power of NG-CDF in education and infrastructure. “There are doctors, magistrates, teachers and engineers who owe their education to this Fund. We cannot think of abandoning it just as the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) demands new infrastructure like laboratories,” she said.
Joshua Kimilu (Kaiti) cited the visible impact in constituencies: “In my area, over 280 students receive full scholarships annually through NG-CDF. You can see the Fund’s tangible impact in every corner.”
Dekow Mohamed (Garissa Township), spoke about the Fund’s role in bridging development gaps.
“Before NG-CDF, we had only three secondary schools in my constituency. Today, we have 12, with plans for more. County allocations have not delivered comparable results,” he stated.
On his part, Joseph Makilap (Baringo North) noted that NG-CDF has relieved communities from the burden of fundraising for basic facilities.
“Since I became an MP, we’ve built classrooms and offices without a single fundraiser. NG-CDF is the only Fund delivering real value to our people,” he said.
Kuria Kimani (Molo), who is a direct beneficiary of NG-CDF, gave a moving account of how the Fund changed his life trajectory. “Were it not for NG-CDF, I would never have set foot in a high school. I am a living testimony to its impact,” he told the House.
Having met the constitutional threshold of a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, the Bill now proceeds to the Senate for consideration.
