NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 11– Heated exchanges erupted in the National Assembly as Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and Minority Leader Junet Mohammed strongly criticized Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairperoson Ndindi Nyoro over alleged skewed budget allocations.
As Ichung’wah moved a motion for the House to hold a special sitting on Friday, he and Junet accused Nyoro of manipulating the budget process to favor his own constituency and political allies at the expense of other regions.
“It is immoral, unethical, and outright theft!” Ichung’wah declared.
“We cannot have a situation where one county receives Sh12 billion while an entire region struggles with just Sh60 million. How is that even possible?”
The intense debate following reconsititution of the Budget Committee came ahead of a leadership vote, slated for Wednesday, which will determine whether Nyoro secures a second term as chair.
Ichung’wah accused members of the desolved committee of treating public funds as their personal bank accounts, turning the budget-making process into “a cash grab for the privileged few.”
“This House will not sit back and allow a handful of MPs to allocate money only to their constituencies while the rest of the country is left begging for crumbs. We were not sent here to enrich ourselves—we were sent here to serve Kenyans fairly,” Ichung’wah stated.
The Majority Leader vowed that business would not continue as usual, warning that the next Budget Committee must uphold fairness and equity—or face Parliament’s wrath.
“I want to send a clear warning. Any MP who joins that committee thinking they will continue these bad manners should think again. We will not allow Parliament to be turned into a marketplace for looters,” he warned.
‘Kiharu‘s Messiah’
Minority Leader Junet Mohammed ridiculed Nyoro, sarcastically questioning why MPs were flocking to Kiharu for ‘benchmarking’ on National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) projects.
“Tell me, Mr. Speaker, what exactly is happening in Kiharu that we must all go and see? Has the Messiah come back there? Is there a new economic miracle we have not heard about?” Junet posed.
He alleged that Kiharu had become the “special constituency” in the budget process, benefiting disproportionately while other regions struggled to secure even a fraction of the funds.
“The Budget Committee went around the country, telling people they had allocated Sh2 billion for public participation. Then suddenly, that figure jumped to Sh12 billion. And who benefited? Not the counties that [were] promised—No! The money ended up in the pockets of a select few,” he remarked.
Junet criticized extravagant spending, questioning how one MP’s constituency could afford luxury projects while others could barely fund a single road.
“Let’s be honest. Which MP here can build castles with their CDF funds? These things are happening because some people have access to ‘bigger money’—money that does not belong to them but to Kenyans. And they are stealing it in broad daylight!” he said.
Speaker’s call for fairness
Speaker Moses Wetang’ula urged MPs to uphold fairness and accountability in budget allocations, reminding them that the Constitution demands equity, justice, and transparency.
“The central principle of our Constitution is fairness. Those of you serving in committees are not there for yourselves—you are public trustees. You do not represent personal interests; you represent the entire country,” Wetang’ula stated.
He cautioned that no leader should have to beg for their rightful share of national resources, urging committee members to act impartially.
“A person in Vanga, a person in Lokitang, a person in Malaba—none of them should have to come to this House to demand fairness. We all have a duty to discharge our responsibilities with integrity,” he warned.