Politics and policy
Planning secretary Anne Waiguru. Photo/FILE
By EDWIN MUTAI, emutai@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
- Disbursement of money to women and youth groups has stalled due to the hitches,
More than 159 MPs have failed to submit bank
accounts for the Uwezo Fund, delaying disbursement of Sh6 billion meant
to lift enterprise by women, youth and persons with disabilities.
Planning secretary Anne Waiguru said another 19
constituencies submitted names of members to the Uwezo Fund Management
Committee (CUFMC) who had been rejected by the fund oversight board for
various reasons.
In a memorandum dated April 28 to all MPs, Ms
Waiguru said three constituencies—Lafey, Kanduyi and Nambale—had not
submitted lists of members to sit in the committees. The lists of
members to CUFMC are generated by respective MPs in consultation with
the county women representatives.
The constituencies that have not nominated or
submitted members to CUFMC are represented by Shaban Ali, Wafula
Wamunyinyi and John Bunyasi respectively while the county women
representatives are Fathia Mahbub, Reginald Wambilianga and Florence
Mutua.
Ms Waiguru said the slow pace in receiving the
list of members appointed to CUFMC for gazettement and opening of three
bank accounts per constituency “is impacting negatively on the rollout
of the fund.”
Section 15 of the Public Finance Management
(Uwezo) regulations 2014 provides for the establishment of a Uwezo Fund
Management Committee in every constituency.
“The constituency members of Parliament and the
County Women Representatives have a noble role of appointing the members
of the committee save for government officials,” said Ms Waiguru in the
letter to National Assembly clerk Justin Bundi for circulation to MPs.
She said the Uwezo Fund Oversight Board has been
receiving the lists of member for gazettement and requests to open bank
accounts in various constituencies.
“These requests, however, have been done at a slow pace thus impacting negatively the rollout of the fund.
“The purpose of this letter is to request you to
convey to members of Parliament from listed counties and constituencies
to take urgent respective actions to enable us roll out the fund to all
constituencies without further delay,” she wrote.
Under the regulations, the sub-county accountant
is required to open three bank accounts in each constituency from where
the funds would be channelled to women and youth groups.
The authority to open bank accounts is issued by
the Accountant General on resolution of the CUFMC, according to Ms
Waiguru’s letter on the non-compliant MPs as of April 28, 2014.
Uwezo’s main objective is to expand access to
finance through grants and credit to promote youth and women businesses
and enterprises at the constituency level for realisation of the Vision
2030 development goals.
It also aims at generating gainful self-employment through grants and interest-free loans
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