NERIMA: NG-CDF a clear yardstick for judging performance

A survey by Mizani Africa, conducted between October 13 and November 21, 2025, and released in December, ranked Ndindi Nyoro among Kenya’s best-performing members of Parliament, with an approval rating of 92.4 per cent.

Mark Nyamita and James Gakuya followed with 85.5 per cent and 81.5 per cent, respectively. Joseph Lekuton and Gideon Mulyungi each scored 80.7 per cent. Phylis Bartoo, Babu Owino and Tim Wanyonyi tied at position five with 80.45 per cent, while Benjamin Gathiru and Vincent Kawaya completed the top 10 at 73.9 per cent.

The survey assessed MPs on legislative engagement, oversight and management of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund. These indicators matter because they go beyond popularity and point to how an elected leader performs their core duties. Drafting or contributing to laws, questioning the executive and managing public resources are the daily work of Parliament. However, they are often invisible to voters unless they translate into real change.

In the 2024–25 financial year, about Sh54.7 billion was disbursed through the NG-CDF to all 290 constituencies. Individual allocations ranged from Sh161.5 million to Sh206.4 million, guided by Section 34 of the NG-CDF Act, 2015. Seventy-five per cent of the fund, after administrative costs, is shared equally among constituencies. The remaining 25 per cent is distributed based on population size, poverty levels and the number of wards, to reduce inequality and give every area a fair chance.

On paper, this formula promotes equity. But across the country, the results look very different. Some constituencies point to new classrooms and bursaries reaching needy students. In others, residents complain of stalled projects, poorly built facilities, or funds tied up in endless meetings and allowances. As such, the lingering question becomes, if the money is largely equal, why is the impact so uneven?

The answer lies in leadership choices. Where MPs work closely with communities, publish project lists, involve professionals and adhere to procurement rules, NG-CDF projects tend to be more visible and useful. Areas where decisions are centralised around the MP, or where committees are weak and compromised, often experience projects being delayed or duplicated, funds being stolen and minimal benefits to the people.

For the mwananchi, NG-CDF is a clear yardstick for judging performance. A completed classroom or a transparent bursary list speaks louder than speeches. These outcomes show prudent financial management and respect for citizens’ rights to development. When public funds are used well, trust grows. When they are wasted or politicised, cynicism deepens.

As Kenya approaches the 2027 elections, many leaders are already on the campaign trail, selling promises and staging rallies. Too often, this noise hides a failure to account for how billions of shillings have been used.

In stronger democracies, incumbents are judged on audited results and clear impact. In Canada, for example, federal grants are tied to reporting and performance. In Germany, legislators regularly publish constituency reports showing what was delivered and at what cost. In such systems, performance itself becomes the campaign.

Using public money to mask non-performance or fund political drama is wrong, violates public finance laws and undermines democracy. Citizens must, therefore, stay alert, ask for evidence and reward good public service delivery.

Equally, leaders must accept that a renewed mandate comes from honest stewardship, transparency and results. Ultimately, democracy is protected when voters and those they elect insist that service defines effective leadership.

Program manager for political accountability in state institutions at the Kenya Human Rights Commission