17/08/2026
Misplaced Expectations on County Governments & National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF)
Constructing one kilometer of tarmac road in Kenya costs between Kshs. 120 million and Kshs. 250 million, depending on the terrain. This is a staggering figure that far exceeds the allocations available under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which typically amounts to less than Kshs. 180 million. Yet, some tribal voices on social media insist that CDF should simultaneously fund road construction, classroom repairs, bursaries, hospitals, and other infrastructure across entire constituency.
How is that possible? The same CDF money is supposed to pay Constituency employees, fund funerals, harambees and any personal emergency that might occur to a voter / constituent.
Such arguments ignore the legal framework governing infrastructure. National government roads classified as A, B, and C, fall under the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA), while Class D and E roads are managed by the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA). County governments have no mandate over these categories, yet critics demand they take responsibility.
The financial reality is equally sobering. A county government receiving Kshs. 6 billion annually, with a wage bill of Kshs. 3.8 billion and recurring strikes by healthcare workers, must still fund agriculture, ECDE programs, municipal services, and drug procurement from KEMSA. Expecting such a county to construct roads worth Kshs. 10 billion is simply unrealistic.
Evidence from Central Kenya underscores this point. No county in the region has constructed a 30-kilometer stretch of tarmac road. All major roads were built by the national government. Counties such as Kiambu where I come from, despite receiving over Kshs. 12 billion annually, are limited to maintaining murram access and feeder roads rather than undertaking full-scale tarmacking.
If my Kiambu county cannot manage to tarmac even 10 kilometers of road, how can anyone reasonably expect Homa Bay county with a budget of only Kshs. 6 billion to construct a 57-kilometer road? These demands are not only impractical but also disregard the clear division of responsibilities between national and county governments.
All in all, we all can see the previllages people have whenever they are in government. Luos learned that long time ago. Opposition as it stands, belongs to the privileged.
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