The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Woman Representatives from all 47 counties have united in condemning the government’s decision to cut Sh500 million from the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), saying the move is unfair and threatens vital community-level programs benefiting women, youth, and vulnerable populations.
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The matter was raised in Parliament, where Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo criticized the budget cut as deeply discouraging and disruptive to constituency-level planning and service delivery.
“This is heartbreaking. Mr. Speaker, the 47 Woman Representatives across Kenya are in pain. It feels as if we’ve been rendered powerless. We usually operate proactively, but this kind of interference reduces our efforts to mere theory,” Omanyo said.
Her remarks came after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi revealed that NGAAF’s allocation had been slashed from Sh3.2 billion to Sh2.7 billion as part of broader government spending adjustments. Mbadi noted that Sh1.1 billion in arrears had recently been disbursed to the fund.
Nonetheless, the Woman Reps argue that the budget cut severely hinders their capacity to serve their constituents.
“The funds were already insufficient. We insist that the Sh500 million must be restored. How can I return to Busia and claim to represent my people when this money was taken while I sat silently in Parliament?” Omanyo asked.
Mombasa Woman Representative Zamzam Mohammed echoed the frustration, highlighting inconsistencies in Treasury’s explanations regarding who initiated the cuts.
“Women leaders from 47 counties have been disregarded. When I asked the Treasury CS, he blamed Parliament, but the reality is that Treasury made the cut. I urge our constituents to understand that we are not the ones behind this decision,” she said.
Laikipia Woman Representative Jane Kagiri, chair of the 47 Women Representatives Caucus, announced that the group would stage peaceful demonstrations to demand clarity and accountability from the Treasury.
“We’ll be wearing black to mourn this injustice—not just against us, but against Kenyan communities. Pink symbolizes NGAAF. We’ll march to both NGAAF and Treasury offices seeking answers,” Kagiri said.
Eldas MP Adan Keynan also criticized the move, describing it as a step backward in the fight for women’s representation and rights, which were enshrined in the 2010 Constitution.
“It’s wrong to take away a right that women have already fought for and won. I appeal to Treasury officials to act with empathy. Women make up the majority of the electorate—denying them Sh500 million is both politically and morally unjust,” he said.
Budget and Appropriations Committee Chair Samuel Atandi acknowledged the lawmakers’ concerns and promised to push Treasury to release the withheld funds under Article 223 of the Constitution, which permits emergency spending outside the approved budget.
NGAAF is a crucial vehicle through which Woman Reps fund grassroots projects in areas such as economic empowerment, health, education support, and shelter for vulnerable individuals.
However, a recent report from the Office of the Auditor General revealed that around Sh554.3 million allocated to NGAAF remained unused in county bank accounts, pointing to possible bottlenecks in fund disbursement, planning, or project implementation.
