By JANE WAITHIRA
At a time when many Members of Parliament deploy the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) in fragmented and often politicised ways, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has quietly built a reputation for outthinking his peers through disciplined, outcomes-focused management of the kitty.
The clearest expression of this strategy is in education, where Nyoro has transformed NG-CDF from a routine bursary tool into a constituency-wide policy instrument. Under the Masomo Bora programme, parents of day secondary school students in Kiharu now pay only Sh500 per term, down from Sh1,000, a move that benefits about 12,000 learners across 65 day schools.
“This programme is aimed at ensuring that no child in Kiharu misses out on education because of lack of fees,” Nyoro said. “Education is an equaliser and the most powerful tool of empowerment, and no child should be locked out because of finances.”
Rather than targeting a few students through competitive bursaries, Nyoro opted for a universal model that spreads support across all day schools. The result has been predictable funding for schools, reduced dropout rates and relief for parents struggling with the cost of education.
“Every student in a day secondary school should be in class, not at home being sent away over fees,” he said. “When we support all schools equally, we remove the politics and restore dignity to parents.”
Beyond fees, the MP has complemented access with quality, setting aside NG-CDF funds for laboratories, classrooms and other critical infrastructure—areas often neglected in favour of headline-grabbing projects.
“We cannot talk about access without talking about quality,” Nyoro noted. “That is why we are investing in laboratories, learning facilities and teaching materials so that our children compete fairly.”
He has also prioritised provision of revision materials, a low-cost but high-impact intervention that has contributed to improved academic performance in the constituency.
“Revision materials may look small, but they make a huge difference in performance,” he said. “Sometimes it is the simplest investments that deliver the biggest results.”
Nyoro’s approach reflects his experience as a former chair of the Parliamentary Budget and Appropriations Committee, where he developed a sharp eye for inefficiencies in public spending. He argues that what Kiharu has achieved can be replicated nationally with better coordination of resources.
“With proper structuring, Sh30 billion a year is enough to keep all children in school,” he said. “That money can even cater for feeding programmes if we stop wasting resources.”
He has proposed consolidating funds currently spread across counties, NG-CDF and national ministries to create a dedicated pool for basic education, arguing that inefficiency—not lack of money—is the real crisis.
“There is too much wastage in government,” Nyoro said. “If we channel these resources properly, basic education in Kenya can be totally free.”
At the national level, Nyoro has emerged as one of the fiercest critics of delayed and reduced capitation to schools, accusing the government of quietly undermining free education.
“The plan was to increase school fees by slashing capitation, and I blew the whistle on it,” he said. “Free education should not be abolished through the back door.”
He dismissed the recent Sh26 billion released to schools as inadequate, saying it barely covers accumulated debts.
“That money is not for development—it is just paying debts schools have carried for years,” he said.
Nyoro has warned that failure to release all outstanding capitation funds could trigger nationwide protests led by parents.
“If the money is not released by mid-term, we will mobilise parents across the country until schools get what they are owed,” he said.
For Nyoro, education funding is not a political favour but a constitutional obligation.
“Free basic education is not a campaign promise,” he said. “It is the government’s mandate and a right for every child.”
As debates continue over the relevance and future of NG-CDF, Kiharu stands out as a case study in how strategic thinking, fiscal discipline and political courage can turn a limited fund into a powerful development tool. In Ndindi Nyoro’s hands, NG-CDF has become more than a budget line—it is a blueprint for what smart leadership can achieve.
