NO MONEY PROBLEMS

Prime Minister Raila Odinga says the Committee of Experts has enough funding from the government and donors to complete civic education on the proposed constitution.

The PM's assurance however, comes as accusations and counter-accusations continue to fly over the funding of the civic education programme between Treasury and the Committee of Experts.

With President Kibaki in his Madaraka day commemoration speech on Tuesday urging Kenyan's to participate in the ongoing civic education, Odinga sees this as an assurance that the government is committed to facilitating CoE in its efforts to educate Kenyans on the contents of the proposed constitution.

The premier termed latest allegations by the CoE that the government had failed to meet its financial obligations to facilitate civic education as false, saying COE have received 90 million Shillings from Treasury, 10 million shillings from Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and 150 million shillings from UNDP.

The PM also confirmed that his office had donated 90 million shillings to the CoE for the exercise.

But the CoE continues to accuse the treasury of failing to fund its operations. CoE chairman Nzamba Kitonga insists his team's operations could grind to a halt, saying they are Sh100 million short of the agreed figure with only a week left for civic education.

The Treasury on its part has argued that the budget was approved and monies dispersed as per the budget and that there was no more money due to the CoE.

On Monday CoE director Ekuru Aukot maintained the Committee had not received the 230 million shillings it requires to carry out the civic education contrary to claims by Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta that Treasury had released all the funds that had been approved by Parliament.

Aukot said the 100 million shillings the committee has so far received was from the office of the Prime Minister and the ministry of Justice.

He said the commission would not be able to carry out effective civic education if the money was not availed saying the committee is currently running the programme on funds meant for internal office operations.

Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has dismissed claims that Treasury was frustrating the review process by delaying the release of funds saying.

On Sunday, the Treasury moved to exonerate itself from blame over alleged delays in the disbursement of funds meant for civic education.

In a statement faxed to newsrooms, Treasury maintained that it has already honored its obligation by releasing the 100 million shillings needed for the exercise.

In its argument, it says that due to budgetary constraints the government was to finance those activities that would take place in May and June while the balance was to be provided for in the 2010/11 budget.