Kakamega: The County government of Kakamega has marked one year since joining the Open Government Partnership (OGP), an initiative meant to build trust of citizens in government by encouraging their participation in governance.
According to Kenya News Agency, the OGP is a global initiative that brings together governments, civil societies, and the media to promote transparency, accountability, and public participation to enhance development. Over 75 countries across the globe and 100 local governments are members of OGP, which requires that they make commitments to open up budget information, improve access to public services, fight corruption, and protect whistleblowers.
Other commitments in the OGP include digitization of government services, enhancing civic participation, and enhancing transparency in the use and allocation of natural resources, procurement, and elections. Kenya is one of the countries at the national level that joined the OGP, with Kakamega, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nairobi, Makueni, and Kisii among the counties at the subnational level participating in the OGP.
Kakamega County marked one year since joining OGP by unveiling a call centre and launching the Sauti ya Wananchi OGP report. Speaking during the launch of the call centre and OGP report, Governor Fernandes Barasa said that the county’s engagement with OGP shows his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability. In a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, Governor Barasa noted that his administration remains committed to the open governance principles as adopted by the national and local governments globally to strengthen transparency and enhance access to information.
Governor Barasa expressed gratitude for the research that produced the Sauti ya Mwananchi OGP report, which provides insights into what Kakamega residents think about the county’s governance practices. He emphasized that the newly launched call centre will facilitate real-time communication between citizens and the county government, enabling improved service delivery to address the needs of people. The call centre aims to foster sustained conversations on development priorities beyond traditional public participation meetings.
Furthermore, the county government plans to revamp community councils to enhance grassroots engagement and will deploy ICT solutions, including the digitization of county records, to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs. The Chief Officer for Public Service, Priscah Otipa, stated that OGP challenges county governments to go beyond policy promises and demonstrate tangible, transparent, and inclusive results that are responsive to public needs.
The Executive Director of Twaweza East Africa, Anna Bwana, remarked that the launch of the call centre and OGP report comes at a time when citizens across the East Africa region, especially young people, are navigating economic, social, and democratic pressures. She highlighted the importance of open, inclusive, and responsive governance in addressing these challenges.
