Marsabit: Assistant County Commissioners, chiefs, and assistant chiefs in Marsabit County have completed a three-day training programme focused on grassroots data management to enhance the collection, accuracy, and use of community-level information in government planning and service delivery. The training, held in Saku Town, involved National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), officials from the State Department for Economic Planning, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Lidatech Consultants, and other technical teams.
According to Kenya News Agency, the programme covered the National Planning Architecture, legal frameworks, and community data systems, equipping participants with skills to collect, verify, manage, analyse, and submit reliable information from the grassroots. Organisers emphasized that accurate and timely data is essential for evidence-based planning, resource allocation, implementation of government programmes and projects, monitoring and evaluation, and national development decision-making.
The training also aimed to strengthen coordination between national and county government structures and ensure that information gathered from communities is used to address local priorities, service delivery gaps, and emerging socio-economic challenges. Senior Economist Alex Kiiru, representing the Principal Secretary for Economic Planning, Dr Boniface Makokha, lauded the participants’ commitment and engagement throughout the programme and commended the NGAO officers for their dedication.
Dr Makokha highlighted the importance of credible, timely, and relevant data for effective government planning, stressing that reliable information requires functional systems for systematic collection, verification, analysis, and transmission from communities to appropriate government structures. He urged administrators to ensure that collected information informs county and sectoral planning, resource allocation, programme monitoring, and national development planning.
Deputy County Commissioner Peter Kimani expressed gratitude to the administrators for attending the programme, noting its timeliness as the country moves towards a data-informed development framework. Kimani highlighted the Ministry of Interior and National Administration’s coordination role in government, emphasizing the central role of chiefs and assistant chiefs due to their close contact with communities.
The training, being implemented in phases across the country, covered data management aspects such as collection, validation, quality assurance, reporting, information management, and digital tool usage. Organisers underscored the importance of consistency, accuracy, and confidentiality in data handling, with practical learning activities involving smartphones and digital tools to enhance efficiency.
The collaboration among various governmental and technical bodies was crucial to the programme’s success, promoting common standards in grassroots data management. Participants discussed challenges faced in remote areas and were encouraged to apply their training to improve information reliability and ensure data informs government decisions effectively.
At the programme’s conclusion, NGAO team members received certificates of participation, marking the completion of a critical step towards improved grassroots data management in Marsabit County.
