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.
The OGP is a global initiative that brings together governments, civil societies and the media to promote transparency, accountability and public participation in order 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 are digitization of government services, enhancing civic participation and enhancing transparency in use and allocation of natural resources, procurement and elections.
Kenya is one of the countries under 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 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.
“Without good governance, it is impossible to realize development; for this reason, I wish to appreciate the work done in Kakamega by Mzalendo Trust, Twaweza East Africa, and Network for Research and Governance (NRG) in strengthening good governance pillars,” he noted.
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 to enhance access to information.
“I am grateful for the research that produced the Sauti ya Mwananchi OGP report. It gives us a critical perspective of what Kakamega residents think about our governance practices. We accept this report and commit to working with our partners to deepen transparency and accountability,” he added.
Governor Barasa emphasized that the newly launched call center will facilitate real-time communication between citizens and the county government, enabling improved service delivery to address the needs of people.
“The call center will allow more sustained conversations on development priorities beyond traditional public participation meetings,” he added.
He noted that the county government plans to revamp community councils to enhance grassroots engagement and will deploy ICT solutions, including digitization of county records, to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs.
The Chief Officer for Public Service, Priscah Otipa, said that OGP challenges county governments to go beyond policy promises and demonstrate tangible, transparent and inclusive results that are responsive to public needs.
“We recognize that strong institutions are built not only through policies but also through systems that listen, respond and engage the public. The call center is a critical step in transforming how the government interacts with citizens. It will provide a structured channel for feedback, complaints, inquiries and service follow-up.
The Executive Director of Twaweza East Africa, Anna Bwana, said 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.
“We are acknowledging that governments everywhere are working hard to build trust, deliver services and respond to the needs of their people. These challenges are reminding us that an open, inclusive and responsive governance is not a luxury; it is a necessity,” she added.
by Moses Wekesa
