The County Governance Watch (CGW) has kicked off its inaugural regional Citizens Accountability Forum in Kisumu, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at boosting public participation and fostering transparency in county governments.
The forum convened over 96 key stakeholders, including civil society leaders, persons with disabilities, social media influencers, and public interest groups, to address governance challenges and propose solutions.
“As the name suggests, our purpose is to watch over our county governments on a number of issues, particularly citizen engagement, public participation, budget processes, and monitoring and evaluation. Our focus is on advocacy, transparency, and accountability,” said Kevin Osido, a representative of CGW, during the event held at Mama Grace Onyango Social Centre.
Osido underscored that the forum follows the release of a 2024 report on corruption in county governments, specifically highlighting gaps in citizen engagement. The report flagged critical issues such as access to information, the effectiveness of feedback mechanisms from county administrations, institutional audits, and the functionality of engagement tools like social media and official websites.
The meeting also featured representatives from the Office of the Controller of Budget, the County Budget Coordinator, the County Ethics Commission, and Kisumu County Assembly officials.
“This is an engagement platform that brings together stakeholders and duty bearers to discuss what is working, what is not, and where the weaknesses and strengths lie. It is also an opportunity for citizens to understand their role in supporting accountability and for the government—both the assembly and the executive—to take action,” Osido explained.
David Ochieng, Senior Clerk Assistant at the Kisumu County Assembly, acknowledged existing barriers to citizen engagement, particularly for persons with disabilities.
“There are those who cannot read the entire document, maybe due to eye problems or disability, and there are no Braille copies or other accessibility measures. As we stand here at the assembly, we engage an interpreter to bridge such gaps,” Ochieng noted.
He further highlighted plans to improve participation, including incorporating ward managers into discussions as critical community informants.
“In our next steps, we are going to involve local radio stations to reach people at the grassroots level. We will also ensure that public participation days are scheduled in advance so that citizens have adequate time to prepare,” he stated.
CGW, in partnership with The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA) and other organizations, intends to scale the initiative across all 47 counties. Following Kisumu, the forums will expand to North Eastern Kenya, with upcoming engagements set for Wajir and Garissa, before returning to the Lake Region.
“This is just the beginning. We aim to sustain these discussions as part of an ongoing process to enhance accountability and transparency in county governance,” Osido concluded.
The Citizens Accountability Forum is expected to reinforce public engagement in governance, ensuring better service delivery and effective resource management in counties nationwide.
