By Robert Mutasi 
A lack of awareness about the right to access public information is limiting citizens’ ability to hold county governments accountable and participate effectively in devolution across the North Rift, stakeholders have warned.
As Kenya prepares to mark the International Day for Universal Access to Information on September 28, civil society groups and officials from the Office of the Ombudsman say many residents remain unaware that they can formally demand information held by public institutions.
The concern emerged in Eldoret during a forum that brought together civil society organisations, government officials, persons living with disabilities and members of the public to discuss access to information and accountability under devolution.
Tom Juma of Transparency International Kenya said an assessment conducted in the North Rift had identified a gap between information that county governments make available and what citizens are actually able to access.
He said some county governments had made efforts to publish information through websites and other platforms, but public awareness of the constitutional right remained low.
“Most members of the public are not aware of their right of access to information,” Juma said.
He said greater awareness of Article 35 of the Constitution and the Access to Information Act, 2016 would give residents a stronger basis to demand information from public institutions.
According to Juma, access to information can help residents monitor government activities, strengthen accountability and take part in decisions affecting their counties.
Franklin Ilako of the Office of the Ombudsman in Eldoret said the Commission on Administrative Justice is mandated to enforce the Access to Information Act and handle complaints where public institutions fail to respond to information requests within the required period.
He called on county governments to improve record-keeping, appoint officers responsible for handling information requests and present public information in forms that ordinary residents can understand.
Counties in Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nandi and Trans Nzoia have increasingly used websites, notice boards and other channels to publish government information.
However, stakeholders said the availability of information does not always guarantee access.
Some of the information published by county governments is highly technical, while language barriers and limited digital access can prevent residents from understanding or using it, the forum heard.
The challenge is particularly significant for persons living with disabilities.
James Rono, a person living with disability, said many public notices are still issued in formats that exclude people with different accessibility needs.
He also raised concerns about the suitability of some venues used for public participation meetings.
Rono called for county governments to provide information in accessible formats, including Braille and Kenya Sign Language, while also using simplified explanations and local languages during public meetings.
The stakeholders said stronger civic education at ward level could help residents understand how to request information and follow up when public institutions fail to respond.
They also called for county staff to receive regular training on their obligations under the Access to Information Act.
For residents, greater access to county records could provide a way of monitoring projects and public spending at the local level.
Information on stalled development projects, bursary allocations, procurement, health supplies and county budgets can help citizens question government decisions and participate more meaningfully in public forums.
The stakeholders said collaboration between county governments, the Office of the Ombudsman and civil society organisations such as Transparency International Kenya would be important in closing the information gap.
They noted that devolution depends not only on county governments providing services, but also on residents being able to obtain information needed to understand, monitor and question how public resources are being used.
As Kenya approaches September 28, the North Rift forum has renewed calls for citizens to move beyond simply receiving information published by county governments and make use of the legal avenues available to request records they need.