Katiba Institute, on 9 October 2024, hosted a training workshop on proactive disclosure of information targeting directors from various departments of Samburu County in #Maralal. The County Secretary, Wilson Lesuuda, officially opened the event.

This is one of the activities under a project that seeks to support proactive disclosure of public information by relevant government bodies, thanks to support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi.

Mr. Lesuuda emphasised the critical role of access to information, noting that the County Government of Samburu is keen to ensure that citizens receive all the relevant information. He said the County plans to explore using local radio to share information to reach as many people as possible and break down the information. The county secretary welcomed the partnership with Katiba Institute.

Katiba Institute’s Programmes Manager, Patriciah Joseph, led a session on the obligations of public officials to disclose information proactively, emphasising maximum disclosure. She encouraged the team not only to publish but also to publicise the information.

Dr. Henry Gichana, in charge of devolution at KI, guided participants through the nexus between access to information and devolution, helping them understand where to place citizens in service delivery.

Kevin Mabonga lauded the County’s efforts to proactively provide information on its website, especially budget-related information, noting that this will create a culture of openness and transparency. He urged the communications team to consistently disseminate the information using multiple platforms to reach different audiences in the County.

Media Council of Kenya Regional Coordinator, Jackson Karanja, challenged public officials to provide information proactively, observing that there is always a risk when we deny media or members of the public relevant information. He discussed the critical role media plays in disseminating information to the public, thus being key players in access to information.

The engagement aimed to help public officers appreciate their obligations to provide information to the public proactively.

Participants indicated that the training was timely and relevant to their duties. They agreed with the call to place citizens at the centre of service delivery and access information. They suggested more capacity-building sessions in other areas.

Proactive Disclosure

Article 35 (3) of the Constitution, 2010 provides: ‘The State shall publish and publicise any important information affecting the nation.’ This provision thus obligates the State to disclose any information affecting the nation proactively. The provision is further elaborated and concretised by the Access to Information Act, which requires public entities to make specific categories of information available to the public.

Section 5 of the Access to Information Act requires all public entities to voluntarily disclose certain information and to facilitate access to the information.

According to section 5 of the Access to Information Act, some information to be disclosed proactively includes an institution’s mandate, decision-making criteria, resource utilisation, policies and procedures, lists and registers, and public procurement information.