KISUMU, Kenya, July 31st –Civil Society Organisations from Kisumu County are now appealing to the Kenya Kwanza administration to come up with more tangible policies aimed at empowering citizens instead of ‘dishing out goodies to them.’
The group noted that giving handouts is no longer tenable since it is not sustainable.
Speaking during a round table meeting in Kisumu, which also incorporated partners and members of the area County Assembly, Mariam Abdallah, the Programs Officer at Transform Empowerment For Action Initiative
(TEAM), said that the government should seek other alternatives for empowering Kenyans other than wooing them with small goodies.
“The government should specifically give youths credit facilities to enable them to initiate business startups and the youths should now resist the temptation of being used by members of the political class,” she urged.
She further noted the existential gaps in public participation initiatives which deny locals access to information.
Abdalla emphasized that information reaching the public should be handled with utmost care at this time and age.
On his part, the Executive Director of TEAM, Mr Cliff Ochieng, said proper public participation and access to information were key to service delivery at all levels.
Ochieng said that privilege goes a long way in instilling public confidence in leaders and the public they serve.
Uraia Trust Head of Programs, Mr Alloys Moyi, said citizens should work closely and called for public participation in legislation to enable citizens to oversee assemblies.
“Human Rights Defenders should be enabled to operate optimally without interference from state,law enforcers or powerful figures,” Moyi said.
The Chairman of the Budget Committee at the Kisumu County Assembly, Seth Okumu, called for a better way of mobilising locals to attend public participation forums.
He said several organisations have been working in isolation and commended Uraia Trust for the noble initiative.
Hon Moses Ochele, who is the Member of the County Assembly (MCA) for East Kano Wawidhi Ward, said there should be a threshold on the number of people who take part in a public participation forum.
Hon Ochele who is also the Chairman of the Committee on Administration of Law, Justice, Good Governance, Constitutional Affairs and Security, said it will give MCA’s and the public leverage on how to gauge them.
The initiative also involved members of the Uraia Trust and representatives from the office of the Kisumu Senator, Prof Tom Ojienda, and the office of the County women’s member in the national assembly, Ruth Odinga.
The participants agreed that access to information and public participatory approaches are key to good governance, human rights enforcement and democratic tenets in the country.
