Kisumu County Access to Information technical working group workshop at the Grand Royal Swiss Hotel (Picture By Matilda Atieno)
By Matilda Atieno
The County Government in partnership with Access to Information for Meaningful Citizens Engagement ( AIMCR) project concluded a two day stakeholders workshop convened to deliberate on the formulation of the Access to Information Policy and Bill.
The meeting brought together the technical working group that consisted of the state actors and the Civil society including, Cheshire Disability Service Kenya, Step Up Together, Transparency International, Plan International, KMET and KEFEADO.
The workshop was designed to explore the access to information policy statement and strategies as well as the implementation framework with a focus on pathways to implementing priority recommendations generated during the first consultative meeting.
In their opening remarks, the County Director for public participation, Mr. Wilson Nindo together with the representative of Cheshire Disability Service Kenya, Madam Barbara Ndolo and AIMCR project officer Annet Obat acknowledged the importance of the Access to Information Policy in promoting transparency and disclosure based on the principles, accountability, good governance and client responsibility to stakeholders.
They also reiterated their commitment to working together to ensure the implementation of the policy to strengthen public participation in the county.
The meeting was also graced by the chief officer for Information and public communication Mr. John Oywa who noted that the County Government is faced with the urgency to establish the access to information policy, not just in order to promote access to information, but also to respond to key communication and information challenges and the pressure to reset the way information is readily availed to the public.
The Chief Officer also reaffirmed the county government commitment to establish the policy which he also hoped to bore a communication policy to strengthen communication structures in the county.
If established the policy is a step in the direction of ensuring access to information as a widely recognized a fundamental human right that is pivotal to democracy and good governance