DRAFT OGP National Action Plan 2014 | Government of Kenya 1

THE OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP

DRAFT
NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR THE
GOVERNMENT OF KENYA

2014









DRAFT OGP National Action Plan 2014 | Government of Kenya 2



I. Introduction

The Government of Kenya is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability. With the
introduction of the two-tier government system as provided for by the constitution of Kenya National
and County Governments, a lot of activities have been devolved to the county governments while others
remain a responsibility of the national government.

The new government system has presented multiple opportunities to better reach the citizen and
provides services and availability of administration, while at the same time being faced by challenges that
are an initial cost of investment in a governance system that will be robust and more accessible to the
citizens.

The government of Kenya has shown its commitment to the Open Government Partnership movement
with the signing and entry into the OGP list of participating countries (2012) and will continue to be
committed as this has not been a matter of just signing but also being accountable and more transparent
to the Kenyan Citizens.

II. Situation analysis

With the new system of government, a lot of citizen services have been devolved as well as management
of projects, funds and governance. Due to this, the monitoring and evaluation of the county governments
and services have become a lot more complex especially in the matters of transparency and accountability
as most of the regulatory institutions are more concerned with administrative clearance before they can
embark on openness and governance. All is not lost.

Challenge Situation Analysis
Improving
Public Services
Ensuring that citizens are served in the most satisfying and transparent way
possible. This will be achieved by reducing the challenges that are faced by
citizens accessing services, while ensuring that all citizens get the same
opportunities and access to government services.
Increasing
Public
Integrity
Transparency must be encouraged in both national and county governments,
especially in development projects and project expenditures. Large amounts
of funds are returned to Treasury every fiscal year due to lack of efficiency.
Development vs recurring expenses are yet to be desirably balanced as Kenya
DRAFT OGP National Action Plan 2014 | Government of Kenya 3
is working to improve public finance management in the hope of strengthening
systems of procurement and spending.
More
Effectively
Managing
Public
Resources
The government has been involved in the disbursement of funds to various
projects within the country. With the devolved government, the wage bill is at
an all time high and the allocation of development versus recurring costs has
not been done in a desirable manner.
DRAFT OGP National Action Plan 2014 | Government of Kenya 4
III. The 2014 Proposed OGP Action Plan

Proposed Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2014

As a result of a series of consultations during the period of November 2014 November 2016, we are committed to:

Action No. Specific Objective Activity description Implementing partner Target
Date

Action 1.1

Improving service
delivery by
government to the
citizens
Improving service delivery by government to
the citizens to ensure

Citizens can and access public services with
little or no restrictions, long waiting hours or
restricting pre-conditions.

Elimination of restrictions, long waiting hours
or restricting pre-conditions to access of
public services
Support of the following ongoing
projects:

i. Establishment of Huduma
Centers grassroots service
delivery with a one-stop shop
for government services.

ii. eCitizen portal
http://ecitizen.go.ke/


Ministry of Devolution
and Planning

(Month)
2015
Action 1. 2

Improve roll out of
the Citizen
Registration and
Vital Statistics
System

Improve roll out of the Citizen Registration
and Vital Statistics System

Expand the number of people covered by the
civil registration service

Improve access to government services
through better registration of persons

Build awareness of citizens on benefits of
registration, active citizenship and rights.

Promote transparency in registration of
persons.
Support of the following ongoing
projects:

i. CRVS system in Ministry of
Immigration & Registration of
Persons
ii. Citizenship education initiative

Ministry of Immigration
and Registration of
Persons

Ministry of Devolution
and Planning

Kenya National Bureau
of Statistics

(Month)
2015
DRAFT OGP National Action Plan 2014 | Government of Kenya 5
Action 1. 3
Increase access to
funds and reduce
poverty among
youth, women and
persons with
disability
Target youth, women and person with
disability to benefit from all public contracts
and consultancies issued as an affirmative
action to improve their livelihoods.

Address the plight of the less advantaged in
society, combat poverty, and promote equity,
the social protection safety net in form of
cash transfer. In addition, an allocation for
the Equalization Fund, Constituency
Development Fund (CDF), and Affirmative
Action for Social Development has been set
aside in the budget

i. Passage of legislation
supporting 30% public
procurement requirement of
funds to be allocated to
youth, women and person
with disability

Ministry of Devolution
and Planning

Ministry of finance

(Month)
2015
Action 1. 4
Support Gender
equality
To promote gender equality and womens full
participation in civic life, the private sector,
public administration and political processes.
i. following up the constitutional
provisions and the gender
policy
Commission on Gender
equality

Ministry of devolution
and planning
(Month)
2015
Action 1. 5
Kenya Open Data
Initiative
Promoting transparency, accountability in
government services by providing published
datasets online, and in simplified formats
that relate to public expenditures and
disbursements in health, education, water
and other essential services on the Kenya
Open Data Portal.

Awareness creation to all government
agencies on the open data portal and their
requirements to submit Data sets

Ongoing supporting projects:

i. Regular publishing data to
the Kenya Open Data
Initiative
(www.opendata.go.ke)
ii. Awareness creation on the
open data portal to
Government both at
County and National levels

All government organs
and its agencies

Ministry of Information
Communication
ICT Authority

2016
Action 1. 6 Enhance avenues of receiving citizens
complaints or grievances on public entities or
public officials performance
i. Develop a Public Complaints
Portal
The Commission on
Administrative Justice
Ombudsman
(Month)
2015
DRAFT OGP National Action Plan 2014 | Government of Kenya 6
Support avenues
of channeling
public complaints

Ministry of ICT
Action 1. 7
Enhance legislative
openness
Enhance transparency in the legislative
process in the National and County
Government
i. Regular and timely updating
of the e-order paper in
Parliament to allow
ii. Adopt open-source platforms
like www.bungeni.org to
enhance parliamentary and
county assembly information
sharing with the public
iii. Join the Legislative Openness
working group

Parliament of Kenya (Month)
2015
Action 1. 8
Enhance security
reforms
Enhancing security of citizens and promote
counter terrorism

i. Supporting the
implementation of the
Nyumba kumi initiative
Ministry of Security
and Internal Affairs
(Month)
2016
Action 1.9
Rationalization of
the public service
at both national
and county
government levels

Enhancing service delivery in the public
service to benefit Kenyans

Capacity assessment, restructuring,
undertaking HR and skills audit, staff
redeployment and transfers.

Ongoing Supporting Projects:

i. Capacity assessment and
rationalization of the public
service (CARPS) Programme.
The office of the
President
Ministry of Devolution
and Planning

(Month)
2016
Action 1.10
Enactment of
privacy and data
protection and
Access to
information policy
Comply with constitutional requirements on
the right to privacy and access to information

Allow citizens access to Public information
held by Government for better engagements
with the government

i. Develop policies and a
framework for data protection
and Access to information
Ministry of
information,
communication and
Technology

The office of the
President
(Month)
2015
DRAFT OGP National Action Plan 2014 | Government of Kenya 7
and legislative
frameworks
increase public participation in governance

Increase transparency, accountability,
openness, better records management.

The Attorney General
Law reform
commission

Action 1.11
Improved
infrastructure
Improved infrastructure to ensure effective
service delivery for all citizens

i. the Rural Electrification
programme
ii. the LAPSSET project, New
roads to be constructed
through annuity payment
programme (under PPP).
iii. Standard Gauge Rail
iv. Urban Commuter Rail System
v. Upgrade Kisumu and Isiolo
airports, and start construction
of 3 new airports in Mandera,
Malindi and Suneka
vi. Energy - Geothermal
Development.

Ministry of energy

Kenya Urban and Rural
Authority

KENHA

Kenya railways
(Month)
2015




Improving Public Integrity
Action No. Specific Objective Activity description Implementing partner Target
Date
Action 2.1

Improve
accountability in
public offices
Improve efficiency in the state law office.

ensure that entrepreneurial citizens can do
their company registrations in one day

Reduce the time taken in business
registration
i. Establishment of mobile
money payments in the
state law office.
State law office

Registrar General
December
2015
DRAFT OGP National Action Plan 2014 | Government of Kenya 8

Improve accountability in the business
registration process

Improve Kenyas ranking in the Doing
Business Index
Action 2.2

Promote
transparency and
accountability in
the management
of public funds to
youth and women

Promote transparency and accountability in
the management of public funds to youth
and women.

Effectively utilize the remnants of the budget
for the 2013 Kenyan elections
benefit citizens Financially
I. Ensure allocation of funds to
youth and women led projects
that would.

Ongoing supporting projects:
The Uwezo Fund

Ministry of Devolution
and Planning

March
2015



Increasing corporate accountability
Action No. Specific Objective Activity description Implementing partner Target
Date
Action 3.1
Enhance effective
coordination of
Government
agencies
Coordination within government bodies on
the wage bill

To make the wage bill more sustainable
And reduce the strain on the Kenyan tax
payers

Ongoing supporting projects:

i. Integrated Financial
Management Information
System (IFMIS)

ii. ePromis Government of
Kenyas Projects information
system.
The Presidency

Ministry of Devolution
and Planning

Salaries and
Remuneration
Commission

December
2015
Action 3.2
Improve the
quality of records
created and stored
to increase transparency and more effectively
manage records of public funds

i. Install ePayment systems
within the national and county
governments

National Treasury September
2015
DRAFT OGP National Action Plan 2014 | Government of Kenya 9
in relation to use
and disbursements
of funds

Increase transparency in the use of public
funds

Improve the quality of records created and
stored in relation to use and disbursements
of funds

Action 3.3
Enhance citizen
participation in the
budget process

Prudent management of public funds

Provide timely budget information to the
public


i. Establishment of the
Controller of Budget office at
the national and county levels
ii. Establishment of Auditor
General office at the National
and County level
National and county
treasuries
(Month)
2015
Action 3.4
Improve Kenyas
OBI Index
Support open governance in Kenya through
ensuring a transparent and accountable
system in finance

i. Open budgets National and county
treasuries
(Month)
2015
Action 3.5
Enhance
management of
natural resources
revenues
Ensure effective management of natural
resources revenues

Forge new partnership between government
and natural resources industry to ensure that
taxpayers receive every shilling they are due
from the extraction of our natural resources.

i. Join the Extractive Industries
transparency Initiative (EITI) as
an implementing country


Ministry of mining (Month)
2015
Action 3.6
Public/Open
contracting

Support a transparent and open system on
contracting
i. A central depository for public
contracts

Public procurement
and oversight
authority
(Month)
2015



DRAFT OGP National Action Plan 2014 | Government of Kenya 10


Increasing corporate accountability
Action Specific Objective Activity description Implementing partner Target
Date
Action 4.1
Support initiatives
towards enhancing
transparency and
accountability in
the corporate
sector

Enhancing transparency and accountability in
the corporate space

Guards against corporates colluding with
each other to create unfair competition or
pricing for goods or create monopolies

Ongoing supporting projects:

i. Creation and ongoing work at
the Competition Authority of
Kenya.

Competition Authority
of Kenya
December
2015
Action 4.2
Enhance
investment in the
employment
sector
Allow for analysis of all major investments
and projects undertaken in Kenya

Determine major investments and projects
potential for creating employment.
i. Develop a National
employment policy

Ministry of Labour September
2015
Action 4.3
Increase
opportunities for
Kenyan youth

To promote national cohesion and enrich
opportunities to Kenyan youth across the
country

to train the youths in Kenya in various tasks
of national importance like disaster response
in Kenya, service in the Kenya armed forces
as well as Kenya national reconstruction
programs.
i. Initiate a Kenya future leaders
programme a national
volunteer initiative
ii. National Youth Service (NYS)
Office of the president
& deputy president

Ministry of devolution
and planning
Office of the president
(month)
2016


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IV. Acknowledgment
This Draft Action Plan was written by the Government of Kenya, through the ICT Authority, an agency
under the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology tasked to support Kenyas
commitment to the Open Government Partnership. In collaboration with the Open Government Working
Group, the Draft Action Plan has been submitted for review and further consultation.

Contact:
ICT Authority
tel: +254 20 2211960
email: opengovpartnership@ict.go.ke
twitter: @ictauthority