PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: ‘A well-orchestrated government scam!’

?By Rozalia Wangui,

Communications Specialist.

Let me tell you Kenyans, I attended my very first public participation meeting organized by the government and boy didn't it prove me wrong! If you know what I mean! I work for a Civil Society Organization that exists to enable citizens secure sound delivery of public services by holding their leaders to account through direct engagement.

Every time we undertake community engagement sessions some of the issues on why 'public participation' is a scam, were so evident in that engagement! which by the way was adjourned because, Kenyan citizens are woke!

Let’s get into the real story shall we (If you are a F.R.I.E.N.D.S fan you'll understand, others lets jump into it ??)

Nairobi County government issued a circular calling for public participation for the Nairobi City County Annual Development Plan (CADP) for the 2023/24 fiscal year, scheduled to happen on the 19th and the 20th of April 2023. Interestingly, the CADP 2023/24 and Fiscal Strategy Paper 2023 had already been printed, by the time they were being presented in some of the public participation meetings, meant for review and views collection.??#1!

A clear contradiction to the purpose of public participation, as stated in Article 196(1)(b) of the Constitution, which provides that "a County Assembly shall facilitate public participation and involvement in the legislative and other business of the Assembly and its committees." Standing order 135(3) also states that "the sectoral committee to which a Bill is committed shall facilitate public participation and shall take into account views and recommendations of the public when the committee makes its report to the Assembly."

The Members of County Assembly (MCAs) who came to these sessions (particularly to the one I attended) clearly had no clue as to why they were there! At the Kariakor Social Hall under Starehe Sub- County, MCAs from other sub-counties (underline other), arrived late with only the 'fiscal strategy paper 2023.??#2!

They claimed to have forgotten the documents, and it was only due to public pressure that they had to send for the County Annual Development Plan 2023-2024. However, by the time the 'boda' guy was arriving things had irreversibly gone south!

I commend the members of the public, from the Starehe Sub-County, for clearly stating that the meeting would not continue without the presence of ,their duly elected area MCAs (because what was that badly conducted and not needed exchange program about!) and the availability of all the documents.

I reached out to a few other people from the movement we are building at my organization, and the script was the same. ?It is unfortunate that some of the public participation venues did not receive either of the recommended reports as appeared in the public invite. Case in point, the public meeting at Embakasi North Sub-County held in Dandora III Social Hall.

It is time for the government to acknowledge that the days of "using public participation registration forms and refreshments to pass development plans, that remain on paper are long gone." Public participation is being used by the political class to dupe citizens that they matter, while deep down, it is the registration forms that really matter??!.

I therefore recommend the following:

That County leadership, led by Governor Arthur Johnson Sakaja:

? Reconvene these hearings with the intention of listening to the public and putting their ideas into consideration. The Area MCAs must attend these meetings and provide relevant feedback to the processes.

? Publish all memoranda received for this call for public scrutiny and the application of the relevant ideas and queries in the County development plan.

? Ensure that the venues selected are favorable to all, including factoring in persons living with disabilities and other marginalized groups.

In conclusion, I urge the County government of Nairobi and other public institutions to take public participation with the seriousness it deserves and uphold its purpose as stipulated in the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act 2012.

Wakenya wa sahii si wazamani, wako radar!

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Follow me on Twitter on @quikaranja and on TikTok @rozaliawangui and let’s talk.