September Newsletter 2024
September 20, 2024
October Newsletter 2024
October 17, 2024
SUTO working with youths in Kisumu County.
In 2023, SUTO partnered with KCDF through the Access to Information Policy Development project.
“We learned about KCDF through other partners in Kisumu County and developed an interest in learning more about their work, as they were also supporting community-based organizations in governance and policy. In 2023, we successfully applied for a grant from KCDF, as the call for proposals aligned well with our approach to mitigating access to information gaps,” elaborated Annette Obat, Program Officer at SUTO.
Mr. Michael Omondi, SUTO’s Executive Director during a meeting with Justice legal affair Committee of County Assembly.
The Access to Information bill was first introduced in the Kisumu County Assembly in 2014. However, during the initial phase of their project, SUTO realized that the bill did not successfully undergo the legislative process of the first, second, and third readings as it stalled in the second reading and was never enacted or assented to by the governor. Upon this realization, and after working closely with the County Assembly, County Attorney, and the Executive, they conducted an archival review that confirmed this fact.
“We reported back to KCDF that the Act was not in effect, and we proposed to assist the county government in drafting a new policy and a bill. The rationale for focusing on both documents stems from the fact that legislative procedures typically recommend that a policy be in place before an Act is developed. Our approach, therefore, was to tackle both the policy and the Act concurrently. However, when it came time to present them before the County Assembly, we prioritized the policy because the policy is tabled first before the bill,” Mr. Michael further explained.
SUTO formed a technical working group and held several multi-stakeholder forums to review the policy. “Through these efforts, we developed a zero-draft bill and policy, and with the second grant, we convened various multi-stakeholder meetings to refine the documents. Now, the policy has been published and is ready for public participation. We have also presented it to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, which has expressed strong support for the process. Our next step is to present the bill to the committee, keeping them informed and engaged throughout the process to sustain their goodwill and support,” Mr. Michael highlighted.
The Access to Information Policy 2024 and the Access to Information Bill 2024 draft are now available on the county website. The project has also empowered budget champions who work closely with local administrators to increase youth and women’s participation in public budget discussions.
Participants of the meeting with Justice Legal Affair Committee of County Assembly.
As of September 2024, SUTO had successfully reached over 60 youth groups in Kisumu East, Kisumu West, and Nyando, providing them with knowledge on governance, economic empowerment, and social accountability. This work has not only improved transparency but has also increased civic engagement in public participation forums. The organization plans to sustain these efforts through continued advocacy, resource mobilization, and capacity-building activities, ensuring that citizens remain informed and engaged in governance processes.
“One of the challenges we face is the reliance on donor support to sustain this process. While the county government has demonstrated commitment, financial constraints have limited their ability to prioritize and fund this initiative. To address this, we have brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, allowing us to leverage different resources and ensuring that the process is not solely dependent on SUTO,” Michael added.
SUTO’s goal is not just the enactment of the policy and bill but also to ensure these documents are not shelved and forgotten, as is often the case with many policies. They are committed to a thorough dissemination process and conducting awareness campaigns so that both citizens and service providers understand the provisions of the law and how to apply them.
This is critical because the Access to Information Law is a vital enabler of effective public participation. SUTO also aims to train civil servants on the law’s provisions to prevent any barriers to its implementation, whether due to ignorance or lack of resources.
Through its partnership with KCDF, SUTO has not only grown its capacity but has also made significant strides toward achieving its mission of empowering youth and women in Kisumu County.
