Public access to information and open governance in Kenya

This paper investigates the role of public access to information in open governance in Kenya;identifies the factors affecting access to public information in Kenya;establishes the extent to which access to public information has influenced open governance in Kenya;and recommends strategies to enhance open governance through access of public information in Kenya.The paper is based on a qualitative study designed as an exploratory survey.Qualitative data was collected through key informant interviews with staff of the Commission on Administrative Justice(Office of the Ombudsman),which is tasked with implementing the Act,and documentary analysis.Content analysis of reports generated by implementing or oversight agencies was also conducted.The findings of the study show that the implementation of the Access to Information Act(2016)has had major contributions to the attainment of Kenya's commitments to open governance.Access to information underlies initiatives relating to open data sharing,beneficial ownership and access to justice.However,the implementation of the Act in Kenya faces challenges such as lack of funding,corruption,low levels of citizen awareness,and a culture of secrecy.The study recommends that the government should set up monitoring mechanisms to evaluate milestones of open governance initiatives such as the Act so as to be able to better evaluate the contributions of each commitment internally rather than relying on external evaluators.

Men with prostate cancer and the accessibility to information—a literature review

Objective: To explore possible consequences of short stays in hospitals, as these short contacts reduce the patients’ time for information and support. Method: A literature survey was carried out to get an insight in possible consequences by summarizing the state of knowledge on how men with prostate cancer undergoing prostatec-tomy surgery experience their contacts with the healthcare professionals. Results: A consequence is that often men with prostate cancer, treated with prostatectomy surgery, do not receive the individualized support, infor-mation, and dialogue they need, which leads to feelings of uncertainty, insecurity, and loss of control. The men use the Internet in their search for information and support, which makes them able to stay in control and be active, responsible partners in their own course of treatment. Conclusion: For men to feel secure and certain the accessibility of the healthcare professionals and the healthcare professionals’ ability to individualize information and support are important aspects. Practice Implications: It is relevant to provide male cancer patients with tools that can underpin their contact to the healthcare professionals. Utilizing Web 2.0 technologies, Internet based tools can support exchange-ability, towards dialogue-based contacts, between men with prostate cancer and healthcare professionals.

Baishideng's century goal:Editing and publishing high-quality articles

Baishideng's goal over the next few years is to edit and publish high-quality articles through the open-access model, to maximize the benefits to members of the editorial board, authors and readers, as well as achieving social and economic benefits.

Harnessing the Potential of Community Radio in Empowering Rural Women in Malawi

This paper examines the extent to which community radio has the empowering and transformation potential. It draws on Nkhotakota community radio station in Malawi to analyze how community radio can empower women especially in rural areas. Although the whole of the rural population can be considered as marginalized, women are the most affected as they face marginalization in the family and village setting. Based on the data drawn from semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, and participant observation, the paper observes that inequality and high illiteracy rate are the major hindrances among rural women which prevent them from accessing information necessary for their improvement. This paper argues that community radio has the potential to empower women in rural areas by providing them with access to information necessary to empower and transform their lives and enable them to participate in development activities.

BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION ACT IN NORWAY

Making market operators responsible for having and giving access to information about their impact on the environment is an important part of changing the way the economy operates in relation to environmental sustainability. To this end, the Norwegian access to environmental information act has established a right for the public to access to environmental information from private entities such as business enterprises. In this point, the Norwegian Act goes further than international rules, such as the Aarhus Convention, and also further than any other national legislation. This article presents the rules on access to information from business enterprises, and presents and discusses examples from the implementation of these rules.