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.