Citizen Participation and Engagement in Public Affairs

Citizen Participation and Engagement in Public Affairs

Citizens are at the core of development and remain as the principle target of all initiatives. They are also at the core of participatory development and their participation and engagement in public affairs accords them an opportunity to take charge of their development. Through various means of dissemination and capacity building efforts to provide accurate and persuasive information as well as create spaces for multicultural and multi-sectoral learning, the missing voices of marginalized groups in society are heard, and they are persuaded to actively engage in civic matters in their communities. PEN will develop and deliver programs that enable its constituents to ensure that they engage with the relevant civic bodies and carry out social justice work that results in people’s dignity.

Strategic goal: To promote effective citizen participation and policy influencing for social justice and sustainable development of communities.

Under this strategic goal, the key interventions will include:

Civic and political education among the Kenyan citizenry to ensure that they are able to make informed decisions at the ballot and beyond. This is intended to bring about active citizen engagement in political processes, especially in ensuring that the right individuals occupy the political offices.

Citizen mobilization to demand accountability from duty bearers and the institutions. Through this, citizens will be able to hold leaders accountable, ensure proper project implementation and to be part of the decision-making at both county and national levels.

Citizen sensitization that will build on their knowledge and skills on various issues that affect them, and on how best to respond to them or to engage duty bearers in finding solutions to the various challenges.

Promote and ease access to information to enable citizens make informed decisions and to effectively participate in public affairs.

Indicators of success

Citizen’s autonomy to exercise their rights and privileges in representing their interests, and effectively carrying out public oversight in a responsible and self-determined way.

Structural and political alignments of service delivery frameworks for inclusive, accountable and proximate service delivery.