ICT4Public Accountability & Democratic Engagement

ICT4Public Accountability & Democratic Engagement

The project focus on converging mobile, broadcast and internet technologies to strengthen and channel public/people’s opinion on public service to duty bearers in government to prioritise planning and budgeting processes. Geographically, the project will be implemented in some regions of Uganda and Kenya in Eastern Africa. An E-participation model is to be tested in Kenya with lessons learned from Uganda from ToroDev’s previous Spider project.

Challenges to address

In Uganda, direct participation of citizens in providing frequent data/feedback (bottom-up) on governance issues, including status of essential service delivery to reduce extreme poverty, is inadequate. In Kenya, with the new 2010 Constitution establishing a devolution system of governance, frequent incidents of lack of transparency and poor citizens’ involvement have been reported.

Activities

The e-participation system specifically focuses on use of MobileSMS-Radio-Internet technologies to support active citizen involvement status of government service delivery and public resources utilisation by duty-bearers. It will support evidence/priority issue-based planning and budgeting processes for improved public service delivery.

Toro Development Network is undertaking a scale-up of its e-participation model/system in 5 South Western districts and other 5 northern Uganda districts. This will be in addition to the already covered 7 districts of the Rwenzori region. In Kenya, the model will be piloted in Nakuru Country in partnership with Development Initiatives-Africa Hub based in Nairobi.