MEDIA BRIEFING: Kenya Passes Long-Awaited Access to Information Bill

Nairobi, August 31 2016 – Open Government Partnership (OGP) would like to congratulate the government of Kenya and Kenyan civil society for passing the long-awaited Access to Information bill. This bill is an important commitment in Kenya’s 2nd National Action Plan and is part of a larger set of initiatives to enable effective and accountable government in Kenya.

Commenting on the bill, Maureen Kariuki, OGP’s Regional Civil Society Coordinator for Africa and the Middle East said, “by providing greater access and transparency to government decision-making, Kenya’s Access to Information Act will further strengthen the essential bond between citizens and government. This was a flagship commitment in the recently approved second Kenya OGP National Action Plan, and will help Kenyan citizens access vital information about how the country is run”.

OGP CEO Sanjay Pradhan added, “this bill has been in the works for many years now and we are delighted that Kenyan reformers in government and civil society have come together to pass this vital law”.

For further information and interviews (in English and Swahili), please contact:

• Maureen Kariuki, Regional Civil Society Coordinator for Africa and the Middle East in Kenya at maureen.kariuki@opengovpartnership.org, phone:+254 721 931 122

• Dietlind Lerner, Communications Director in San Francisco at dietlind.lerner@opengovpartnership.org, phone: +1 415 561 7822

• Abhinav Bahl, Program Manager in Washington, DC at abhinav.bahl@opengovpartnership.org, phone: +1 202 609 7859

About Open Government Partnership (OGP):

OGP launched in September 2011 with eight governments and nine civil society organizations at a side event during the United Nations General Assembly. Today OGP is composed of 70 national governments and hundreds of civil society organizations who together have made over 2,500 commitments to bring about greater transparency and accountability in government, facilitating real changes that improve the lives of citizens around the world. OGP recently launched a subnational government pilot program to engage people working in and around local governments. For further information visit: http://www.opengovpartnership.org