Reform Description

To strengthen fiscal transparency and accountability by launching a digital open budget portal for real-time public access to fiscal data, enhancing citizen participation through structured public forums, building civil society capacity in budget oversight, and modernizing revenue collection systems.

These reforms aim to ensure inclusive public financial management, improve access to budget information, and empower citizens to participate meaningfully in fiscal decision-making.

Problem(s) Addressed by Reform

The action on Enhancing Fiscal Transparency and Citizen Engagement in Uasin Gishu County seeks to address the following specific public problems:
Limited Access to Fiscal Information:
Citizens often lack timely and user-friendly access to key budget documents, expenditure data, and procurement records, hindering informed public participation and oversight.

Low Citizen Engagement in Budget Processes:
There is insufficient structured participation by the public—especially marginalized groups—in planning, budgeting, and monitoring of public resources, which undermines inclusivity and accountability.

Weak Accountability Mechanisms:
The absence of real-time, transparent reporting tools and forums for public scrutiny limits the ability of citizens and civil society to hold duty bearers accountable for budget decisions and outcomes.

Low Budget Literacy Among Stakeholders:
Many citizens and civil society organizations lack the knowledge and tools needed to understand, analyze, and influence fiscal decisions, weakening civic oversight and demand for accountability.

By addressing these problems, the reform aims to build trust, improve public service delivery, and ensure efficient and equitable use of public resources.

The action to Enhance Fiscal Transparency and Citizen Engagement in Uasin Gishu County represents a significant step toward addressing the identified public problems in the following ways:

Institutionalizing Public Participation through the CBEF:
Establishing the County Budget and Economic Forum (CBEF) provides a formal and legally backed platform for diverse stakeholder engagement in budgeting and economic planning. This helps close the gap between government planning and citizen priorities.

Real-Time Access to Fiscal Data:
The development of a digital Open Budget Portal enables timely, easy-to-understand, and real-time access to budgetary and procurement information. This empowers citizens to monitor government spending and reduces opportunities for opacity and misuse of funds.

Empowering Civil Society and the Public:
By building the capacity of CSOs and citizens in budget literacy and advocacy, the county strengthens demand-side accountability. Informed citizens are better equipped to scrutinize fiscal decisions and advocate for equitable resource allocation.

Improving Revenue Collection Systems:
Modernizing revenue collection through digital platforms like Sisibo Pay increases efficiency, minimizes leakages, and enhances transparency in county revenue management—ensuring more funds are available for development.

Decentralized Participation Platforms:
Regular public forums at the ward level bring budget processes closer to communities, increasing inclusivity and ensuring that historically marginalized voices—such as youth, women, and persons with disabilities—are heard and considered.

Together, these reforms build a transparent, participatory, and accountable public finance ecosystem that directly tackles the root causes of fiscal mismanagement and citizen disengagement.

Relevance to OGP Values

The action to Enhance Fiscal Transparency and Citizen Engagement in Uasin Gishu County is directly relevant to open government values in the following ways:

Transparency:
By developing a digital Open Budget Portal and publishing real-time budget, expenditure, and procurement data, the county ensures citizens have easy access to timely and reliable fiscal information. This reduces opacity and enables informed public discourse.

Public Accountability:
Through institutional mechanisms like the County Budget and Economic Forum (CBEF) and ward-level public forums, citizens are empowered to scrutinize and influence how public resources are allocated and spent. These platforms create feedback loops between the government and the public, holding duty bearers accountable for financial decisions and service delivery.

Civic Participation:
The reform actively involves the public in the budgeting process—from planning to implementation—by building the capacity of CSOs and grassroots communities to engage meaningfully. This enhances inclusive governance by ensuring that diverse voices, especially from marginalized groups, are represented in fiscal decision-making.


Intended Results

1. Fully Functional County Budget and Economic Forum (CBEF):

Operationalized and inclusive CBEF with active participation from civil society, private sector, youth, women, and marginalized groups in fiscal planning and decision-making.

2. Operational Digital Open Budget Portal:

A live, interactive online platform where citizens can access timely, user-friendly budget documents, procurement data, and expenditure reports.

3. Enhanced Citizen Participation:

Institutionalized and well-attended public participation forums at ward and sub-county levels, with clear mechanisms for citizen input to be reflected in final budgets.

4. Strengthened Capacity of Civil Society and Communities:

At least 100 local CSOs and community leaders trained in budget literacy and oversight to improve informed civic engagement and advocacy.

5. Improved Revenue Collection Transparency:

Expanded use of Sisibo Pay and other digital platforms to cover all revenue streams, with real-time reporting, increased efficiency, and reduced leakages.

6. Increased Public Trust and Accountability:

Greater public confidence in how county funds are managed, demonstrated by improved citizen satisfaction scores and feedback through established channels.

7. Compliance with PFM Laws and OGP Principles:

8. Full adherence to the Public Finance Management Act provisions on transparency and participation, aligning with OGP values of openness, inclusion, and accountability.

Milestones

By December 2025 – Initial Implementation Phase
Establish and operationalize the County Budget and Economic Forum (CBEF) in compliance with the PFM Act Section 137.

Develop and launch a prototype of the Digital Open Budget Portal for internal testing.

Conduct baseline assessment and stakeholder mapping on fiscal literacy, participation gaps, and civic engagement capacity.

Initiate training for county staff and select CSOs on budget transparency, civic tech, and public engagement.

By June 2026 – Midpoint Implementation
Launch and publicize the Open Budget Portal with real-time access to approved budgets, procurement, and expenditure reports.

Hold quarterly ward-level public participation forums, linked to the budget cycle.

Roll out the first phase of CSO and community leader capacity-building workshops (targeting at least 50 CSOs/groups).

Expand Sisibo Pay coverage to include at least 80% of all county revenue streams.

Integrate citizen feedback tools into the portal (e.g., comment boxes, surveys).

By December 2026 – Scale-up Phase
Evaluate CBEF functionality and inclusiveness, making adjustments based on stakeholder feedback.

Upgrade the Open Budget Portal with simplified data visualizations and local language options.

Conduct public awareness campaigns on citizens’ rights to information and participation under the PFM Act.

Train additional 50 CSOs/community groups and support formation of fiscal monitoring clusters.

By June 2027 – Final Phase
Publish annual performance and budget utilization reports through multiple channels (portal, radio, print).

Achieve 100% digitization of county revenue collection and ensure monthly reporting.

Conduct an independent evaluation of fiscal openness outcomes in partnership with civil society and academia.

Document and share best practices and lessons learned with other counties and OGP partners.

Is Civil Society Involved?

Yes, civil society is actively involved in shaping and implementing the fiscal openness reform in Uasin Gishu County.

In the idea phase and creation of the reform - Civil society organizations (CSOs), including budget advocacy groups and community-based organizations, are engaged in the co-design of the County Budget and Economic Forum (CBEF).

Through consultative forums and participatory workshops, CSOs provide input into the structure, membership, and operational guidelines of CBEF to ensure it is inclusive and representative.

Capacity Building Partnerships:

The county is partnering with national organizations such as The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA) and local NGOs to build the capacity of grassroots CSOs in budget literacy, monitoring, and citizen engagement.

These organizations co-lead training sessions and support the development of civic education materials.

Implementation and Monitoring:

CSOs will participate in the public participation forums at ward level to help mobilize citizens and moderate discussions around budget priorities.

Trained CSOs will act as watchdogs and fiscal monitors, providing independent assessments and tracking implementation of projects and budgets.

Feedback and Oversight:

Civil society will contribute to the design and management of feedback mechanisms on the Digital Open Budget Portal, ensuring that citizen concerns and suggestions are captured and addressed.

They will also play a role in evaluating the effectiveness of the reform, including contributing to annual reports and learning reviews.