Journalists, CSOs call for more Information, Engagement from Coast Region County Governments

Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) held a two day workshop on Media and Devolution in Mombasa during which journalists and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) called for more effective engagement and pro-active release of information from the County Governments in the Coast region to facilitate public participation.  

Patrick Ochieng' of Ujamaa Center guides a session at the worksop

 The two- day workshop, which was part of KCA’s intervention aimed at Strengthening the Capacity of Correspondents to Generate Quality Content on Devolved Governments in Kenya, was held in Mombasa on March 24-25, 2015. It brought together over 30 participants, including journalists, representatives of civil society groups and Members of the County Assemblies.

The participants said the County Governments had failed to establish effectives systems for engagement with the media, CSOs and the public and in some cases were hostile to demands for critical information on their activities which was necessary for meaningful public participation.

Mombasa County was singled out for particularly being hostile to demands for information from the journalists and the public with some participants alleging cases of threats to those who were demanding information and accountability over the implementation of projects.

Kwale County was lauded for having made some efforts at improving its system of information sharing and interaction with journalists, the CSOs and the public but the participants noted that proper systems were yet to be established for improved and timely access to information needed for effective public audit of the government’s performance.

The workshop heard that powerful cartels were forming within the County Governments in the region that threatened to undermine service delivery through corrupt practices, mostly in the tendering and procurement with reports emerging that some key County Government officials had registered multiple companies that were increasingly getting favored in the award of tenders for lucrative projects.

Patrick Ochieng’ of Ujamaa Center led the workshop in discussing the gains and the emerging challenges and dynamics in the Coast Counties and the impact of insecurity on the implementation of Devolution in the Coast Region. 

He said the devolution implementation process faced challenges from a reluctant National Government  and the Parliament which had progressively slowed down the process and in some cases actively sabotaged it through failure to effectively manage the transition, peace meal release of funds, and passage of anti –Devolution laws.

“For the Coast Region, the failure and what clearly is a deliberate sabotage of the land reform process by the National Government spells danger as we may face major conflicts in the near future.  The politics that the National Government is playing with the land question, which manifests itself through the incessant wrangles between the Cabinet Secretary for Lands Cahrity Ngilu and the National Land Commission should be a major cause for worry, with grave implications for the Coast Region,” Said Ochieng’.

CSO officials, Simon Kate, the Network Co-odinator, Coast Civil Society Organization and Hamisa Zaja, the Regional Program Officer, Maji na Ufanishi (Water and Development) urged the County Governments to encourage greater openness and collaboration with the media and the CSOs for the benefit of the public. Ms Zaja said some MCAs had attempted to sabotage development initiatives by the CSOs in the region; a trend which he said threatened their collaboration in the service of the public.

A Member of the County Assembly (MCA) who is the Minority Leader in the Mombasa County Assembly Ms Maimuna Salim Mwamasa ( Shanzu Ward) and her nominated colleague Zeinab Dharwesh  defended the Mombasa County Government over accusations of failing to promote openness and greater public participation.

Some of the MCAs consult with Oloo Janak of KCA

“Public expectations are too high and members of the public do not also attend public forums even if invited unless they are paid transport and meal allowances. We always advertise over the radio and go round using public address systems to invite them for the forums but the level of participation remains low,” said Ms Mwamasa.

She admitted that many MCAs lacked the capacity to interrogate the budgets or hold the County Government Executive arm accountable but urged the media, CSOs and other stakeholders to exercise patience with the county governments saying they needed time to learn their roles as Devolution was a news system.

KCA National Chairman Oloo Janak urged the journalists to write investigative stories on the performance of the county governments saying there was need for appraisal of their performance two years since they were established, to inform public discourse and encourage accountability.

“Many Kenyans are bothered by the continued media focus on personalities and drama when it comes to reporting county governments and we need to make efforts to change this trend through issue based and well investigated stories that bring out both the gains so far realized and the challenges facing the County Governments in discharging their mandates,” Janak said. 

He urged the journalists to avoid being captured by both the County Governments and the emerging corrupt cartels who were keen to suppress information dissemination to the public through the media.

Urging the County Governments to establish effective structures for regular briefing to journalists on their activities, Janak at the same time warned County Government officials against threats to journalists writing on cases of corruption in the counties, which he said had been reported.

The workshop also discussed the legal and policy reforms in the media , safety and security of journalists and their impact on reporting Devolution;  the enduring  optimism in Devolution by Kenyans and the various scenarios building up within the context of the apparent failure to faithfully implement the Constitution and Devolution. 

Participants at the workshop expressed worry that the stability of the county could not be guaranteed unless the constitution was implemented faithfully and within the stipulated time frame to assure the citizens of improved governance, equity in the distribution of resources but also more prudent and accountable use of the resources.