FORIMMEDIATERELEASE

26thMay2016
FROM:OFFICEOFTHEDEPUTYGOVERNOR,MACHAKOSCOUNTYBERNARDKIALA

RE:PROPOSEDMACHAKOSDEVELOPMENTINFORMATIONBILL(DEVINFOBILL)

AlthoughcorruptionisabigthreattothefutureofKenya,itispreventable.Withthe2013
activationofdevolvedgovernments,corruptiontoogotdevolved.Iampersuadedthat
corruptionismorepreventableatthecountiesthaninnationalgovernment.Devolved
corruptionispropagatedbygreedycountyexecutivesandineffectivecountyassemblies.It
isalsothrivingbecausecitizenslackspecificinformationtoasktherightquestions.

Whilecitizensmaywaittofixcorruptionatthe2017generalelection,theyareempowered
alreadybytheConstitutiontoaccessinformationonthespendingoftheirfunds.Seizingthis
constitutionalopportunityhasnotbeeneasyforWananchi.Earlierintheyear,Ireceiveda
copyofapetitionsignedbyover200Mavokosubcountyresidents.Theyinvokedarticle201
oftheconstitutiontodemandinformationforparticipatinginthefinancialmattersof
countyprojectsintheirsubcounty.Ihavestudiedtheirpetitionandampersuadedthata
positiveresponsetotheirdemandswillbeamajorsteptowardseradicatingcorruptionin
ourcounty.

Fixingthelackofunencumberedaccesstoinformationonpublicfundedprojectsisoneof
mycommitmentstoempowerMachakoscitizens.Tobeginwith,myofficeispreparingabill
fordebateinthecountyassemblythatwillenablefreeandtransparentflowofcounty
developmentprojectinformation.

IwillcallthisproposedlawtheMACHAKOSDEVINFOBILL.Itsobjectiveistocompelthe
currentandfuturecountyexecutivestopublish
projectleveldetails
onfinancialplanning,
procurement,implementationstatus,paymentandevaluationforalldevelopment
expenditureasanongoingstatutoryrequirement.

Withthislawalldevelopmentprojectswillbecodedandtheirinformationwillbeupdated
onaquarterlybasis.ProjectsignboardsandnoticeboardsatWardAdministratorsoffices
willbeupdatedregularlywiththisinformation.Theinformationwillalsobegeoreferenced
andmadepubliclyaccessiblethroughawebsiteandanSMSqueryservice.

Insertionofanindividual'sportraitonprojectsignboardswhichhasbeenflaggedasabuse
ofofficewillbepunishableunderthislaw.Projectsignboardswillinsteadhavemeaningful
accountabilityinformation.Forexample,asignboardforamarketshedwillshowthe
estimatedcost,sourceoffunds,thecontractorsdetails,cumulativepaymentsmade,
implementationstatus,quantifiableimpact,andotherpertinentprojectinformation.This
willshedmorelightintohowKShs30billionworthofapprovedMachakoscountybudgets
havebeenimplemented.


IappealtoprofessionalsandcitizensofMachakostomaketheircontributionstothe
soundnessandtechnicalfeasibilityofthisproposedlaw.Icanbereachedformoredetails
ontheemaildevinfo@ugatuzinakiala.or.ke,andontwitter@BernardKiala.Joinmeand
otherwellmeaningKenyanstomakesurethat
MACHAKOSPEOPLESHALLNEVERAGAINBE
DECEIVEDBYTHEIRELECTEDLEADERS;NOTEVENBYME
.

#UgatuziNaKiala

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