Project – Community Taxpayers’ Associations / Assemblies – Kenya

One of the problems in Kenyan public life is that people do not see the Government as working for them, nor Government money as their money, to be used for the benefit of the whole country.  Widespread political apathy has arisen from feelings of powerlessness in the face of endemic corruption.

• Lack of involvement and scrutiny by the community results in corruption by those in power, loss of public funds and stunted development
  
• The Kenyan Constituency Development Fund Act 2003 gives the respective Member of Parliament powers to control funds at constituency level (typically, KES 60m per constituency).  The local MP selects political cronies and kinsmen to run the funds in line with his or her political interests.

• Research by the Kenya Institute for Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) indicated that less than 5% of constituents felt that they were involved in decision making for the constituency funds.

IGI Kenya plans a network of Community Taxpayers’ Assemblies / Associations to change this, providing a voice for local people within a constituency, to hold government leaders and officials to account in this and other areas. 

• CTAs will draw representatives from a range of local community organisations, such as local churches and faith-based groups, community (council of) elders, women groups, self-help associations, youth groups, local welfare societies, business lobbies and farmers cooperatives, HIV/Aids and disability groups, widows caucuses, artisans unions, pensioners' clubs, local professional bodies, trade unions…

• They will focus initially on auditing how government funds devolved to the constituencies are spent

• They will operate by collecting information, and arranging meetings, enquiries, debates, presentations and occasions when local political leaders, MPs, councillors, public officials are invited to respond to questions

• Initially, one is planned for each of  9 constituencies  across Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza provinces

• Potential funding from an NGO has been identified for approx. 60% of the direct running costs.

IGI in UK and Kenya is seeking to raise the remaining 40% of the costs.  Please let us know if you have suggestions or contacts who might be interested in helping to fund this.  For example,

• £40 could provide a refurbished PC for a CTA
• £1,000 would fund the administration of one CTA for 12 months

If you can help, please either

go to www.igi-integrity.com/support.aspx or

email accounts@igi-integrity.com to contact Barry Todd, one of our Trustees.