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Democratic Governance

INTRODUCTION

The organization promotes democratic governance by enhancing citizen participation and engagement, accountability, equity and inclusiveness, transparency and rule of law.

Focus Areas:

  1. Civic education on the constitution
  2. Participatory Performance Monitoring
  3. Leadership vetting

 

PARTNERS

dg_partners

democratic
The active and meaningful participation of citizens in public affairs is the distinguishing feature of democratic societies, which are judged by the extent to which governments open up to citizen involvement in public affairs and the space they give for citizens to hold the government accountable.

It is because of this that citizens in Kenya and Africa in general continue to demand increased space for participation. Participation in public affairs is important in another respect. It builds people’s abilities to hold authorities to account for the implementation of decisions and actions agreed upon.

The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance requires the African Union member states to recognize people’s participation as an inalienable right of the people of the continent. The quest to promote participatory democracy and to make participation an important principle in the governance of public affairs, has been an important theme in debates on governance in Kenya. Because of this, and in recognition of protracted struggles for democratic reforms, article 10 in Kenya’s new constitution has included democracy and participation of the people among the values and principles of governance, which bind all state organs and institutions as well as state officials.3 In assessing the quality of democracy in Kenya, there are questions whether successive governments have consistently upheld the rule of law, allowed citizens to freely elect their leaders, and whether or not people have been making political decision.

  1. Reached 5,000 citizens with voter education
  2. Trained 1,500 citizens on planning and budgeting

Introduction: I Choose Life Africa seeks to accelerate devolution by empowering County citizens through education, enhanced understanding of Public Finance Management Act and establishment of systems that strengthen accountability and transparency of the County governments and monitor their performance through regular civic education forums.

Features:

  1. Budget training
  2. Participatory budget analysis
  3. Awareness creation on rights and responsibilities as enshrined in the constitution

USP: It is demand driven, participatory and utilizes multiple methods of learning including: interactive lecture, small group discussions, testimonials, brainstorming role-playing and case studies. Our clients: county citizens, county governments, national government

Citizens and communities have an important role to play with regard to enhancing accountability of public officials, reducing corruption and leakage of funds and improving public service delivery. As a result, Social Accountability has become an attractive approach to both the public sector and civil society for Improving governance processes, service delivery outcomes, and improving resource allocation decisions.

I Choose Life – Africa supports involvement of citizens, users of services, and civil society organizations in the monitoring and evaluation of service delivery and public works. Score cards have been developed to support the process of monitoring how the leaders are performing with respect to their constitutional functions. The organization has in the past supported communities from county levels to ward level to develop their own monitoring plans which they have used to assess their leaders performance

One of the key area that affects "Wanjiku" directly is the government budget. The organization is conducting Budget training of citizens, opinion leaders and the policy makers we facilitate mechanisms or processes through which citizens participate directly in the different phases of the budget formulation, decision making, and monitoring of budget execution.

Participatory budgeting is instrumental in increasing public expenditure transparency and in improving budget targeting. Budgets are technical documents which are hard to be interpreted by the community yet they form part of their day to day lives. The organization in partnership with other partners has continued to conduct independent budget analysis to make them simple for the community to understand and know the implications.

eriks_logoIntroduction:
I Choose Life Africa partnered with ERIKS Development Partner to conduct Institutional Strengthening for 3 ERIKS Kenya member Public Benefit Organizations (PBOs), for better delivery of child-focused programs.

Project Goal: To improve the capacity of 3 PBOs in Kajiado and Garissa counties to better deliver child focused programs.

Objectives: To strengthen the capacity of 3 PBOs in Garissa and Kajiado

Achievements:

  1. Conducted OCA for 3 organizations
  2. Held mentorships sessions for the 3 organizations
  3. Conducted customized trainings based on identified gaps
  4. Held exchange learning visits for the organizations
  5. Conducted an end line OCA for the 3 organizations

Scope:
Kajiado and Garissa counties

Introduction:
I Choose Life Africa partners with county governments to develop their development models at the ward level which can be replicated at the whole county and is in line with the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP)

Project Goal: Enhance citizen participation in governance both at county and national level

Objectives:

  1. To support development and implementation of Ward Strategic plans that are citizen owned and driven
  2. To develop and implement performance monitoring at the ward level
  3. To support forums for sharing lessons learnt and best practices within Counties to facilitate scaling up of development approach

Achievements:

  1. Supported development of Machakos County strategic framework (2012-2017)
  2. Supported development of Kangundo North Ward development plan (2014-2017)
  3. Supported development of Machakos county vision 2020
  4. Supported development of Sarang’ombe Ward Strategic Plan (2015-2018)
  5. Currently supporting development of Kaptagat Ward Strategic Plan (2015-2018)
  6. Currently working with the Uasin Gishu Public service management to develop their sector plan

Scope:
Machakos, Uasin Gishu and Nairobi

Partners:

seal_partners

Introduction:
In the year 2012, Fanikisha, a project of MSH, RATN, PACT and DANYA with funding from USAID, supported ICL in strengthening its institutional capacity for quality health service delivery. As a result, ICL moved from being a Grant recipient to an organization that sub-grants local CSO’s to implement health programs.

Project Goal: To improve the quality of life for people living with HIV and reduced HIV infection

Objectives:

  1. To enhance uptake of HIV prevention through Behaviour Change.
  2. To strengthen the capacity of heath care workers for effective delivery of HIV services.
  3. To strengthen household capacity to care for orphans and vulnerable children.

Achievements:

  1. Development of manuals and strategies leading to increased efficiency
  2. Sub granting to other CSOs

Scope:
Kitui, Makueni, Machakos, Kericho, Nandi, Laikipia, Nairobi

Partners

fanikisha_partners

loisnet_logoIntroduction:
In the year 2012, Fanikisha, a project of MSH, RATN, PACT and DANYA with funding from USAID, supported 10 CSOs in strengthening their institutional capacities. As a result of the process, Local organizations in Kenya came together to form the Local Organizations Institutional Strengthening Network (LOISNET). LOISNET acts as a channel and ideal partner for both donor organizations and the government to support development processes in Kenya through shaping and providing development framework and strengthening local organizations.

Project Goal: To improve capacity of local CSOs to meaningfully engage communities and stakeholders in achieving improved service delivery.

Objectives:

  1. To strengthen institutional and organisational capacity of local CSOs
  2. To promote community participation in development programs
  3. Support the NGO coordination authority to achieve its mandate
  4. To educate and sensitize CSOs on institutional strengthening standards
  5. To promote functional networks and alliances of CSOs in their bid to improve lives
  6. To promote private sector participation in improving health and human development outcomes

Achievements: Developed a strategic plan for LOISNET

Scope:
All counties