Siaya: The Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman) will support the Siaya County government to develop a policy on access to information, Chairperson Charles Dulo has said. Addressing the Press in Siaya town, Dulo, who led a team from the Commission, stated that although Siaya was almost halfway in formulating a policy that will lead to the enactment of the Access to Information Act in the County Assembly, his office will second technocrats to enable the devolved unit to create a document that helps locals access information with ease.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dulo mentioned that with the Commission’s support, Siaya County would be able to finalize the policy and enact an access to information act to ensure that the people of Siaya can easily access the information they require. Earlier, Dulo led his team in paying a courtesy call on Governor James Orengo, where he expressed that technocrats from his office will assist the county in developing a policy on grievance management, which is currently lacking.
Dulo further emphasized that the Kenyan citizenry is well informed and consistently seeks information from the village level. During the occasion, Siaya Executive Committee Member for Environment, Professor Jacqueline Oduol, stated that although the county has grievance and redress mechanisms, there is no policy to guide these processes.
Prof. Oduol highlighted that the county has a toll-free number available for the public to channel their grievances and receive feedback. She expressed appreciation for the incoming support, noting the importance of establishing a policy to strengthen these mechanisms, which is currently absent.