Vihiga: The County Government of Vihiga has officially established a Grievance Redress and Feedback Mechanism (GRM) toolkit, designed to offer residents structured and accessible channels for raising complaints and receiving timely responses. This initiative addresses a long-standing gap where citizens lacked formal means to air concerns related to service delivery and governance. With the GRM in place, Vihiga residents can now engage with their government more directly and transparently.
According to Kenya News Agency, the GRM was developed by the Directorate of Public Participation and Civic Education in partnership with The Institute of Social Accountability (TISA). The framework involves the formation and training of County GRM Committees, starting at the county level and gradually extending to sub-county, ward, and village levels. Chaired by Sub-County administrators, sub-county GRM committees comprise Heads of Departments and National Government representatives. Their role is to register grievances, route them to the appropriate departments, and ensure that citizens receive proper feedback.
To further support this initiative, the County Government has introduced several platforms for grievance submission, including a 24-hour toll-free call center, Vihiga FM Radio, a Customer Care desk, and official county social media channels. County Executive Committee Member (CECM), Dr. Nicholas Mwandihi, stated that the County Government is actively working to enhance citizen engagement as a way of addressing public grievances. Dr. Mwandihi said, "This effort is crucial in helping the Mwananchi appreciate the benefits of devolution. To facilitate this, we have established a toll-free number through which citizens can raise their concerns directly with the government."
The GRM is a step toward deepening participatory governance, promoting accountability, and ensuring residents' voices are heard and addressed across all levels of county administration.