The Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), commonly known as the Ombudsman, has announced an initiative launching Kenya‘s first ever national survey on access to information in public offices.
Dubbed the “State Openness Survey,” this move will see a shift from merely having a law on the books to actively measuring its enforcement and impact.
Since the enactment of the Access to Information Act, 2016, the challenge has been the persistent culture of bureaucratic secrecy.
An encounter at a public office can be intimidating and exhausting for many members of the public. The atmosphere can feel rigid and impersonal, with hurried staff, limited seating, and little guidance on required procedures.
For first-time visitors or those unfamiliar with bureaucratic processes, this experience can be very daunting, as a simple mistake, such as missing a form or misunderstanding a requirement, can mean starting the entire process over again.
As a result, this survey serves as an important check on how well county and national government offices receive and share information with the public. Its findings matter because they relate directly to the basics of good governance.
Firstly, the survey introduces a performance metric for transparency. By publicly identifying which institutions are “open” and which are not, the Ombudsman is creating a powerful reputational incentive for compliance.
The expectation is to drive a fundamental change in administrative culture, compelling public servants to move from a reactive, need-to-know approach to one of proactive disclosure.
Secondly, the survey could be perceived as a new weapon in the fight against corruption and poor administration.
Access to information is the foundation of accountability. When citizens, journalists, and civil society can easily obtain data on public contracts, budgets, and decision-making, the space for illicit activities shrinks.
The data gathered will allow the Ombudsman to issue targeted interventions, strengthening its role as the guardian of administrative justice.
At first glance, it may seem idealistic, given how entrenched and systemic corruption appears. However, making this information public helps strip away the opacity surrounding these institutions.
Finally, the initiative is a big step toward citizen empowerment. Meaningful public participation is impossible without information.
By ensuring that the public can access the data required to understand government policies and services, the survey will enable more informed engagement, especially at the grassroots level where issues like delays in service delivery and unresponsiveness are most acutely felt.
