NAIROBI, Kenya- President William Ruto has announced that Kenya is preparing its inaugural State of Openness Report, describing it as a landmark initiative aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and public access to government information.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday, the President said the report would establish a national benchmark for measuring openness across ministries, departments, agencies, constitutional commissions and county governments.
According to Ruto, the initiative is part of the government’s broader agenda to promote transparency and combat fake news, misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda by expanding access to accurate public information.
“We are working towards entrenching openness across Government by ensuring wide access to information in ministries, departments and agencies,” the President said.
He said the government’s objective is to build public trust by making institutions more transparent, accountable and accessible.
“Our objective is to build and earn public trust while confronting the growing threat of fake news, misinformation, disinformation and propaganda through transparency, accountability and accessibility to accurate information,” he added.
The President highlighted several reforms his administration says are aimed at enhancing openness in public service delivery.
Among them is the expansion of digital government services, which he said have increased from 350 services in 2022 to more than 26,000, enabling citizens to access public services more efficiently while improving accountability.
Ruto also cited the introduction of the Unified Government Digital Payment Platform, saying it has helped curb revenue leakages, reduce opportunities for corruption and improve accountability in public revenue collection.
He added that the government has rolled out electronic procurement systems to enhance transparency in public purchasing, encourage fair competition and promote prudent use of taxpayer funds.
The President further pointed to legislative reforms, including a law governing recruitment to Government-Owned Enterprises, which he said promotes transparent, merit-based and competitive appointments free from political interference.
He also said the recently enacted Conflict of Interest Act has strengthened integrity in public service by reinforcing ethical conduct, accountability and transparency among public officers.
Ruto noted that the implementation of the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) also incorporates safeguards to improve institutional independence and transparency, including limiting the President’s role in appointing members of the fund’s governing council.
As part of the new initiative, the President directed all ministries, departments, agencies, constitutional commissions and county governments to fully cooperate with the Commission on Administrative Justice during the preparation of the report.
“I direct every ministry, department, agency, constitutional commission and county government to extend their full cooperation to the Commission on Administrative Justice by providing timely, accurate and comprehensive information throughout this exercise,” he said.
The report, expected to be launched later this year, will assess the level of transparency, accountability and institutional performance across government while identifying areas requiring reform.
“Our report on the state of openness, to be launched later in the year, will be the first of its kind in the world,” the President said.