President William Ruto has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to enhancing transparency, accountability, and public access to government information as Kenya embarks on consultations for its inaugural State of Openness Report.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, while launching the consultations and preparation of the report, President Ruto stated that the initiative would establish a national benchmark for assessing transparency, institutional performance, and accountability across government while identifying areas requiring further reform.
The President emphasised that openness is crucial for restoring public confidence in government institutions.
“We are working towards entrenching openness across government by ensuring wide access to information in ministries, departments, and agencies,” he said.
“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,” President Ruto added.
He noted that digital transformation has become a primary tool for improving service delivery and strengthening accountability within his administration. The President highlighted that government services available through digital platforms have increased from approximately 350 in 2022 to over 26,000, making public services more accessible, efficient, and transparent.
President Ruto also drew attention to reforms in public financial management, stating that the government has introduced a Unified Government Digital Payment Platform. The initiative, he says, aims to reduce revenue leakages, curb opportunities for corruption, and improve accountability in the collection of public funds.
He further explained that electronic procurement has been rolled out to promote transparency, strengthen competition, and ensure the prudent use of public resources.
The President cited recent governance reforms, including legislation to introduce merit-based recruitment in government-owned enterprises, the enactment of the Conflict of Interest Act to strengthen ethical conduct among public officers, and governance safeguards within the National Infrastructure Fund designed to enhance institutional independence and accountability.
According to President Ruto, the State of Openness Report will provide an honest assessment of government performance by identifying areas of progress, highlight existing gaps, and recommend necessary reforms to strengthen public confidence in state institutions.
“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,” stated President Ruto.
The President announced that the report, expected to be launched later this year, will be the first of its kind globally and is intended to position Kenya as a leader in promoting openness, transparency, and accountable governance.
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