Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman) has partnered with the World Bank and the National Treasury to address grievance redress mechanisms in counties.
A total of 200 officials drawn from 28 counties will be trained on effective grievance redress mechanisms and access to information in the public sector during the first phase of the programme.
“The training sessions will entail information on how devolved units can set up and improve complaint-handling mechanisms in the county, and establish mechanisms that enable proactive disclosure of information to the public they serve,” the Office of the Ombudsman said in a statement.
The commission added that citizen sensitization forums will also be conducted to enlighten members of the public on the mandate of the Office of the Ombudsman.
The commission has planned to take a two-phased approach towards the implementation of the programmes which starts on April 23.
Targeted counties under phase one of the programme include Embu, Kirinyanga, Meru, Isiolo, Tharaka Nithi, Muranga and Nyeri.
Other counties are Makueni, Kajiado, Kiambu, Nairobi, Machakos, Kitui, Taita Taveta, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Tana River, Nakuru, Nyahuru, Kericho, Laikipia, Baringo, Bomet, Samburu, Nandi and Uasin Gishu.
The commission’s training and sensitisation forums will provide a linkage and emphasis on the avenues available to report concerns.
The programme also seeks to strengthen local resilience to the impact of climate change, natural hazards, and other stressors.
The target audience includes county officials including Climate Change Unit members from 28 counties.
The office of the Ombudsman is a constitutional entity established under Article 59(4) of the Constitution and the Commission on Administrative Justice Act, 2011.
The commission has a mandate, inter-alia, to investigate any conduct in state affairs or any act or omission in public administration in any sphere of Government and complaints of abuse of power, unfair treatment, manifest injustice or unlawful, oppressive and unfair or unresponsive official conduct.
