There are many challenges facing CAJ in Kenya. This commission is also known as the Office of the Ombudsman.
“The Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) also known as the “Office of the Ombudsman” is a Constitutional Commission established under Article 59 (4) and Chapter Fifteen 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, unfair or unresponsive official conduct,” according to Office of Ombudsman Kenya website.
Let me list some of the challenges the commission faces and attempt to recommend possible solutions afterwards:
1) Financial Constraints
2) Inadequate number of human resources
3) Access to information Act is unknown at the county and national levels;
4) culture of secrecy ingrained among Kenyans
Recommendations for possible consideration:
1) advocate for allocation of additional financial resources through the national planning and budgeting process.
2) CAJ to use the additional resources allocated to hire additional staff in order to deliver on their mandate;
3) A multi-pronged approach is required as a solution for this challenge. The Commission should train journalists on access to information; conduct sensitisation forums for all Ministries Departments and Agencies to inform public officers on the need to obey the law and make available the information held by the state or non-state actors; use new media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to inform the members of the public more about their right to access information; use traditional media such as daily newspapers, radio and Television to sensitize all Kenyans on their rights to information;
4) Partner with other actors such as religious institutions e.g. churches, Mosques and Synagogues to advance the importance of changing attitudes and more especially embracing openness among Kenyans; CAJ should also work closely with media, Community Based Organizations; Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to extrol the virtue of openness among the citizenry in Kenya.
