Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi
Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has ignited a national conversation on the financial sustainability of public participation, a key tenet of the country's 2010 Constitution.
Speaking at the Regional Ministerial roundtable of the Open Government Partnership, Mudavadi emphasized the escalating costs associated with public engagement, prompting calls for a more cost-effective approach to governance. Mudavadi highlights that over 700 policy legislations mandate public participation, with each process costing a minimum of Sh10 million. This translates to over Sh7 billion in total expenditure, a figure he juxtaposed against the country's urgent need for resources in critical sectors such as healthcare and infrastructure.
“I know democracy is expensive and it is the best mode. But you tell me, if public participation is going to cost a government, at the lowest, something like seven billion. How do you reconcile this between doing public participation and supplying drugs to hospitals? How do you reconcile between building a bridge or a hospital and doing public participation?” Mudavadi posited.
Kenya's Constitution mandates public involvement in the creation of laws, policies, and development initiatives. This constitutional requirement of inclusivity prohibits the implementation of policies or the commencement of development projects without citizen input.
Public participation occurs through a variety of channels, including stakeholder meetings, written submissions, community forums, and digital platforms. These methods enable citizens to influence key areas such as budgeting, environmental management, and urban planning. While public participation is designed to empower citizens and foster inclusive governance, it has faced criticisms regarding accessibility, inclusivity, and genuine impact.
Detractors argue that public participation often serves as a mere formality for legal compliance, with concerns raised about inadequate feedback mechanisms and potential political interference. Moreover, the role of technology in expanding access to public participation is promising but faces challenges due to disparities in digital literacy and internet penetration.