05/06/2026
CLUSTER 2 ENGAGEMENT: Baringo Civil Society Organisations Forum & UasinGishu Civil Society Network
Yesterday, under the (TUNU) Project, supported by The Institute for Social Accountability Tisa Kenya and co-funded by the European Union in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and Transparency International Kenya,convened a powerful Cluster 2 Bi-Annual Agenda Setting Meeting bringing together CSOs from Baringo and Uasin Gishu Counties.
The engagement held in Uasin Gishu County, formed part of Activity 2.4, which seeks to strengthen and connect local and national CSOs within the Okoa Uchumi initiative to enhance collaboration, accountability, and citizen-led oversight.
The day opened with reflections on the importance of structured citizen engagement in governance, setting the tone for a deep dive into how public resources are planned, allocated, and accounted for.
Participants were taken through a rich political and budget literacy session exploring key governance instruments including the Political Manifesto, CIDP, ADP, County Budget, Office of the Controller of Budget (OCOB) reports, and Auditor General reports. This created a shared understanding of how promises made during campaigns translate (or fail to translate) into actual service delivery.
A key highlight of the session was the practical exercise of tracing the journey of a project from the manifesto, through the CIDP and annual budgets, all the way to implementation and expenditure reports. This helped participants critically interrogate alignment between political commitments and fiscal reality.
Through guided group work, CSOs analyzed:
> Manifesto vs CIDP priorities
> ADP vs County Budget allocations
> Budget releases vs OCOB exchequer reports
This “accountability chain” analysis made visible the gaps between planning, budgeting, and implementation turning abstract governance documents into lived realities.
The session further introduced a grading and scoring exercise, where participants began developing practical tools to assess service delivery against public promises. This is part of a broader process to roll out a ward scorecard/citizen report card/social audit tool, which will strengthen citizen led oversight at the grassroots level.
The meeting reinforced a critical principle: data is the neutral ground for accountability. With credible sources such as OCOB and Auditor General reports, citizens are better equipped to move beyond political rhetoric and engage with facts on service delivery and public resource management.
By the end of the engagement, participants developed initial action points and commitments toward strengthening network collaboration between CSOs in Baringo and Uasin Gishu, ensuring continuous tracking of government commitments and budget implementation.
This process marks an important step in closing the accountability loop, linking manifesto promises, development plans, budgets, and actual service delivery, and ultimately strengthening citizen voice in governance.
