23/04/2026
Women in Lomut Ward, West Pokot County, today demonstrated the power of information in shaping active citizenship during the Rift Valley Budget Hub budget cell forum. For many participants, it was their first encounter with county budgeting, yet after the sensitization session, they expressed a clear understanding of the budget cycle and how public resources are planned, allocated, and used.
The forum also revealed a major gap in civic participation, as many women shared that they had never attended any public participation forum and were unaware of their role in influencing development priorities. However, once they connected everyday challenges in their communities to decisions made through budgeting processes, they made a firm commitment to begin attending future forums and presenting their views, including pooling resources to support representatives where necessary.
Participants identified urgent priority areas requiring budget attention, including construction of a water pan and piping to improve water access, murraming and maintenance of the U-Road to ease movement of farm produce to markets, installation of a new electricity meter at the dispensary, provision of drugs, medical supplies and water at the health facility, completion of Lomut Market, and construction of a public toilet at the market.
Today’s engagement marked an important step in building informed women leaders ready to champion accountability, service delivery, and inclusive development in their community.