In an important move towards enhancing civic education and public participation, the County Government of Isiolo, through the Department of Public Participation Citizen Engagement & Customer Service, is fast-tracking the completion of the formulation of the Isiolo County Civic Education and Public Participation Policy (CEPP).
This effort is in collaboration with various stakeholders including Action Against Hunger (ACF), WFP, CRS-Nawiri, Mid-P, Action Aid, Isiolo Community Development Trust (ICDT), and Act Change Transform (Act!) through the Kenya Devolution Program.
The sector in collaboration with development partners has been engaging various stakeholders at different stages towards the realization of the CEPP.
For the last three days, the department, in collaboration with these development partners, has conducted a dissemination and sensitization workshop for the Isiolo County Assembly, Executives, and Community (CSOs) on the Isiolo County Civic Education and Public Participation Policy.
The focus of the workshop was on the draft policy for civic education and public participation in the county. Participants, including the CEPP technical committee from different county sectors together with county assembly members, engaged in comprehensive discussions covering various topics.
These included policy overview, situational analysis, policy concerns, objectives, strategies, action areas, constitutional framework, and recommendations from community members based on ten memorandums collected during the public participation process.
While officially opening the workshop, Isiolo County Secretary Dade Boru stated, “The collaborative efforts between the county government and development partners towards the realization of the public participation policy demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that citizens are actively involved in decision-making processes and have access to information that affects their communities.”
“The government, through the leadership of H.E. Ibrahim Hassan, continues to prioritize civic education and public participation as it sets an example for transparent and inclusive governance practices.
It ensures that all citizens learn about their rights and responsibilities and how these are accessed and exercised,” Dade added.
The County Secretary lauded Department Chief Officer Judy Nyaga for her efforts in ensuring the county will have the CEPP policy.
He noted that the policy will facilitate effective public participation and provide community members access to information on all projects and programs being undertaken in the county for accountability, transparency, and ownership.
“How I wish other chief officers could borrow a leaf from Madam Judy. She is really putting much effort into the realization of the CEPP,” Dade observed.
The county assembly members, led by Deputy Speaker Hon. David Lemantile and Leader of Majority Hon. Abdirashid Diba, who is also the chairman of the county assembly budget committee, appealed to the executive to ensure that once the policy is formulated, it will be operationalized for the benefit of Isiolo County.
“There are several policies in both county and national government which are never utilized, and I hope that once this policy is assented to, it will be operationalized instead of being left idle,” Hon. Diba stated.
The honorable members promised to continue supporting the civic and public participation sector in the realization of the policy and in operationalizing the Isiolo County CEPP Act of 2015 in line with the policy.
