Can ICTs bridge the gap of accountability in Kenya?

After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, in just 48 hours online mapper volunteers came up with a highly effective online collaboration resulting in the development of a comprehensive Port- au- Prince Relief Map; this demonstrated the power of social networks and crowdsourcing. Technology has highly being hailed not only for its effectiveness in improving access to relevant, time and actionable information but also reducing transaction costs; time spent obtaining and accessing information or direct transactions like obtaining an ID, Driving license or a birth- certificate. The big question in its glamour remains; can ICTs  Bridge the Gap of Accountability in Kenya and under what conditions?

Although Technologies can empower the public to hold the governments and donors accountable, true accountability will only be a product of recognizing the gap between the demand (Citizens, communities, and CSOs) and the supply (governments, donors and service providers) and determining frameworks to bridge the gap from both sides. Although different forms used traditionally have proved success; citizen report cards and community score- cards, there are enough reasons to believe that ICTs will by far help shrinking the accountability gap through empowering the government and citizens alike. This will accelerate two- way interaction and engagement between the governments and the citizens giving the citizens a stake in decision making hence improving intermediate and ultimate development outcomes.

A technologically enabled- citizen engagement will see to the transition from information stage which is a one- way flow of information to inform citizens on the problems, opportunities, alternatives and  solutions to participation stage; from participation stage to collaboration and partnering stage and ultimately to the empowerment stage through a multi- stake holder coalition building.

In strengthening civic engagement in development, ICTs would help expand capacity and accountability between the government and the citizens, increased proximity between the citizens and the international organizations as well as improve transparency between the government and the international organizations.

Although the promises of ICTs towards bridging the gap of accountability and acting as an accelerator for civic engagement are much appealing and responsive, there is need to creating an enabling environment for ICTs to thrive: informediaries, trust and institutional change. These stress enough reasons for the Kenya’s E- governance platform to move beyond issues related to simple access and instead peg its focus on evaluating effects of the widespread use and the generation of information by the citizens on enhancing transparency and accountability and ultimate facilitation of collaboration and empowerment. This will be enabled through a two- way flow and sharing of information with enhanced visibility and performance and improved outlets for feedback and visualization.

In Kenya, factors that prevent ICT closing the accountability loop predominately are socio- economic and political in nature; willingness of government to engage in a genuine political reforms process and Lack of trust between government, citizens and civil society. Although ICTs can play a fundamental role in altering this relationship between citizens and government often the concern arises; does the government have a political will to implement reforms? Do citizens have the opportunity to participate in decision making process in a fair and representative manner? What is the incentive for citizens to engage? And do citizens have digital literacy and information capabilities to participate effectively?

Some of the technical constraints may include appropriateness, readiness and steadiness. There are questions to ask when adopting ICTs as the tool to enhance accountability in the county or community level may include: Are the technologies appropriate for the community socio- economic context? Is there an existence of a certain level of e- reading in the local level? And what is the sustainability level of the ICTs programs both financially and social suitability?