Lobby launches accountability mobile application for citizen oversight

Centre for Transformational Leadership chair Prof Gitile Naituli. [File, Standard] The Centre for Transformational Leadership (CTL) has launched Citizen Accountability Mobile Application, designed to promote transparency, participatory governance, and public accountability. According to CTL Chair Prof Gitile Naituli, the application dubbed 'GunduaInfo' is a major step towards bridging the gap between citizens and county governments. He said the mobile application is designed to bring critical budget and expenditure data directly into the hands of ordinary citizens at the grassroots, at the ward level, at the village level. "This is not just a digital innovation. It is a democratic breakthrough. With this app, ordinary citizens can now track county budgets, monitor implementation of projects, and demand accountability all from their mobile phones," said Naituli. He said the application provides real-time access to budget allocations, expenditure data, and project implementation updates at the ward level. Further, it also enables users to report anomalies, access simplified county reports, and raise red flags where public funds appear mismanaged. "The data stretches back to three years ago. Right now, the application is applicable in Nakuru County but we aim at ensuring the same is expanded across all the 47 counties," Naituli said. He explained that the app was a tool to strengthen citizen-led governance and ensure that county governments are not only accessible, but answerable to the people they serve. "Democracy thrives not when leaders perform, but when citizens participate. This tool helps make that participation possible, practical, and powerful," added Naituli. Despite the organization championing the cause of citizen empowerment through civic education, grassroots engagement, and policy advocacy, Naituli said the application will give citizens power. He stressed information as a powerful tool and insisted that access to accurate, timely, and relevant information is not a luxury, but a right. "It is the foundation upon which citizens can organize, question, challenge, and shape the use of public resources. Without information, there is no transparency. Without transparency, there is no accountability and without accountability, democracy itself becomes a hollow promise," he said. He added that the app will transform passive recipients of development into active watchdogs and co-creators of good governance. He called on county governments to open their books to the people they serve and make public any development projects they do. The Standard Journalists downloaded the application which contains county and ward projects' status and public participation calendar among other information. Bancy Kubutha Executive Director CTL insisted that the application makes information about budget and public participation easily accessible to citizens. "We are hoping that the app will increase conversions among citizens in their local areas. We want citizens to use it as a reference to follow up on projects and audit them," said Ms Kubutha. MCA Alex Mbugua, who is the Budget appropriation chair said the application will be crucial in fund management within Nakuru County. He said all the projects would be visible within the application and will go far in helping residents access information in real time. "We will start from budget validation all the way to the implementation of the projects and will help do away with ghost projects within the county and country," said Mbugua.

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