How to empower communities financially

Former Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui during the distribution of economic empowerment equipment worth Sh27.5 million to People Living with Disabilities at Shabab Social Hall, Nakuru, on November 10, 2021. [File, Standard]

In a world where systemic exclusion often stifles progress, it's easy to feel disillusioned by big promises that don't help the most vulnerable.

However, Kenya has seen the real impact of true advocacy as part of Transparency International's Rallying Efforts to Accelerate Progress (REAP) project, which concluded late last year. The multi-country project is meant to address illicit financial flows and abusive practices that perpetuate economic inequalities and hinder sustainable development in Africa. In Kenya, the project also focused on government policies and decisions to make them fairer, to benefit the underserved communities. The project focused on Public Financial Management (PFM). We dug deep into how PFM policies impact service delivery, revealing the underlying systems that trap people in poverty and exclusion. Ideally, tax revenues and public funds should be fairly distributed to support essential services like healthcare, education and social welfare.