KAS & KICTANet Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Digital Cooperation

On the 3rd and 4th October, KAS Kenya in partnership with KICTANet held a workshop on 'multi-stakeholder dialogue on digital cooperation'. To get a glimpse of what transpired do watch the videos with the different views of some of the stakeholders at the workshop. KAS Country director gives his views on How the digital space aids in the democratization process in Kenya.

KAS Kenya Mentorship Sessions

Starting early this year KAS Kenya has been carrying out mentorship sessions in different counties with the aid of KAS partners and mentors. The mentorship sessions targeted young leaders between the age of 18 years to 35 years to enhance their participation in governance issues and service delivery. The sessions purposed on nurturing these young people whose interest is in politics, from a grass root level to the national level.

How Does International Development Assistance Influence the chances of Young People

To understand the effects of international development cooperation on young people’s opportunities, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Kenya and the Inter Region Economic Network (IREN Kenya) on Monday 26, August 2019 convened a two-day workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. The key focus of the conference was to explore the debate on development assistance taking stock of the last 60 years, as well as discuss experiences of the youth and whether the chances they have obtained in development assistance have helped them in decision-making processes in their countries, New approaches in Development Assistance and Education, Different Approaches to Development Assistance (experiences from China, India, Gulf States) and Development assistance in Kenya today.

Enhancing capacities of women in leadership

In July and August 2019, KAS held training workshops for nominated women MCAs in Kajiado, Mombasa and Kisumu respectively. The training covered selected women MCAs from the following counties; Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos, Murang’a, Makueni Laikipia, Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Tana-River, Lamu and Taita-Taveta, Kisumu, Vihiga, Homabay, Siaya, Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo. KAS has been engaging with partners to push for participation of women in leadership and decision making processes. There still continues to be a need for the women in leadership positions with a special target group of nominated women members of county assemblies to be empowered more in order to overcome the challenges they are often faced with and clearly get to understand their roles. This is from the realization that women are still left behind in matters leadership of the Country compared to their male counterparts.

Strengthening the capacities of religious groups on use of media

Starting 24th – 25th July, 2019, KAS conducted a capacity enhancement activity in Nyali, Mombasa, for various religious groups and faith based organizations on the different media platforms that exist and could be used to strengthen inter-religious dialogue. The event purposed to raise awareness on the 21st century powerful social media communication tool and how it can be used to counter religious intolerance and improve the fight against violent extremism at the Coast. The Coast region of Kenya has in past and present times been riddled with lots of cases on violent extremism, sometimes stemming from religious intolerance. There is therefore a continued need to harmonize the different religious groups, to promote peace, harmony and tranquility in the region through reduced extremism.

Rethinking Democracy

International Conference on Elections and Representation

This event report is only available in german.

Food Security and Disaster Management monitoring through empowered local structures

Food Security and Disaster Management

KAS Kenya held an ASAL Stakeholders Forum (ASF) for capacity development from 16th -17th May 2019, in West Pokot. The focus of the forum was on political lobbying on food safety through disaster risk reduction. The aim was to assess the political trends and existing barriers to conducting food security advocacy campaigns in the region by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Food insecurity was established as one of the leading disasters facing the County, hence a need to cascade it in the political and policy formulation discourse for better management

Lessons learned from German History –An evening with Konrad Adenauer’s grandson

KAS, Nairobi held a discussion forum on the 3rd of June, 2019, with young Kenyan Politicians to discuss the post-war German political developments, and the lessons Kenya can draw from the same. The event was graced by Dr. Stephan Werhahn, a grandson to Konrad Adenauer and Association of Catholic Entrepreneurs (BKU) Board Member for International Relations. From the discussion, it was noted that Germany had gone through a difficult political and economic watershed, especially during the Nazi-dictatorship (1933-1945). Some of the major gains that Germany realized were during the tenure of Konrad Adenauer as Chancellor (1949-1963)

Strengthening the role of CSOs through COFs to ensure controls & accountability

KAS Kenya in collaboration with its implementing partner MAPACA organized a training forum in Makueni County on 25th June 2019 aimed at empowering citizen oversight forums (COFs) to play their oversight role effectively in the budget making process, information gathering and dissemination. The forum themed “Strengthening the role of CSOs through COFs to ensure controls & accountability” brought together members of citizen oversight forums, civil society and county officials for the one-day event.

Basic Training of the Public Expenditure Tool on Social Accountability

On the 29th and 30th of May, 2019, KAS held a training at the Everest House Hotel in Kisumu on the public expenditure tool (PET) and with extension, on social accountability to help build the capacity of the social auditors on public expenditure tools. The aim of the training was to improve on the present quality of public service delivery in Siaya, Vihiga and Kisumu Counties. This training was deemed necessary since counties have been accused of poor financial management and service delivery. During the training, participants were taken through the broader concept behind social accountability and tools such as community report cards, community score cards, budget analysis, social accountability, and public expenditure tracking were shared with the participants.