Enlighten Kenyans on their right to access information

Article 35 of the Kenyan Constitution reaffirms the right of the public to access information from government and private entities. The incorporation of this provision in the Constitution was necessitated by the need for open, participatory and accountable governance.

Put differently, it took cognisance of the fact that Kenya had become a society where social vices such as corruption and impunity reigned supreme under the cover of official secrecy. The Official Secrets Act had acted as a licence for opaqueness and Kenyans felt that it was important to open access to information held by government to citizens.