Project profile — Democratic Governance Fund

• Kenya (100.00%)

• Government And Civil Society, General: Democratic participation and civil society (15150) (100.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The Kenya Governance Support Program aims to strengthen non-governmental and oversight organizations to demand more accountability, transparency, effectiveness and efficiency from government institutions. It does this through three components: (1) democratic governance; (2) public service reform; and (3) public financial management reform. The locally-managed Democratic Governance Fund supports the first component of the Program by enhancing the ability of non-state actors to voice the needs of Kenyans, and to demand better service delivery and sound financial management from their public institutions.

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Results achieved as of March 2015 include: The Democratic Governance Fund (DGF) has supported 32 initiatives to increase citizens’ say on public issues. The DGF has helped to improve the performance of parliamentary oversight authorities through the development of strategic plans and training modules. Support to UN Women has helped local partners to integrate gender equality considerations into governance programs and national processes. Organizations supported by the DGF are also facilitating civil input into important legislation. For example, the Kenya Alliance of Residents Association has set up citizens’ forums in at least 12 counties to discuss new laws that would empower communities. Also, support to Friends of Lake Turkana brought together civil society organizations and national and county governments, to create a sustainable policy and community dialogue on natural resource management and extraction. In another example, the Kenyan Katiba Institute worked with members of the Canadian judiciary to train Kenyan judges on mitigation of conflicts resulting from the implementation of decentralization under Kenya’s new constitution. Other results achieved through the DGF include: promoting peace and justice through social justice films that reached nearly 360,000 people and initiated at least ten community-based dialogues on reconciliation; improving district-level education score cards and educating parents on how to demand better school services; and launching youth clubs at 16 high schools to promote tolerance and national cohesion. These have contributed to the growth of democracy, people’s participation in decision making, and the implementation of the new Constitution.

• Proactive disclosure
• Related activities:
• Affirmative Action for Gender Equality
• Gender and Governance Program
• Governance Support Program - Monitoring
• Kenya Constitutional Review Support
• Public Financial Management Reform
• Public Service Reform
• Support to Kenya Electoral Reforms