Kenya lags behind its peers in transparency, an indicator of the theft and waste of public funds, a new survey shows.
According to the 2023 Open Budget Survey (OBS), Kenya ranks 48th out of 125 countries when it comes to publishing information to support robust public debate on budget estimates. Uganda leads East Africa with 59 percent, followed by Kenya with 55 percent and Rwanda with 50 percent.
Tanzania received 41 percent, Somalia (37), Burundi (14), and South Sudan 13 percent.
A transparency score of 61 or higher indicates that a state is likely to publish enough material to support informed public debate about its budget.
When the budget is not transparent, this means that there is room for “budget corruption.”
The survey assessed the availability, timeliness, and comprehensiveness of online budget documents.
The report from the Institute of Public Finance noted that the dismal rating was due to the government's failure to issue mid-year updates on budget implementation efforts, which include reviewing economic assumptions and forecasting expected budget outcomes.
Speaking at the launch, James Muraguri, CEO of the IIF, said: “Transparency and engagement in the budget process are consistently linked to improvements in budget quality, such as reduced deficits, more targeted budget priorities, and increased operational efficiency.”
“The fact that the government collects and spends billions in taxpayer money to pay for public services, the public has a right to know how that money is allocated and how it is spent.”
“Transparency and participation in the budget process are consistently linked to improvements in budget quality, such as reduced deficits, more targeted budget priorities, and increased operational efficiency. These values can also lead to improved governance and redirecting spending toward marginalized communities,” said Mr. Muraguri.
He also noted that by engaging citizens at all stages of budget preparation, public confidence in government will be improved, civic engagement and political knowledge will increase, tax revenues will increase, and lead to better development outcomes.
The report comes at a time when ongoing public hearings are being held on the budget led by the National Assembly’s Finance and Planning Committee to express views on the proposed 2024/2025 budget estimates.
The government has recently come under scrutiny regarding how it spends its allocated budgets in light of the widening budget deficit.