Kenya has showcased its progress in strengthening public participation, digital transformation, and access to justice during the 2026 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 Conference held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States.
Public Service and Human Capital Development Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, who was at the conference representing Kenya, revealed that the country is embedding public participation as one of the main pillars in policy formulation and governance decisions.
He explained that the digitization and re-engineering of government processes initiatives that are ongoing in Kenya are resulting in greater access to essential public information, and at the same time, increasing transparency and accountability of public institutions.
Ruku also emphasized how the digitization reforms in the Judiciary are facilitating access to justice in an uninterrupted manner.
Besides, Huduma Centres have become the main means through which the digital divide is being addressed and citizens are increasingly gaining confidence in government services.
“Kenya has gone a long way in making public participation a mandatory aspect of policy and governance decisions, ” Ruku said.
The SDG 16 Conference convened world leaders, policymakers, and representatives from civil society to review the progress of SDG 16 which is about peace, justice, and strong institutions.
During the conference, Kenya contributed to the 2026 Civil Society Declaration on SDG 16+ discussions and made a strong commitment to inclusive governance and institutional accountability and a people, centred public service delivery.
