A section of civil society organisations and Mombasa residents are accusing the County Government of flouting constitutional requirements by allegedly failing to conduct proper public participation on the 2025/2026 budget estimates and the County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP).
Speaking during a press briefing outside the County Assembly on Monday, the group called for the immediate suspension of the validation exercise set to kick off Tuesday across the 30 wards.
They argued that the current process lacks transparency and denies residents a chance to meaningfully contribute to the county’s development agenda.“We demand the halting of the ongoing validation process until a comprehensive and inclusive public participation framework is put in place,” said one of the civil society representatives. “What is happening now is a mere formality and not in line with the constitutional requirement for public input.”The organisations further accused both the County Executive and County Assembly of sidelining residents and stakeholders in key development discussions.
They claim this has become a recurring trend that undermines transparency, accountability, and inclusive governance.Kenya’s Constitution under Article 10 and Article 201 emphasizes the need for public participation in all matters of governance, particularly in budget-making processes.
The groups now want the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) and the Controller of Budget to intervene and ensure the county adheres to legal procedures.Efforts to get a response from the County Government were unsuccessful by the time of publishing.
The civil society organisations have vowed to continue pushing for inclusive governance and have not ruled out taking legal action if their concerns are not addressed.
