Our work in Kenya

At DI we believe that people living in poverty should share in the benefits of development efforts. In Kenya, planning and resource distribution is often not driven by the needs of the poorest people. The critical information needed for good decision-making – and to hold decision-makers to account – is sometimes unavailable. When it is available, it may be outdated, unfocused or unclear. Furthermore, many potential users lack the capacity to make the most of the data they have.

Our work in Kenya focuses on improving the data available to decision-makers, empowering actors to access and use data effectively, and better measuring progress against key commitments. Our ultimate goal is to enable better informed planning, policymaking and reporting to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development.

Our goals

We have a permanent office in Nairobi, Kenya, which forms the hub of all our activities across Africa. We have three major goals that we are working towards in Kenya:

1. Increased commitment and much-needed investment towards improving poverty data and measurement of progress by advocating for disaggregated data and civil administration systems.
2. Improved decision-making on the allocation of resources through our data analysis.
3. People empowered to use data effectively by helping and encouraging those who hold valuable information to make their data available, accessible and usable.

Key achievements

Supporting the data ecosystem

We have worked jointly on a number of initiatives to build understanding of data needs and strengthen capacity for data use in Kenya, increasing access to and use of data at subnational, national and regional levels. We mapped key stakeholders and their perspectives on what is needed to drive more effective use of data under the data revolution, and we developed case studies to better understand how citizen-generated data is collected and used in Kenya.

Citizen-generated data and sustainable development: Evidence from case studies in Kenya and Uganda

Spotlight on Kenya

We launched the Spotlight on Kenya in November 2017. This online tool hosts comprehensive datasets on Kenya’s financial resource flows at the county level, alongside indicators on poverty, population, education, health, water, hygiene and sanitation. In addition to attracting the attention of (and being used by) a variety of stakeholders, the Spotlight on Kenya has been a key component of DI’s contribution to Kenya’s Voluntary National Review process through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Kenya Forum.

Spotlight on Kenya

Supporting policymaking at county level

The success of the Spotlight on Kenya led to representatives from Kenya’s Elgeyo Marakwet county asking DI to input into their five-year Integrated Development Plan (2018–2022). Our suggestions and the analysis on which they are based were well received and led to changes to the county’s development priorities. We also strengthened our relationship with individual government departments and observed an increased appetite for data and evidence to support policy following this work.

Technical support to subnational administrations in Kenya

Current work

Analysing national spending

Our annual pro-poor budget analysis looks at planned government spending and assesses its focus on the poorest people. Every year, DI’s work forms part of the budget analysis working group’s comprehensive joint submission of recommendations to Kenya’s parliamentary budget and appropriation committee. In recent years we have independently reported on resource allocation to pro-poor programmes including free maternity health services, free primary education ,irrigation, droughts, and water and sanitation.

Kenya’s 2019/20 budget and the big four agenda: a pro poor analysis

Assessing disaster risk and preparedness

Following a 2016 assessment of Kenya’s disaster risk preparedness, which DI carried out with funding from the UK’s Department for International Development, we’ve been looking in greater detail at spending to disaster risk reduction and climate change mitigation in Kenya. We used this analysis to formulate action plans with stakeholders at the county level, including government offices, to influence the next budget cycle.

Tracking subnational government investments in disaster risk reduction in Kenya Tracking subnational government investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation in Kenya

Implementing the ‘leave no one behind’ agenda

We work with a number of partners on implementing the ‘leave no one behind’ agenda in Kenya. Alongside the SDGs Kenya Forum and other partners, we are working to reverse the exclusion and marginalisation of vulnerable people in Kenya. In 2018 we participated in community dialogue forums in five counties, bringing together community members as a first step to ensuring that their voice is included in national dialogues on sustainable development.