We would like to take a moment to celebrate the incredible work of our grassroots organizations, who have proven to be the true frontliners in helping their communities’ voices be heard in decision-making processes that affect their lives. The changemakers have just concluded a County-wide mobilization of community members, spanning 35 wards in Kilifi County, to participate in the public participation for the formulation of the upcoming Annual Development Plan 2025/2026.
The Annual Development Plan is a document that sets out a county’s annual development priorities for the forthcoming year, and it is a subset of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP). The formulation of these documents requires the County to involve citizens at various stages so that the investments the country makes are aligned with the needs and aspirations of the communities they serve.
Unfortunately, despite their importance, public participation meetings are often under-attended. To address this trend, local changemakers have been taking proactive steps to mobilize citizens, encouraging not just attendance but also meaningful participation.
The County is now in the process of formulating the Annual Development Plan 2025/2026. Not only did the changemakers mobilize the community to attend in large numbers, but they also took them on a process to determine their development priorities. They put down the community’s suggestions on manila papers, which enhanced discussions as it was easy for people to see what they were talking about. Once they had final lists, they took photos of the manila papers for record keeping.
In addition, the changemakers helped the communities to develop memos that captured the discussions. These memos were then handed over to county officials, ensuring that the voices of citizens are included as the county begins its budget-making process.
These workshops aimed to prepare the communities to articulate their needs and wants, ahead of the actual public participation meetings organized by the County Government. This kind of support ensured that every community member could walk into those meetings feeling confident and prepared to speak up for what matters most to them. “Today’s meeting was easy,” said one of the county officials in Malindi town ward, “citizens came very prepared… we did not spend a lot of time going back and forth as they already knew what they wanted.”
Residents of Malindi were happy about how the meeting went, with one of them saying, “Usually, we are not involved. They come with their projects already written, but this time round, they took the projects that we wrote in our manilas.” Jecinta, a changemaker and President of the Kilifi Youth Assembly, congratulated the County for ensuring that firstly, the advertisement for public participation was done early in advance to give citizens time to organize themselves, and, secondly, that citizens’ inputs have been taken at the drafting stage, not just the approval.
This milestone is a testament to the impact of community-driven advocacy. Last year, our changemakers collected deep concerns from the community, who expressed feeling excluded from the initial phases of drafting the annual development plan, leading to a sense of disenfranchisement. In response, the county government took decisive action, and for the first time since devolution, an inclusive and participatory process was adopted for drafting the upcoming Annual Development Plan.
What we’re seeing here is collaboration in two folds. First, there’s the collaboration among different changemakers within the county, all working together to mobilize and educate their communities so they can participate meaningfully in public meetings. And second, there’s the partnership between the CBOs and the local government, a collaboration built on trust and a shared commitment to ensuring that development truly reflects the needs of the people.
This moment is more than just a success story, it’s a powerful reminder of what can happen when communities are genuinely involved in shaping their own futures. We’re witnessing a new chapter in Kilifi County’s development, one where the voices of the people are not just heard but actively shape the decisions that will impact their lives.
Given the increasing need for extensive civic education, we are proud of the role that community-based organizations in Kilifi County are playing in equipping residents with the knowledge and confidence to engage effectively. Not only are community members turning out in large numbers, but they are also well-informed and ready to voice their needs to drive positive change.
We believe that grassroots organizations are in the best position to drive and sustain change in their communities. They are the best to carry out civic education and ensure that their citizens are meaningfully participating in governance processes. We believe that these changemakers, when given the right support, resources, and tools, can create an even bigger impact in their communities.
