Kenya - Comments on the Freedom of Information Bill - January 2012

The  ICT  Ministry  prepared a   draft  which  was   the   subject   of   a   stakeholder  workshop   on   4  November   2011, hosted   by   the   thematic   group   on   Human   Rights   of   the   Commission   on Implementation   of   the   Constitution   (CIC). [...] The   2010   Constitution   of   Kenya   contains   a   strong   guarantee   for   the   right   to information   (Article   35),   and   the   draft   Bill   aims   to   implement   that   guarantee through   legislation. [...] At   a   more   substantive   level,   although   the   draft   Bill   provides   for   access   to information   held   by   private   bodies   in   certain   cases,   it   remains   unclear   which provisions   of   the   law   apply   to   both   public   and   private   bodies,   and   which   are applicable  only  to  public  bodies. [...]     Consideration   should   also  be   given   to whether   or   not   it   is   practical   to   require   public   authorities   to   translate   every document  between  English  and  Kiswahili   to   respond   to   a   request. [...]   The   law   should   also  make   it   clear   that   it   is   free   to   lodge complaints   and   that   one   does   not   need   the   services   of   a   lawyer   to   pursue   a complaint.