Empowered Women Representatives Present Community Priorities Through Public Participation Process, Advancing Inclusive Budgeting and Citizen Engagement in Garissa County.
GARISSA, Kenya – The Northern Regional Budget Hub has strengthened efforts to promote inclusive public finance participation in Garissa County after facilitating trained women budget cells to present their memorandum to the Garissa County Assembly ahead of the upcoming Annual Development Plan (ADP) public participation process.
The engagement, held on Tuesday, brought together women representatives from Sankuri Ward who, through capacity-building support from Bajeti Hub, were equipped with knowledge and skills on budget processes, citizen participation and advocacy. The training enabled them to identify and articulate key community priorities that would help inform Garissa County’s development planning and resource allocation decisions.
Before presenting their memorandum to the Garissa County Assembly, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to their area Member of County Assembly, Hon. Abdirahman Boor, at his office. During the meeting, the representatives shared their plans, community priorities and perspectives ahead of the upcoming Annual Development Plan (ADP) public participation process.
The engagement provided an important platform for dialogue between grassroots representatives and their elected leader, highlighting the significance of community involvement in shaping county programmes, projects and development priorities.
Following the consultation, the women budget cells proceeded to submit their memorandum to the Garissa County Assembly, presenting recommendations aimed at ensuring that the voices and needs of residents particularly women at the grassroots level are reflected in the county’s planning framework.
Led by Osman Ahmed, Garissa County Budget Facilitator, the women representatives’ submission marked a significant milestone in strengthening citizen participation and promoting inclusive decision-making within public finance processes.
The Northern Regional Budget Hub emphasized that empowering women with budget literacy, technical knowledge and advocacy skills is critical in enabling citizens to actively engage in governance and influence decisions that directly impact their communities.
The initiative reflects the growing importance of inclusive budgeting, where citizens move beyond being beneficiaries of development programmes to becoming active contributors in identifying priorities, shaping policies and influencing investments.
The Budget Hub commended the commitment of the women representatives and reaffirmed its continued support towards strengthening citizen participation, transparency and accountability in public finance management across Northern Kenya.
The upcoming ADP public participation process will provide residents and stakeholders with an opportunity to present their priorities and contribute to shaping the county’s development agenda for the next planning cycle.
