Digital Platforms Empower Communities to Report Corruption and Abuse Anonymously
The organizers asked citizens across the country to adopt digital platforms because public participation helps create transparent and just and secure communities.
Citizens can send reports at any time by SMS to 22310 at no cost and also receive feedback on how their cases are being handled. Photo/Ibrahim Too
By Brenda Muriithi
Digital tools are being provided to communities throughout the nation to enable safe reporting of corruption and police misconduct and gender-based violence as part of a nationwide awareness initiative that was recently conducted in Baringo County.
The Baringo sensitisation forum brought together community leaders and civil society organizations and government representatives to show how technology helps citizens report injustices that happen in their homes and businesses and neighbourhoods.
Stephen Ngososei, who works for the government COO team, at the forum said that digital platforms help citizens overcome their fear to report problems in the community.
“We use mobile phones and computers to create better conditions for our communities,” Ngososei said.
“The tool called uwajibigaji pamoja platform enables users to send messages and upload photos without revealing their identity through their mobile phones.”
The tool enables users to report incidents they witnessed in their residential areas and shops and public spaces while keeping their identity hidden according to Ngososei
The president of BAKSOF association Philip Tomno announced at the event that the two-day training would provide community members with knowledge they could share throughout Baringo and beyond.
Tomno said that our goal is to learn here and then teach others how to report cases when their concerns are ignored. The reporting mechanisms include three options which are a mobile application and an online platform and free SMS service, which enables people without smartphones to access the system.
Citizens can send reports at any time by SMS to 22310 at no cost and also receive feedback on how their cases are being handled. The tools according to Tomno can report various incidents which include bribery and corruption and gender-based violence and police brutality. The initiative receives support from Transparency International {TI} and community organizations who work to improve accountability in law enforcement throughout the country.
The organizers asked citizens across the country to adopt digital platforms because public participation helps create transparent and just and secure communities.
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