NAIROBI,Kenya – ICJ Kenya’s Programme officer Geoffrey Odhiambo has been appointed as member of the Steering Committee for the Assessment of the Right of Access to Information Implementation in Kenya by the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ).
The appointment comes as a result of his contribution and ICJ Kenya’s continued work on the Right of Access to Information.
Geoffrey serves as a Programme Officer, Land, Environment, and Climate Justice at ICJ Kenya.
His central areas of interest include; constitutional law, human rights, research, Public Interest Litigation, and access to justice. He trains paralegals on various aspects of law to build their capacities to provide quality legal aid services.
Steering Committee for the Assessment of the Right of Access to Information Implementation
The CAJ is a Constitutional Commission under Article 59 (4) of the Constitution and the Commission on Administrative Justice Act. It is mandated to, among others, oversee and enforce the right to access information as provided under Article 35 of the Constitution and the Access to Information Act, 2016 (ATI Act).
The assessment will highlight the progress in implementing the ATI Act in Kenya to enable informed decisions on areas requiring interventions.
According to Article 35 of the Constitution, it is a right for all citizens to be able to receive any information that makes it possible for them to enjoy or protect their rights.
This law is expected to make it easier for Kenyans to enjoy the right to access to information that is provided by the Constitution, create a way for the public,government and private institutions to provide information when requested and make it easier to get information from private bodies especially where the information will assist in the protection or enjoyment of other rights.
Also, it will protect people who in good faith provide information in public interest (whistleblowers),create a way for educating wananchi about the right to information and give the Commission on Administrative Justice powers to ensure this law is followed.
