Access to Information - Africa Freedom of Information Centre

Citizens empowered to hold their leaders accountable in Mbale

The challenge: Before 2020, poor selection of contractors and execution of government contracts in Mbale region was common with resultant shoddy works, delayed completion of projects and suspicion of collusion amongst suppliers and government officials among many other challenges. This affected the quality of implementation of government projects in Mbale City and Mbale District. However, […]

Children attendance of school improves as a result of increased access to clean water

Sickness of pupils and absenteeism from school used to be a big problem at Khamoto Primary School in Mbale District. Pupils especially those in lower primary school used to fall sick from diarrheal diseases quite regularly and not attend school. Others would be discouraged because they would be required to walk long distance to fetch […]

Placenta pit constructed at pemba health centre as a result of citizen demand for information

Placenta Pit Constructed at Pemba Health Centre as a result of Citizen Demands The challenge: The discharge of medical waste at Pemba Health Centre in Salima district of Malawi was for a long time a significant community concern due to bad odor and ugly scenes of places where damping was taking place around the health […]

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Enhancing Performance and Transparency of Social Service Contracts in Uganda

Enhancing performance and transparency of social service contracts in Uganda With funding from the Global Partnership on Social Accountability (GPSA), AFIC in collaboration with Uganda Contracts Monitoring Coalition (UCMC) implemented a 4-year US$650,000 project with an aim to enhance performance and transparency of service contracts in public sectors of health, education and agriculture. The […]

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The extent to which countries implement world bank’s civic engagement framework in practice

Accountability Research Centre (ARC) One of the challenges affecting sustainability of project development outcomes is lack of beneficiary participation and ownership. Through its Citizens Engage-ment Framework, the World Bank commits to en-sure citizens access to infor-mation and participation in its funded projects. In 2019, AFIC with funding from the Accountability Research Centre of the American […]

OGP GLOBAL SUMMIT 2023: Using the Open Government Partnership to increase women’s participation in Public Procurement

Through the SDG framework, governments committed to advance gender equality. However, halfway to the SDG 2030 target, the foundations to economic are not being tackled. Governments in Africa and around the world spend over 60% of national budgets every year through public procurement yet women-owned businesses take less than 1% of this value due to […]

Empowering Women in Procurement: Rwanda’s Legislative tread for Gender Equality

Africa Freedom of Information Centre together with their Rwandan partners Never Again Rwanda, during their visit to the Forum of women Parliamentarians of Rwanda (FFRP) on Wednesday 26th July, 2023 at their offices, learnt that the Rwandan Parliament had incorporated insights from AFIC’s study on Understanding the barriers and solutions to include women led businesses […]

Ministry of Gender, Labour & Social Development partners with AFIC for gender responsive in Public Procurement

Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development (MGLSD) has committed to lead by example in promoting the reservation of special interest groups within the Ministry Procurements. This commitment was made during the Gender and Women Affairs Departmental weekly meeting on the 14th August, 2023 where AFIC was invited to make a presentation from the study […]

Contractor asked to Refund 200,000MKW after 4 Years of Abandoning a Project he was contracted for!

Shortage of classrooms had always been a big problem at Linthipe Primary School in Salima District in Malawi. To address this problem, in 2015, parents mobilized themselves and engaged a contractor to undertake the construction works. Unfortunately, the contractor abandoned work before completion but after receiving payment. Following training by Africa Freedom of Information Centre(AFIC) […]

Access to Information triggers improved cleanliness and better hygiene in Salima Township, Malawi

Access To Information Triggers Improved Cleanliness And Better Hygiene In Salima Township, Malawi Thousands of people finally enjoy better hygiene and cleanliness resulting from campaigns launched in Salima district in Malawi. This followed citizen training on citizen contract monitoring and access to Information through open contracting project carried out by Africa Freedom of Information Centre […]

Citizen Monitoring Revives a 14-Year Abandoned Health Project to the Benefit of over 12000 Individuals

As the age-old adage, ‘’ information is power’’! It represents a fundamental principle that underscores democratic societies and empowers communities; one such testimony to the power of information is the story of the Aworopataa community health centre. Over a decade ago, in 2008, the Aworopataa community in the Techiman Municipal Assembly, a contractor had commenced the […]

AFIC welcomes new members from Ethiopia, DRC and Cameroon

The Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) has taken a significant step towards bolstering its efforts to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance across the African continent. The organization has extended a warm welcome to three new members who have joined its ranks, namely the Public Information Noble, OPEN DRC, and Siege Social ADISI-Cameroun. This […]

Peaceful Elections in Digital Times

Africa Freedom of Information Centre, AFIC, organized a three-day workshop from the 11th to the 13th of July 2023 at Protea Hotel Skyz in Kampala funded by UNESCO. The training was based on UNESCO’s 2019 report on elections and media in digital times; which identified three global threats of significance for elections in today’s increasingly […]

Court Orders Nigeria’s Central Bank to Disclose Requested Information to Media Right Agenda, Pay Compensation for Wrongful Denial

In a major legal triumph for Media Rights Agenda (MRA), a Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, ruled on June 14, 2023 that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) must provide the organization with the information it requested in a letter dated May 22, 2020. The court also ordered the CBN to pay […]

AFIC Addresses United Nations Resident Coordinators on the Centrality of Access to Information in Respective Mandates

Public access to information is at the heart of the work of the United Nations System. Whether it is fighting poverty and corruption, promoting health and well being, education for boys and girls, gender equality, conflict prevention and management or climate justice, access to information is central Our Executive Director, Gilbert Sendugwa had an opportunity […]

Trained Community Monitors Drive Transparency and Accountability in Health Service Delivery in Uganda

Challenge: Due to corruption and inefficiency in the execution of government contracts and services, many Ugandan communities have long struggled to exercise their fundamental human right to adequate healthcare. Despite commendable efforts by the government and other organizations to combat this vice in the sector, significant obstacles remain. This was the case at Lapeta Heath […]

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Transparency and Accountability: AFIC engages officials in Gulu on performance of public contracts

On April 26th, 2023, the Africa Freedom of Information Centre held an engagement meeting with district officials, municipal councils, and stakeholders in Gulu district at the Dove hotel in Gulu city. The purpose of the conference was to examine the results of data analysis on procurement processes and how to improve service delivery and value […]

Changing Lives: Citizen Engagement in Mbale District helps School and Community Access Clean Water

Water is a basic prerequisite for schools to function properly. It is impossible to maintain basic hygiene standards in the absence of water, which can lead to the development of diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid. Furthermore, a lack of access to water can lead to absenteeism, especially among young girls who may have […]

Make Procurements of Digital Technology Systems Transparent and Competitive

Op-Ed In June 2021 the president of Uganda gave a directive to install digital motoring systems in all motorcycles and vehicles as means to crack down on rising insecurity in the country. However, reports indicate that Joint Stock Company Global Security that was awarded the 10-year contract to install digital monitoring system is facing bankruptcy […]

Local Government Transparency and Accountability: How Mbale District Local Government is making people feel involved in the growth and development of the district.

The Government of Uganda has decentralized the power to develop the nation’s resources to the district level under the principles of responsive and open local government. This has enhanced transparency, accountability, and citizen participation. Districts are expected to use the resources in the district to improve the lives of people. A district is the smallest […]

Citizen Engagement in Local Government Projects: How Citizens Can Fight Corruption in Local Government Projects.

The quality of citizen feedback has a significant role in determining the quality of integrity in public procurement. Under the Hewlett Foundation-funded project, From Disclosure to Impact: Deepening and Broadening Open Contracting in Africa, the Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) works to ensure quality citizen feedback by deepening and broadening their timely access to […]

What does the public know about transparency and safeguards in the procurement & deployment of Digital Technology Systems in Africa?

Press Release AFIC released its research report “Sunlight in Digital Technologies”. This report analyzes data gathered through triangulation from varied secondary and primary sources, using an exploratory research design combining a scoping review of grey and published literature with key informant interviews and a survey in Uganda, Liberia, and Nigeria to assess what the public knows about […]

Who Wins in a Low Transparency, High Corruption Environment?

Some government operations rely heavily on digital technology, which includes software, hardware, and services. Technology is used to generate revenue, deliver services, and engage citizens. Digital technology facilitates the delivery of public services, creates efficiencies, encourages citizen participation, and improves communications for local governments. “Digital Technology Systems are increasingly being embraced by governments in […]

Together for Reliable Information: Civil Society Synthesis Report on Monitoring SDG 16.10

Monitoring the Implementation of Citizen Engagement Commitments in Covid-19 Response in Malawi

Assessing the Implementation of Citizen Engagement Commitments in the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability in Nigeria

Why Access to Information is critical for citizens and governments

Citizens should care because information allows them to participate in priority setting and decision-making, to hold their government accountable, and to assure equal treatment and equal justice

Monitoring Public Contracts: 5 Lessons from Uganda

Increase in hiring of additional human resource persons for health Tier 2 health facilities in Nyanza region

Year: 2015-2016 Country: Kenya Requestor: A member of CSO, National Taxpayers Association (NTA) Issue area: Health The issue/Story: The National Taxpayers Association (NTA), one of the partner organizations working with ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa on transparency in the education sector embarked on a study to establish staffing levels in tier 2 health facilities in the […]

Tag: Access to Information