Abstract

AbstractResearch about citizen participation in public budgeting is inconclusive regarding whether citizens actually influence budgetary priorities. In Kenya, emerging citizens’ participation models spawned by a constitutional mandate are excellent laboratories for evaluating the impact of citizens on county planning and budgeting decisions. Focus groups of citizens who have participated in planning and budgeting sessions in four Kenyan counties revealed their experiences, their perceived impact in public participation, and suggestions about how their county's participation could be improved. Analysis indicates counties vary in their performance and commitment to an engaged budgeting model whereby participating citizens are able to influence county priorities in the capital budget. Findings support the necessity of participatory transparency for citizens' influence; repeating participants in county budget forums are learning technical and legal aspects of county budgeting, and are beginning to influence the engaged budgeting processes. We argue that participatory transparency is a necessary condition for citizens to be able to affect priorities.

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