mzalendo keeping an eye on the kenyan parliament @mzalendowatch presentation by jessica musila,...
TRANSCRIPT
MZALENDOKeeping an eye on the Kenyan Parliament
www.mzalendo.comwww.facebook.com/mzalendowatch
@mzalendowatch
Presentation by Jessica Musila, Africa Project Lead, mySociety
The Mzalendo Story
The co-founders:• Ory Okolloh, Lawyer, Google Policy Officer for
Africa, @kenyanpundit
• Conrad Akunga, IT specialist, Entrepreneur, @roomthinker
Politicians Service Delivery
• Poor• In accessible to their constituents• MP talk about ‘being disturbed’• Debate on the abilities of the MPs• Angst!
Citizens Self-Perception Small Disinterested Eat, sleep and
work No opinion Beast of burden Used and
abused
The voter - YOU!
Epiphany
• MP information is not a privilege.• Constituents have a right to know• Need for accountability• Quality of leadership arguments takes place
daily
Old Website Content MPs profiles Aspirant information Administrative info (Constituencies & Polling
Stations) Political parties Leaked reports (audit reports, standing orders) Blog
Challenges
• Access to information• What information ( Bills, motions, hansard,
attendance records)• Security (physical & online)• No funding or other requisite resources• Sacrificing personal time• Entrenched culture - Apathy towards politics
and government
Omidyar Network & mySociety• Mzalendo is the only free Parliamentary
Monitoring Site in Sub-Saharan Africa;• In 2011, Omidyar Network identified Mzalendo
as needing support;• MySociety, UK - identified as an organisation with
the requisite technical expertise and experience to help make Mzalendo self-sustaining;
• Build a prototype easily adoptable to other African contexts.
Changes in Kenya
• New constitution;• Power rests with the people;• Access to information;• Public participation in governance expected;• Kenya first country African country to go open
data;• General Election in 2012/2013• Youth Bulk
New Features• MP scorecards – accessibility, CDF spending, and
Hansard appearances• Searchable Hansard • CDF information• How our government works e.g. Who will you vote
for? (president, senator, governor, MP, women representative & county representatives)
• Open data information (census, registered voters, education and health data)
• More Partners (info providers, multipliers)
Interactivity
• Mobile friendly• To comment – login via facebook or twitter or
register on the site• Users can - comment on all aspects of the site• Users can correct/add information• Users give feedback about the site• Facebook fanpage - mzalendowatch• @mzalendowatch
Future developments
• SMS interface;• Write to them;• Hear from your MP;• Polls;• Hansard breakdown (motions, ministerial
questions etc)