How to be heard, petition, access information and hold leaders accountable.
Search the official Constitution →Voting is only the start. Between elections, Kenya’s Constitution gives every citizen the right to take part in governance — to be consulted on decisions, to petition leaders, to access information, and to hold those in office to account.
Article 10; Article 35; Article 118; Article 196; Article 201; Articles 1, 10, 118, 196, 201 and 232Public participation is your constitutional right to be involved before the government makes decisions — from national laws and budgets to county plans. Both Parliament and county assemblies are required to facilitate it.
Article 118; Article 196; Article 10; Article 201; Articles 10, 118, 196 and 201Every person has the right to petition Parliament — or a county assembly — to consider any matter within its authority, including making, changing or repealing a law. A petition is a direct, formal channel that needs no election.
Article 119Every Kenyan citizen has a constitutional right to access information held by the State. The Access to Information Act sets out how to request it — and information is what makes participation and accountability real.
Article 35Between elections, Kenyans hold leaders to account in several ways — through public participation, petitions, access to information, the oversight role of assemblies, and ultimately the vote. A formal recall exists in law but is very hard to use.
Article 104; Articles 1, 10, 104, 118 and 196