Kilifi: The Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK), in partnership with the Kilifi county government, the State Department for Economic Planning, and UNICEF, has unveiled the Electronic Social Intelligence Reporting (E-SIR) Report for Kilifi County. The report assesses service delivery in various social sectors such as health, education, water and sanitation, nutrition, and social protection, providing recommendations for improvement.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Social Intelligence Reporting process in Kilifi County included public involvement to monitor the performance of county and national governments in providing essential services. Kizito stated that the IRCK and its partners visited 36 facilities, including dispensaries, schools, and hospitals, in Kilifi North and Ganze sub-counties to evaluate the quality of services offered.
Kizito noted that a forum was organized to bring together stakeholders in the county, where they discussed the findings and identified service delivery gaps. She pointed out several issues, including poor infrastructure in schools, insufficient staffing in schools and health centers, and a lack of clean water in institutions.
During the forum, representatives from national and county governments committed to allocating funds through responsible departments to address some of these gaps, such as improving classroom conditions. IRCK Executive Board Member Salim Vayani emphasized the importance of public participation in developing and maintaining local facilities, highlighting that community involvement is crucial alongside government efforts.
Vayani explained that when citizens take collective responsibility, it fosters a sense of ownership, reducing the costs of repairing vandalized projects. Bishop Constantine Kimondo of the Malindi Diocese stressed the significance of the E-SIR report in revealing the true state of local facilities and urged public members to take an active role in maintaining them, as they are the primary beneficiaries of these projects.