Makueni County Governor Mutula Kilonzo has laid down the law on how information in his administration is shared with the public.
In the Makueni County Access to Information Bill, 2024,the governor is seeking to have county officials barred from sharing information with the public except for the county secretary who shall be the county information officer.
The Bill states that the county secretary may delegate the performance of his or her duties as the information officer to any other officer of the county government.
The county secretary or the designated information officer will operate under a tight leash or risk jail terms should the information shared not be used as intended.
As outlined in the Bill, a county information officer must determine whether to share information requested by a member of the public within 21 days of receipt of the application.
“An information officer who fails to respond to a request for information within the prescribed time commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both,” the Bill outlines.
Should the county information officer not have the information, there is a provision to request it to be availed by the county government official who has custody of it.
The county official will be fined Ksh100,000 or a jail term of six months should the information not be handled satisfactorily.
Interestingly, there will be a Commission that will determine if county officials erred while sharing information with the public.
County officials who fail to appear before the commission to plead their innocence will be staring at a Ksh300,000 fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or both.
Should the information released to the public be deemed as false and shared with malicious intent, the county government official will stare at a Ksh300,000 fine or a jail term not exceeding two-year imprisonment or both.
All these offences will be determined by the Commission which the Governor will have a direct hand in its formation.
