The Okoa Uchumi Campaign Citizen's Manifesto For Elections 2022 | Public Debt Accountability For Economic Justice.

The Okoa Uchumi Campaign is a civil society initiative committed to the goal of accountability in Kenya's public debt management. The dire state informs the campaign of debt management, which has been marred by opacity in decision making, mismanagement of debt expenditures, and flagrant violations of public finance requirements, which have contributed to the present economic crisis and a debt trap. The campaign is grounded in our constitutional responsibility to respect, uphold and defend the Constitution of Kenya. 

Okoa Uchumi's campaign intends to create public awareness of the present crisis and its causes and remedies by promoting objective public discourse, through knowledge creation and evidence generation to deepen understanding of Kenya's economic needs and sustainable remedies, by advocating for effective sanctions and redress in public office to build a culture of political accountability in public finance management. A Citizen Manifesto is the Okoa Uchumi campaign's concerted voice as citizens in various diversities call for public debt accountability that will undergird the Okoa Uchumi campaign's quest for inclusive and sustainable development and deliver shared prosperity at both National and County levels. 

Ensuring "a transparent, democratic and accountable environment" is a strategic objective of The Youth Cafés' work, which contributes "to reducing fragility, fostering political stability and effective governance, and enabling sustainable and inclusive development and growth." The Youth Café has invested significantly in developing skills to be used in governance-enabling activities.

Whereas the national values and principles of public finance management entrenched in the Constitution and underpinning the social contract should guide the conduct of state and public officers on public finance management, the system has been captured by private interests and projects placed in the budget to be used as special purpose vehicles for corruption, contributing towards Kenya's debt crisis. Citizens, especially women who bear the bulk of the burden of unpaid care and youth, are forced to endure an inordinate share of the burden through heavy taxes, the lack of jobs, the denial of socio-economic rights such as health, water, and housing and the absence of social protection.

Public debt plays an important role in the normal functioning of a market economy and, if used wisely and in moderation, can improve welfare. For individual households and firms, overborrowing leads to bankruptcy and financial ruin. Too much debt impairs the government's ability to deliver essential services to its citizens for a country. Debt servicing reduces the tax revenue available to spend on other government services, given the constitutional requirement to address debt service fees obligations before allocations to other government priorities. Basic services such as healthcare, education, water, and sanitation have been compromised.

 The Constitution demands openness and accountability, including public participation in financial matters. Unfortunately, the government has severally failed to embrace transparency and inclusivity in decisions like Eurobond, the SGR project, the increase of the public debt ceiling, and others. There is a need to strengthen public debt recording, monitoring, and reporting as critical aspects of transparency. 

The Okoa Uchumi Campaign demands that the President and the Attorney General make public and accessible all contractual documents on all infrastructural projects by the government, including but not limited to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) contract, the Nairobi Expressway, and others, that the National Treasury provides an accurate and detailed report of Kenya's debt status including information on debt utilization and return of investment on debt supported projects. 

Kenya's legal frameworks give parliament oversight responsibilities to scrutinize and ensure that governments' borrowing and spending are reasonable, sustainable, and adhere to legal and constitutional principles. Parliament has failed to exercise its oversight mandate. Parliamentarians are responsible for holding the executive accountable on loans to be procured, flagship projects financed by loans, prudent use of proceeds from loan-funded projects, and the ability to service the loans to ensure taxpayers are protected from excessive and frivolous borrowing, among other things. 

The Okoa Uchumi Campaign demands that Parliament table a timebound and enforceable plan to reduce the budget deficit with immediate effect in line with the East African Community (EAC) requirements, that Parliament review recall laws to allow citizens to recall MPs who fail in their oversight functions and Parliament ensures no decisions on altering the debt ceiling are passed without extensive public participation. 

Article 10 of the Constitution of Kenya provides for national values and principles of governance to guide public officers in conducting their duties. They include respect for the rule of law, public participation, good governance, integrity, transparency and accountability, and sustainable development. Strict adherence to these constitutional principles would protect Kenya from an economic and debt crisis of self-doing. 

The Okoa Uchumi Campaign demands that Parliament and the Executive strengthen the independence and resourcing of investigative and prosecutorial bodies to ensure corrupt individuals are thoroughly investigated and tried. It also requires that Parliament and the Executive ensure vetting of appointed officials is objective and embraces ethical standards in the Constitution. The Independent and Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) should ensure that those cited for violating ethical standards are not cleared to run for and hold public office. 

Kenya's taxation regime has become very overbearing due to high debt repayment demand leading to pressure by the government to increase taxes even on basic products such as fertilizer, food, fuel, and more. Kenya spends over 69% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on debt servicing, suffering from a depressed economic environment and witnessing historic underinvestment in many sectors. Several businesses, especially in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector and startups, have closed due to high tax demands. That notwithstanding, much of Kenya's income, including through taxation, is lost to corruption, which has led to citizen indifference towards paying taxes.

The Youth Café engages young people in the fight against corruption and the closing civic space. With the partnership of the Ford Foundation, The Youth Café is building the power of young people to impact government policies, uphold their rights, and fight against corruption and the closing civic space by strengthening evidence-based advocacy for accountability, critical thinking and media skills, anti-corruption media contest, and collaboration among state and youth organizations.

The Okoa Uchumi Campaign demands that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Attorney General, and the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) enhance recovery efforts for monies lost through corruption to reduce the loss of resources, thereby reducing the burden on taxpayers. The Okoa Uchumi Campaign also demands that the Cabinet Secretary for Treasury stops commercial forms of tax evasion and avoidance, including through illicit financial flows, tax incentives, and that the Cabinet Secretary for Treasury ensures the publishing of all information on natural and legal persons granted tax incentives as per the requirements of section 77 of the Public Finance Management Act. The Okoa Uchumi Campaign requires that the Attorney General make public the owners of all companies, including foreign companies, and the National Treasury and Parliament to immediately institute a fair taxation policy to ensure everyone pays their fair share of tax in line with their ability to pay.

The Youth Café works with young men and women around Africa as a trailblazer in advancing youth-led approaches toward achieving sustainable development, social equity, innovative solutions, community resilience, and transformative change.

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