The activities of Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), a civil society organization (CSO) based in Mombasa, Kenya, demonstrate the significant role budget transparency plays in improving accountability. MUHURI’s work also shows how public engagement in the budget process can strengthen oversight and lead to improved public service delivery. At the same time, MUHURI’s impact has been restricted by the lack of a Freedom of Information (FOI) law in Kenya, along with other broad transparency challenges in the country. (Kenya scores 57 out of 100 on the Open Budget Index 2008, indicating that the government provides the public with some, albeit incomplete information on the central government’s budget and financial activities during the course of the budget year.)
