Use open data to solve issues Kenyans told

• Freely available government information good for the country, says World Bank

Kenyans should use government data now available to the public, so as to find solutions to challenges in education, health and other industries, the World Bank has said.

Managing director Caroline Anstey who is on a four-day visit to Kenya, said this when she addressed an informal public meeting on how Kenya can foster development through open data.

The meeting was held at Strathmore University on Monday evening.

“For development to be successful, it has to be owned by the people. We need to bring people in to find development solutions. Once you put the data out there, it can be used in all forms, and you’ll begin to find solutions to problems.”

Kenya was among the first developing countries in the world to make open large sets of government data, and has been used as a model by other countries that seek to open up theirs.

Known as the Kenya Open Data Initiative (Kodi), over 400 data sets are already online, and include data on poverty rates within counties, census results, and regional and national expenditure.

The session at the university was moderated by Nation Media Group’s CEO, Linus Gitahi, who stressed the role of the media in using open data to relay reliable and factual information to the public.

Ms Anstey also commended Kenya’s government for opening up its data, saying that “it is not easy; it is about saying that you recognise that others have a right to know.

Shining a light on what has been dark before is a catalysing fact to bring this data out-front; it is the transparency that will improve the quality of the data… and in a way that will hold the government accountable,” said Ms Anstey.