Kenya has formally published its Access to Information (ATI) Policy, 2026, setting out a national framework for how citizens can obtain information held by public institutions.
The policy was published in the Kenya Gazette of 9 October 2026 under Gazette Notice No. 15992 by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, with a foreword signed by Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo Gitau.
It is anchored in Article 35 of the Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right of access to information held by the State. The ministry says the policy covers political, socio-economic and communal or group rights, while promoting active public participation, accountability and transparency in the public sector.
In the foreword, Kabogo on Tuesday describes access to information as a fundamental human right under international law, one he terms “pivotal to democracy and good governance.”
The policy is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically indicator 16.10.2, which calls on countries to adopt and implement constitutional, statutory or policy guarantees for public access to information. It also draws on Kenya Vision 2030, the country’s long-term development blueprint, which identifies public access to information and data as a lever for citizen participation in development, governance and democratic processes.
According to the ministry, the framework is intended to advance the idea of information as a universal public good, while building trust in government institutions and strengthening the rule of law.
Kabogo says the policy’s success will hinge on participation well beyond government.
“Successful implementation of this Policy will be predicated on the active involvement and participation of a wide spectrum of stakeholders,” he said, listing the public sector, private sector, civil society, faith-based organisations, the media, academia and citizens.
He added that this calls for a concerted team effort from all stakeholders, particularly those identified in the policy, and thanked the organisations and individuals involved in its development.
The policy builds on Kenya’s existing legal framework, including the Access to Information Act of 2016, which operationalised Article 35 and placed oversight with the Commission on Administrative Justice.
Its publication comes as Kenya pushes ahead with the digitisation of government services, a shift that places growing volumes of public data on digital platforms and raises fresh questions about how that information is disclosed, managed and protected.
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By Nixon Kanali
Tech journalist based in Nairobi. I track and report on tech and African startups. Founder and Editor of TechTrends Media. Nixon is also the East African tech editor for Africa Business Communities. Send tips to kanali@techtrendsmedia.co.ke.