AI Ethics Requires Participation: From Delhi to Kilifi
By Christine Ajulu In New Delhi, I joined a global conversation on designing rights-respecting AI systems.…
WE ARE OPEN
Fostering open, informed communities where citizens actively engage with transparent governments for sustainable development.
the highlight reel
Re-centering development around communities
As our world continues to change rapidly, the Open Institute’s work remains firmly rooted in what matters most: strengthening the conditions that allow people and communities to live with dignity, stability, and agency. We have a clear conviction that development must secure everyday life before it can meaningfully unlock opportunity.
As we move into 2026, we remain committed to work that is grounded, practical, and shaped by lived realities. We will continue to invest in citizen capability, strengthen community systems, and advance conversations that translate into action, alongside partners who share this commitment and are ready to build futures that endure.
Happy New 2026!
the highlight reel
Between the Truth and the Brown Envelope
Every so often, the work forces you to stop, take a breath, and admit what you’ve really seen. Over the past year, our teams from the Open Institute and the Association of Freelance Journalists have sat in many sessions with journalists in Kilifi County, listening to their stories, their frustrations, their dreams…
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Journalism, Narrative Infrastructure, and Citizenship in Kilifi County: What We Learned from a Year of Working with Grassroots Journalists
Grassroots journalists in Kenya face an uphill battle. In counties like Kilifi, reporters navigate underfunded newsrooms,…
The Value of Time: Why Unpaid Domestic and Care Work Deserves a Place in Kenya’s Economy
If you were to count every hour spent preparing meals, cleaning homes, tending to children, or…
The Future of Devolution is Citizen-Led
Citizens in Kilifi met with their Governor and his cabinet to present their needs – with…
From Voice to Action: How Grassroots Citizens are Shaping Democracy in Kilifi
Every year on 15th September, the world pauses to mark the International Day of Democracy, a…
What Kenya’s Second Strategy for the Development of Statistics Must Deliver
In 2019, Kenya launched the first Kenya Strategy for the Development of Statistics (KSDS I) –…
How Open Data Is Powering County Success – Reflections from The Devolution Conference
The Devolution Conference 2025 convened in Homa Bay marked a key milestone in Kenya’s political and…
Kilifi’s Journey to Community-Led Accountability
Over the past year, Kilifi County has emerged as a shining example of how communities, civil…
Building Inclusive Data Systems in Kenya: From Dialogue to Action
What happens when people are invisible in the numbers? When communities are omitted from datasets that…
We Each Hold a Piece. Let’s Build the Full Picture — Together
By Florence Syevuo and Al Kags At a recent breakfast gathering in Nairobi, we asked each…
Public Participation Has Been a Performance. This Bill Could Change That—If We Let It.
Public Participation Bill 2025 When Parliament tabled the Public Participation Bill, 2025, we welcomed it. At…
Reimagining Data Systems: Principles for Building From the Soil Up
We propose ten principles for guiding the reimagination of digital and data infrastructure. The funding freezes…
