1. NATIONAL TAXPAYERS
ASSOCIATION (NTA)
www.nta.or.ke

2. INTRODUCTION
This presentation is divided into six sections.
• Section one delineates an overview of what provided
the impetus for the formation of NTA.
• Section two describes the NTA, its
emergence, mission, vision and objectives.
• Section three discusses NTA activities including
Citizen’s Report Cards (CRCs) giving the example CDF
CRCs, impact and information dissemination activities.
• Section four discusses the School Report Card
initiative in improving quality of primary education.
• Section five discusses NTA future perspective.
• Section six describes achievements, challenges and
lessons learnt.
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3. OVERVIEW
• There are two principals in taxation: the tax
collector and the taxpayers; the Government and
the citizens, respectively.
• The Government has a tax collection agent, the
Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), which was
incorporated in 1995.
• KRA has been very effective in collecting revenue.
• Effective and efficient utilization of funds
hampered by weak formal mechanism for
safeguarding citizens taxes e.g. Parliament; Kenya
National Audit Office; Internal Audit etc.
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4. OVERVIEW – cont…
• Institutional and legal reforms e.g. establishment
of independent agencies e.g. KACC and National
Anti-Corruption Steering Committee has not
helped much.
• Proliferation of corruption inversely proportional
to efforts to control it.
• Tax revenues are not being used properly.
• Poor service delivery.
• Inadequate investment in infrastructure services
that support long term growth.
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5. OVERVIEW – cont…
• Low levels of investment, poor technology, and poor
quality of labor force.
• Poor economic growth and reduced incomes.
• Poor human development - levels of education, life
expectancy, maternal and child mortality, and poverty.
• Inability to realize Vision 2030 and MDGs.
• Many eyes are better than one. It is necessary to
decentralize the anti-corruption war.
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6. OVERVIEW – cont…
• In order for citizens to effectively engage
government, there must be formal mechanisms
or institutions through which they can meet to
assess government performance and collectively
articulate their demands for greater
accountability.
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7. 2. ABOUT NTA
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8. EMERGENCE
• The idea of the NTA emerged out of interest
among citizens for greater government
accountability regarding the use and collection of
their taxes.
• The NTA has been developed based on
consultations and input from October 2005 and
stakeholder forums from April 2006 to July 2007
involving more than 350 stakeholders
representing more than 200 organizations
(Including GOK, NGOs, FBOs, CBOs, DPs, Assoc.
Unions, etc.)
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9. ABOUT NTA
• The NTA is a national, independent, non-partisan
organization. It envisions an accountable, citizen-
responsive government delivering quality services
to all. Its mission is to promote good governance
through citizen empowerment, enhancing public
service delivery and partnership building.
• To realize this mission, the NTA has established a
network of volunteers who monitor and report on
government services and devolved fund
management at the constituency level. These are
called Constituency Monitoring Committees (CMCs).
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10. ABOUT NTA – cont…
• The NTA is fully independent of government.
• The NTA is committed to working with the
government to improve service delivery and the
management of devolved funds.
• NTA is registered as a ‘Society’ under Section 10
of the Societies Act.
• The NTA represents all citizens as everyone pays
taxes.
• The head office of the NTA is in Nairobi. There
are currently eight Regional coordinating offices
in each province. Below these are (CMCs).
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11. ABOUT NTA – cont…
• The NTA is managed by a Governing Council of
prominent civil society, faith based organizations
& private sector leaders
• The day to day operations of the NTA are
managed by the head office in Nairobi.
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12. NTA OBJECTIVES
1. To ensure that taxpayers money is used to deliver
quality services, such as health, education,
agriculture, roads and water, etc., for all Kenyans.
2. To ensure that taxpayers money is used in a
transparent and citizen-responsive manner in
devolved funds, such as the Constituency Bursary
Fund, Constituency Development Fund, Free
Primary Education Fund, Youth Fund, etc.
3. To sensitize citizens on their rights and
responsibilities as taxpayers.
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13. 3. NTA ACTIVITIES
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14. KEY AREAS OF FOCUS
• Since 2006, NTA has been implementing programs
focused on enhanced citizen demand for
accountability through monitoring of the quality of
public service delivery and the management of
devolved funds.
• It has done this through development of social
accountability tools, Citizen Report Cards
(CRCs), civic awareness & citizen capacity-building
and initiating partnerships with the government
and non-state actors.
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Social Auditing | Training | Advocacy | M&E

15. NTA STRATEGIC PROGRAMMES
2010-2015
Strategic programmes are based on analysis of the
baseline assessment and the governance context in
Kenya. These programmes will be taken forward for a
period of five years from 2010 to 2015:-
1. Building Citizen Demand
2. Citizen-focused Constitutional Implementation
3. Strengthening Government Service Delivery
Performance
4. Developing NTA Capacity
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16. NTA ACTIVITIES
NTA is currently undertaking a number of activities in
order to realize the objectives, these include:
• Sector user surveys e.g.
Health, Education, Registration Services, Rural
Roads, Water, Security, Baseline Scoping Study etc.
• Expenditure tracking and review, budget analysis.
• Primary School Report Card.
• Awareness creation through radio and public
forums and IEC materials.
• Training and capacity building e.g. on procurement
laws, rules and regulations.
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17. NTA CITIZEN REPORT CARDS (CRCs)
• CRCs are participatory survey tools that capture
and provide public service providers with
systematic user feedback on their performance.
• They were developed for the first time in
Bangalore, India, in 1994 by the Public Affairs
Centre (PAC). They mimic private sector customer
feedback survey.
• Because resources are finite, NTA CRCs target
critical sectors in terms of the amount of
resources spent, impact on poverty, incidences of
corruption etc.
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18. Constituency Development Fund (CDF)
Citizen Report Cards (CRCs)
• Central planning and expenditure is to some extent
responsible for inequality in Kenya as resources did
not hitherto get to the ground.
• It has engendered inequality between urban and
rural areas, between regions in power and those in
the cold, between individuals with access to power
and those without.
• Notwithstanding the constitutional and legal
ambiguities, the CDF and other devolved funds
constitute the most focused attempt to address
inequality and target poverty.
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19. Impact of the Building Citizen
Demand Programme
(CDF Citizen Report Cards)
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20. Do CDF CRCs Work?
• YES!
• They have served as an instrument for exacting
accountability especially following extensive
media coverage and advocacy by NTA.
• They have provided citizens with a medium for
credibly and collectively registering their
complains to the managers of devolved
funds, and demanding for change.
• They have provided impetus for politicians to
tackle bureaucratic inertia and vice-versa.
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21. Do CDF CRCs Work?
• NTA CDF CRCs have the potential of
engendering healthy competition between the
various constituencies and local authorities.
• NTA CRCs also have the potential of deepening
social capital by galvanizing communities
around issues of shared experience and
concerns.
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22. www.nta.or.ke
DID YOU KNOW?
Over US$ 6.25 million of taxpayers
money in CDF and LATF was either badly
used, wasted or unaccounted for in
selected 22 constituencies alone? – NTA
social audits FY06-07 & 07-08
www.nta.or.ke

23. www.nta.or.ke
NTA CRC impact - first visit
Project abandoned, not in use & certified complete
www.nta.or.ke
Toilets for Jua Kali Fish Mongers – Busia Town. NTA rank - Category B

24. www.nta.or.ke
NTA CRC impact - two weeks later
…funds quickly found, project completed & in use!
www.nta.or.ke
Toilets for Jua Kali Fish Mongers – Busia Town. NTA rank - Category A!

25. www.nta.or.ke
…before NTA audit
US$.25,000 misappropriated & project abandoned!
www.nta.or.ke
Bwangangi Primary School – Odiado in Funyula Constituency

26. www.nta.or.ke
…before NTA audit – cont…
US$.25,000 misappropriated & project abandoned!
www.nta.or.ke
Bwangangi Primary School – Odiado in Funyula Constituency

27. www.nta.or.ke
…after NTA audit
head teacher & CDF committee
dismissed, additional funds allocated & project
completed!
www.nta.or.ke
Bwangangi Primary School – Odiado in Funyula Constituency

28. www.nta.or.ke
NTA Intervention
Citizens are demanding action!
“CDF chairman Isaac Maiyo denied the allegations….
www.nta.or.ke
…said the group relied on a faulty report by the National Taxpayers Association”

29. www.nta.or.ke
NTA Intervention
Citizens demand
accountability
“Residents led by Mr.Alexander
Kihumba wrote to the anti-corruption
body complaining about alleged
misappropriation of funds dating back
to 2004”
“The Commission is making the
necessary inquiries into the allegations of
misappropriation of public funds to inform
appropriate www.nta.or.ke
action.”

30. www.nta.or.ke
NTA intervention
due to NTA intervention
“MPs from
Western region
have invited
officials from
NTA to assist
them in auditing
their respective
CDF fund
projects”
www.nta.or.ke

31. www.nta.or.ke
NTA awareness creation
Public forum civic education
“You should be vigilant and ensure the money is put into proper use to achieve
www.nta.or.ke
the desired goals…”

32. www.nta.or.ke
NTA CMC Training
Building citizen capacity to demand accountability
…a group of 70 volunteers that constitute Constituency Monitoring
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Committees… are trained on social audit … by NTA in Eastern…

33. www.nta.or.ke
NTA awareness creation
National media reports
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Daily Nation, Wednesday April 7, 2010

34. www.nta.or.ke
NTA awareness creation
Impact of national media reports
Business Daily, Wednesday April 7, 2010
www.nta.or.ke

35. NTA Information Dissemination
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36. Information Dissemination
National CDF CRCS Launch
Hon. Ababu Namwamba, a Kenyan Member of Parliament officially launches
the 2010 NTA Citizen's Report Cards, a clear indication that the political
leadership has recognized the importance of NTA work in strengthening
citizen-to-government and citizen-to-citizen accountablity.
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Social Auditing | Training | Advocacy | M&E

37. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION
REGIONAL CRCs LAUNCH - PUBLIC FORUM
Citizens turned out in large numbers to attend the NTA Funyula constituency public forum –
February 28, 2010
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38. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION
REGIONAL CRCs LAUNCH - PUBLIC FORUM
Business ground to a halt - citizens attend the NTA Matungu Constituency CRC public launch -
Thursday July 1, 2010
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39. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION –
REGIONAL CRC LAUNCH
LINKING CITIZENS WITH THEIR LEADERS
Hon. Francis Baya – A Kenyan Member of Parliament for Ganze constituency responds to
questions from citizens at the Ganze CRC public launch – Friday October 3, 2010
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40. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION –
REGIONAL CRC LAUNCH
LINKING CITIZENS WITH THEIR LEADERS
Hon. Nemesyus Warugongo (front row centre) – A Kenyan Member of Parliament for Kieni
constituency follows proceedings at the Kieni CRC public launch – Friday October 10, 2010
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41. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION –
LAKE VICTORIA NORTH WATER SERVICES BOARD
LAUNCH OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY REPORT
Mr. Simeon Kilele, Western Provincial Commissioner (centre) officially launches the LVNWSB
Customer Satisfaction Survey Report at Muliro Gardens, Kakamega – December 10, 2010
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42. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION –
LAUNCH OF NTA CALL CENTRE
Mr. Peter Okwanyo, Upper Western Regional Provincial Commissioner officially
launches the NTA Call Centre at NTA Western Region Offices, Kakamega – June 6, 2010
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43. 4. NTA INITIATIVE:
CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT IN IMPROVING
QUALITY OF EDUCATION
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44. School Report Card Project (SRC)
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45. Background
• The project was initiated in 2009.
• It is implemented through a partnership between
the Ministry of Education and National Taxpayers
Association (NTA).
• Implemented in all public primary schools.
• The program is aimed at strengthening parent’s
voice in management of their schools and the kind
of education their children are receiving.
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46. Rationale for SRC Project
• After the introduction of free primary
education, parents took a back sit and the running of
the schools was left to the head teachers, teachers
and a small number of parents in the form of school
management committees (SMCs).
• This low participation of parents has led to
patronage in school management due to inadequate
demand for accountability from parents, head
teachers, teachers and district education officers
who have few incentives to improve accountability.
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47. Rationale for SRC Project – cont…
• These weak checks and balances have led to poor
quality education and incidences of
corruption, sexual abuse and exploitation of pupils.
• There has not been any formal mechanism through
which parents can communicate about issues
affecting their schools to the District Education
Officers (DEOs) and Ministry of education
headquarters.
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48. Rationale for SRC Project – cont…
• The inadequate formal mechanisms for parental
participation means that the majority of school
parents are unable to have a voice in how schools
are managed and the quality of education provided.
• Through school report card form parents are able to
communicate issues affecting their schools to the
district administrators for action.
• All parents as taxpayers have a right to demand
quality education for their children since free
primary education is funded by taxpayers money.
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49. Main aims of SRC Project
• Empowering parents with tools and skills to hold
teachers and ministry of education officials
accountable for delivery of quality education in
schools.
• To enhance greater participation of parents in
monitoring the management of public schools
• To hold head-teachers, teachers and school
management to account for improving the quality of
education in their primary schools.
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50. Main aims of SRC Project
• Empowering parents with tools and skills to hold
teachers and ministry of education officials
accountable for delivery of quality education in
schools.
• To enhance greater participation of parents in
monitoring the management of public schools
• To hold head-teachers, teachers and school
management to account for improving the quality of
education in their primary schools.
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51. SRC Project Implementation steps
1. Parents begin by evaluating their schools on 10 key
category areas based on the existing benchmarks
provided by the ministry and then score their
school performance on each category.
The 10 areas of Assessment?
1. School safety and protection: Assess the school for
cases of sexual harassment of pupils by teachers or
fellow students, does the school have other physical
security features like fences?
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52. SRC Project Implementation – cont…
2. School facilities: does the school have classrooms
constructed with permanent materials, sufficient
number of desks, lockable gates, staffroom, playing
grounds etc?
3. Access to text book: Is the student-textbook ratio
standard for children in lower and those in upper
units?
4. Continuous assessment: do teachers meet regularly
with parents to discuss the child’s progress?
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53. SRC Project Implementation – cont…
5. Water and sanitation: does the school have access
to clean water? Are there sufficient and clean toilets
for boys and girls? and can girls access sanitary
towels urgently while at school?
6. Roles of children at the school: is there equal
participation of both boys and girls in class activities
and extracurricular activities?
7. Management of instructional materials: is there a
reading space/library in school with enough
reference materials? Are the textbooks well covered?
and are the parents replacing lost books?
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54. SRC Project Implementation – cont…
8. Performance of the School Management Committee
(SMC): does it hold regular meetings with parents?
Does it hold annual elections? does it hold meetings at
beginning of the term to discuss finances? does the
committee have elaborate school development plan
endorsed by all parents?
9. Homework assignment and marking: determine
whether teachers are giving homework and marking it.
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55. SRC Project Implementation – cont…
10. Parental responsibility: parents assess themselves
on whether they provide basic needs to their
children like adequate food, school uniform, and
sanitary towels for girls. Are parents engaging their
children in domestic and paid work during school
hours? Do parents take the initiative to discuss their
children’s progress with the teachers? Do they
attend school meetings? Do they encourage their
children to do their homework? do they provide a
safe environment for their children at home away
from physical, sexual and emotional abuse?
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56. SRC Project Implementation steps – cont.
2. The parents agree on areas of weak perfomance
and come up with action plans which are shared
with the head teacher/SMC and DEOs.
3. The DEO, head teachers and school management
are required to review each school report card for
schools in their respective districts and take action
based on information listed by parents.
4. The parents will revisit schools after one year and
take stock of what has been achieved and identify
other areas for improvement.
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57. 5. NTA FUTURE PERSPECTIVE
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58. GREATER EAC REGIONAL FOCUS
• NTA will continue to tap into the extensive
volunteerism and consolidate its regional and
nationwide structure to facilitate the coordination
and effective implementation of its programme
activities.
• The organisation’s research approach will continue
to be strengthened and provide data upon which
programmes and decisions are based.
• NTA shall collaborate with actors in the greater EAC
to offer technical advise and support to
governance and citizen participatory programmes.
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59. 6. ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES,
OVERCOMING THEM, LESSONS
LEARNT & DURATION OF
INTERVENTION
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60. ACHIEVEMENTS
1. Empowered citizens
2. Interfacing between citizens and public service
providers
3. Research and Information Dissemination
4. Progressive reach of the NTA
5. Proactive Engagement with the Media
www.nta.or.ke

61. CHALLENGES
1. Legal and bureaucratic policy frameworks
2. Strong resistance from corrupt networks within government and
devolved funds management
3. Political resistance from MPs and trade unions
4. Difficulty in accessing information
5. Low levels of awareness by citizens on their rights & obligations
6. Minimal collaboration between non-state actors
7. Limited funding for broad project implementation
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62. OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
1. Development of social accountability tools
2. Citizen Report Cards (CRCs)
3. Civic awareness
4. Citizen capacity building
5. CDF committees capacity building
6. Partnerships - government & non-state actors
7. Fund raising
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Government & CSO Partnerships | SRC | Call Centre | Budget | LVNWSB

63. LESSONS LEARNT
1. Community participation empowers citizens to
demand accountability & deter corruption
2. Partnerships with government service providers &
devolved funds managers enhances transparency in
devolved funds management
3. To effectively monitor we need concerted efforts of
all stakeholders backed by good laws & policies
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64. DURATION OF INTERVENTION
Ensure the NTA vision & mission becomes a
way of life for ordinary citizens in Kenya and
the greater East Africa region.
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