An Assessment of Critical Issues in Freedom of Access to Information: A Systematic Literature Review with Special Reference to Kenya
Keywords:
Freedom of Information, Access to Information, Right to Information, Right to KnowAbstract
This paper documents a dicey subject of the right to know - usually a sweet-bitter one owing to the way it has been regulated, legislated and implemented both at the local, national, and international arena. It examines view-points and documented arguments whether freedom of information or freedom of access to information is an attainable reality or a fallacy. It highlights a broad spectrum of issues that impede or accelerate access to information which is the lifeblood of education, innovation, economic and cultural development. A number of constitutional, statutory, and policy provisions in both the global and Kenyan ecosystems are mentioned to illuminate the balancing act existing in addressing this right.
Downloads
References
Access to Information Act No 31 (2016). Retrieved from http://www.ombudsman.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/AccesstoInformationActNo31of2016.pdf
ICJ. (2006). Freedom of Information Handbook: Transforming the culture of government from one of secrecy to one of openness. Nairobi: ICJ.
ICJ. (2007). A citizen’s guidebook: applying freedom of information law. Nairobi: ICJ.
Media Rights Agenda. (2014). Positive trends and challenges to freedom of information in Africa. Retrieved April 16, 2018, from http://www.ifex.org/africa/2014/04/02/freedom_information/
Open Society Justice Initiative. (2018). Exceptions to Access — Right2Info.org. Retrieved January 11, 2018, from http://www.right2info.org/exceptions-to-access
Pieterse, J. N. (2012). Leaking Superpower: WikiLeaks and the contradictions of democracy. Third World Quarterly, 33(10), 1909–1924. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2012.728324
Schwarz, P. (2011). Money launderers and tax havens: Two sides of the same coin?. International Review of Law and Economics, 31(1), 37-47.
Van der Westhuizen, T. "Theory U and individual entrepreneurial orientation in developing youth entrepreneurship in South Africa." Journal of Contemporary Management 14.1 (2017): 531-553.
Republic of Kenya. (2016). Access to Information Act. Nairobi: Government Press.
Republic of Kenya. (2010). The Constitution of Kenya. Nairobi: Government Press.
UDHR. (1946). Retrieved from http://www.etc-graz.at/typo3/fileadmin/user_upload/ETC-Hauptseite/Menschenrechte_lernen/POOL/UDHR_Short_version.pdf
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Samuel Muthami Wanjiru, Daniel Muthee Wambiri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This open-access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.
You are free to: Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms: Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
No additional restrictions You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
