The County Government of Homa Bay has reinforced its commitment to transparent, accountable and citizen-centred governance by successfully concluding a three-day induction and capacity-building programme for members of the Grievance Redress Committee (GRC) and Sub County GRM Champions under the Kenya Devolution Support Programme II (KDSP II).
The training, supported by the World Bank, brought together 31 participants on Tuesday to strengthen their capacity to receive, document, investigate and resolve public grievances professionally and within established timelines.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, County Executive Committee Member for Public Health and Medical Services, Grace Osewe, said an effective grievance redress system is fundamental to building public confidence in government institutions.
"A functional grievance redress mechanism gives citizens a voice and assures them that their concerns will be heard and addressed fairly. As committee members and champions, you must uphold integrity, professionalism and confidentiality in every complaint you handle," she said.
During the closing session, Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman) regional co-ordinator, Amelia Otono emphasized that handling grievances promptly and fairly is a cornerstone of good governance, noting that unresolved complaints erode public trust while timely resolution strengthens confidence in public institutions.
"Every complaint presents an opportunity to improve service delivery. Citizens deserve accessible, fair and responsive mechanisms that resolve grievances without delay," Otono noted.
Closing the training, Chief Officer for Governance, Administration, Communication and Devolution, Isaac Ongiri, urged participants to translate the knowledge acquired into action by strengthening grievance management across all sub counties.
"The success of this programme will not be measured by the training itself but by how effectively you implement the GRM framework to resolve citizens' concerns and improve service delivery," he said.
The participants also received practical training on GRM committee responsibilities, community engagement, complaint handling procedures, reporting requirements and best practices in grievance resolution, equipping them to support the county's broader agenda of responsive governance and enhanced public participation.
