GROOTS Kenya in partnership with HORIZONT3000 is currently implementing a three year governance project entitled Money Power: Enhancing grassroots women, youth, marginalized and indigenous people’s voice and influence on public budget and fiscal policy at county level in Kenya” with funding from European Union which kicked off in January 2020.

The overall objective of the action is to contribute to building strong, effective and transparent public institutions at County levels through enhanced responsive, inclusive and participatory decision making as envisioned in the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and Sustainable Development Goal 16. The action is being implemented in 2 Counties namely Muranga and Laikipia

The project proposes to utilize a grassroots-led advocacy strategy, primarily driven by the solidarity movement which constitutes women, youth, marginalized and indigenous people groups. The project purposes to tap into policy makers from the departments of Finance and Economic Planning, County Departments of Gender, Youth and Social services, County Sectoral Departments of Water/Trade & Cooperatives/ Agriculture/ Health, Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) Budget Committee, County Budget and Economic Forums, Governors and Senators, amongst other stakeholders. These duty bearers will collaborate towards a more gendered public planning and budgeting with the solidarity movement. The solidarity movement consists 100 grassroots lobby groups specifically 50 Grassroots women groups, 30 Youth groups, 20 Marginalized and indigenous persons groups.

The action is expected to realize the following outcomes; Strengthened solidarity movement of women, youth, marginalized and indigenous people, enhanced knowledge of women, youth, marginalized and indigenous people in Public Finance Management (PFM) and in political advocacy, enhanced capacity of county government to deliver effective public participation and improve public expenditure management and strengthened networking with mainstream and social media and experiences capitalized and shared.

Through three projects, Women Political Representation Enhanced, Strengthening Electoral Processes in Kenya and Gender Implementation Tracking, GROOTS Kenya aims to contribute to enhanced gender equality through an increased proportion of women in elective positions at the county and national levels by the end of the 2017 General Elections in Kenya. This is done through a grassroots- led demand for an enabling political environment, focusing on accountability within popular political parties in the counties of Kiambu, Laikipia and Kakamega.

The projects also focus on the creation of a positive image of women leadership at the grassroots level, reduction of electoral violence against women through use of community watchdogs and popularizing of women candidates nominated by political parties through the champions for transformative leadership model.

Launched in 2014, the Gender Equality Implementation Tracking is a grassroots women led initiative that monitors implementation of gender in Kiambu, Laikipia and Kakamega by grassroots women or champions who then help to influence policy and decision making.

The projects are supported by We Effect, UN Women and the European Union.