Juliet Kisilu & Andengah Danpaul: Driving Budget Advocacy Through Peace @Heart Initiatives Network (PHIN)
For Juliet Kisilu and Andengah Danpaul, advocacy is not just a profession—it is a calling. As Budget Facilitators trained under the Uraia/Bajeti Hub Budget Facilitator program, their journey began long before NEC Hub’s formation. In 2011, they co-founded Peace @Heart Initiatives Network (PHIN), a community-based organization with a vision to integrate peacebuilding and development in Kenya.
Juliet and Andengah quickly realized that development could not thrive without financial transparency and public participation. In 2016, PHIN ventured into budget advocacy, training Trainers of Trainers (TOTs) from Mathare Ward under the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK). Their work led to a groundbreaking achievement—the introduction of a budget line for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the 2016/17 Nairobi County Budget. This success reinforced their belief that communities, when equipped with the right knowledge, could shape county budgets to address their most pressing needs.
Since then, PHIN has continued to lead in budget advocacy, training hundreds of budget champions across Nairobi County. Through research, capacity building, social audits, and creative civic education approaches, Juliet and Andengah have ensured that more citizens engage meaningfully in public finance discussions. Their work with NEC Hub has been instrumental in shaping Nairobi’s budget landscape, influencing key policy decisions, and amplifying the voices of marginalized groups.
“The NEC Hub has provided a powerful platform for us to scale our advocacy efforts,” Juliet reflects. “Through the virtual budget cafés, research collaborations, and strategy sessions, we’ve been able to influence policies that directly impact communities.”
Andengah adds, “Our goal is to see a Nairobi where citizens don’t just complain about poor services but actively participate in shaping how resources are allocated. Budget advocacy is about making governance work for the people.”
From Mathare to City Hall, PHIN’s impact continues to grow. Their success story is a testament to the power of grassroots advocacy and the transformative role of informed citizens in public finance.
COUNTY FISCAL STRATEGY PAPER (CFSP)
We are most grateful for your active participation and support in the submission of our memorandum of priorities for the inclusion in the COUNTY FISCAL STRATEGY PAPER (CFSP). Your voices and concerns have been well represented and it marks a significant step towards ensuring that the needs of our community are considered in the budget planning.
Our collective efforts demonstrate the power of unity in advocating for essential services like HEALTHCARE, SECURITY, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, & SOCIAL JUSTICE.
As we await for the feedback from the county, we encourage all of us to remain engaged in this process. We’ll continue to follow up and also be sure to bring you up to speed on any developments.
In the meantime, let’s Strengthen our advocacy efforts and hold our leadership accountable to ensure our priorities are implemented. Together, we can build a SAFER, FAIRER, and MORE JUST COMMUNITY FOR ALL.
