Empowering Communities in Nyandarua County: Christopher Kuria’s Budget Advocacy Journey
For Christopher Kuria, the Budget Facilitator for Nyandarua County, budget advocacy is more than just a responsibility—it is a passion-driven mission to push for transparency, accountability and meaningful public participation. His journey began with a strong foundation in youth empowerment and advocacy for sexual reproductive health and rights. However, he quickly realized that many of the challenges his community faced were rooted in a deeper issue: a lack of awareness and participation in budget processes.
When Chris first attended budget engagement forums as a youth champion, he was struck by the glaring gaps. Public participation forums were poorly attended and in some cases, they didn’t happen at all. Even when citizens did show up, their voices were often lost in the bureaucratic jargon and predetermined agendas that left little room for real community-driven discussions. The result? Misallocated resources, poor service delivery, and projects that didn’t align with the needs of the people.
Determined to change this, Chris underwent comprehensive training through Bajeti Hub’s budget facilitator program and NEC Hub’s virtual budget cafes, equipping him with the skills to navigate and influence county budget processes. Armed with knowledge and a new sense of purpose, he mobilized a network of budget champions across Nyandarua County. Through targeted capacity-building initiatives and peer-learning sessions, he empowered community members with an understanding of the budget-making process and how to engage meaningfully in public participation.
The impact of his efforts has been transformative. Today, Chris leads a community of over 75 active budget champions in Nyandarua. This structured network of informed citizens now participates actively in budget forums, raising critical issues and advocating for transparency. Their presence has pressured county officials to adopt more inclusive and participatory approaches to budgeting. One of the key milestones in this journey was engaging Nyandarua’s economic planning department to find actionable solutions for improving budget transparency. This dialogue set the stage for greater openness and better alignment between public resources and community needs.
Through his leadership at Action for Community Development Center (ACDC), a local community-based organization he founded, Chris envisions scaling up these efforts. His goal is to ensure that every sub-county in Nyandarua has trained budget champions who can effectively advocate for their communities. Additionally, he plans to strengthen partnerships with civic organizations, government institutions and youth networks to institutionalize budget advocacy at all levels.
“Budget advocacy is not just about pushing for numbers on a spreadsheet—it’s about making sure every shilling works for the people,” Chris reflects. “When citizens understand and engage in the budget process, real change happens.”
Chris’s journey underscores the power of grassroots advocacy and the role of informed citizens in shaping governance. His work stands as a beacon of how one person’s dedication can ignite a movement for transparency and accountability.
