New site for the ICT4Democracy in East Africa Network

We are proud to present the new website for the ICT4Democracy in East Africa Network. Head on over to www.ict4democracy.org and learn more about the projects and our partners.

The ICT4Democracy in East Africa Network is premised on the recognition that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) enhances communication and the right to freedom of expression, as well as the right to seek, receive and impart information. In this respect, ICT has the potential to increase citizens’ participation in decision-making processes, thus strengthening democratisation.

In Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, where this initiative is active, some organizations are leveraging on ICT to hold leaders accountable to citizens, as well as to fight corruption, monitor service delivery, and contribute to building a democratic culture. As in many other parts of the world, in East Africa ICTs are being used for networking, monitoring of elections, reporting violations of human rights, and tracking corruption. With lower costs and broader accessibility, mobile phones are increasing flows of information and facilitating communication, thus enhancing people’s capacity to act and participate in democratic processes.

The ICT4Democracy in East Africa’ Network, has seed funding from Spider and aims to encourage collaboration between democracy actors in the three countries with a view to catalysing the role ICTs can play in enhancing civic empowerment and improving governance.