| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influence the implementation of
the Kenya Open Data Initiative in Nairobi County. The objectives were: to establish the
influence of user awareness of open data on the implementation of the KODI; to determine
the influence of data use on the implementation of the KODI and to determine the influence
of FOI legislation on the implementation of the KODI. The research design that was applied
in this study was the descriptive survey design. The study targeted KODI stakeholders’:
government institutions, private sector organizations, civil society organizations and citizens
within Nairobi County which had a population of 200 people and used a sample of 132
respondents. The researcher used questionnaires as the main instrument for this study. A pilot
study was carried out in organizations not involved in the actual study. A test-retest technique
was used to test the reliability of the questionnaires using Pearson’s product moment
correlation. The researcher obtained a correlation coefficient of 0.89 and concluded that the
research instrument was reliable. Validity was determined by pre-testing the questionnaires
on a small sample of respondents not involved in the actual study, responses were assessed
and then poorly prepared items were reviewed. The data was analyzed using descriptive
statistics, Mann Whitney u-test and Kruskal Wallis test. The findings indicated that there was
low awareness about the open data initiative in Kenya. It also revealed that the usage of the
portal is very minimal and that awareness about the initiative does not necessarily translate in
usage of the portal. The findings also indicated that the respondents agree that opening up
government information will result in an open government that fosters transparency,
collaboration and participation between government and citizens. The study found out that
there is a significant relationship between user awareness of open data and the
implementation of the KODI. It also found out that there is a significant relationship between
open data use and the implementation of the KODI. There is also a significant relationship
between FOI legislation and the implementation of the KODI. The findings of the research
may be a benchmark for policy makers and implementers in torching the avenues of the
improvement of the KODI. Recommendations to the KODI include: it should enhance
support for civic education on open data, its availability and use; it should enhance
collaborations and partnerships between stakeholders within the open data ecosystem; user
awareness of open data does not necessarily translate to using the open data portal. Thus, the
users should not only be told why they need the data but should also be shown why they need
the data through actionable user experience. This will enhance their chances of using the
portal; and while noted it did not hinder the setup of KODI, the enactment of an access to
information law is needed to provide a policy framework for data provision and use, and
safeguard the initiative | en_US |
