Records Management and Open Governance in Kenya

Open governance has emerged as a fundamental principle for promoting transparency, accountability, citizen participation, and evidence-based public administration. Its effectiveness depends largely on the availability of authentic, reliable, and accessible public records. In Kenya, devolved governance, expanding digital government initiatives, and progressive access-to-information legislation have heightened the need for effective records management systems to support institutional accountability and public trust. Despite these developments, persistent weaknesses in records management continue to impede the realization of open governance objectives. This paper examines the role of records management in advancing open governance in Kenya using a qualitative document analysis design. Data were drawn from legislation, policy documents, government reports, and peer-reviewed literature published between 2010 and 2025 and analyzed using thematic content analysis. The analysis revealed existing records management practices that support open governance, four interrelated challenges that constrain their effectiveness, and emerging opportunities for strengthening records governance through legal reforms, digital transformation, professional capacity development, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. The four challenges identified include: institutional and regulatory implementation gaps; inadequate digital infrastructure, interoperability, and information security; limited professional capacity and organizational support; and inadequate financial investment for sustainable records governance. By synthesizing evidence across legal, policy, and scholarly sources, the paper positions records management as a strategic enabler of open governance rather than merely an administrative function. The findings demonstrate that strengthening records management systems is essential for enhancing transparency, accountability, citizen participation, and evidence-based decision-making in Kenya. The paper contributes to the growing body of knowledge on records management and governance by providing an integrated conceptual framework and practical policy recommendations for strengthening legal implementation, institutional coordination, digital records governance, and professional capacity to support sustainable open governance reforms.