Our history

Before 2011, complaints against the conduct of public officers were heard by the Public Complaints Standing Committee, set up by the Executive in 2007. It had no statute of its own and no power to compel an answer.

The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 changed that. Article 59(4) allowed Parliament to restructure the Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission into separate commissions, and Parliament did so through the Commission on Administrative Justice Act, 2011. The Commission — the Office of the Ombudsman — became an independent constitutional commission under Chapter Fifteen, with power to investigate maladministration, summon witnesses and make binding recommendations.

In 2016 the Access to Information Act gave the Commission a second mandate: oversight and enforcement of the right of access to information under Article 35. It reviews refused requests, hears applications and orders disclosure.

Since then the Commission has opened regional offices and Huduma Centre desks to bring the service closer to citizens, and in 2026 moved complaint handling onto a digital complaints system — filing, allocation, screening and every step after, on one record.