By Winnie Kamau
Nairobi, Kenya: Africa has a reason to smile following the appointment of Aidan Eyakuze as the Chief Executive Officer of the Open Government Partnership (OGP).
The Tanzanian born former Executive Director of Twaweza East Africa is expected to take the helm of OGP in March this year and is set to position OGP and strengthen its mission of advancing government openness, inclusivity and accountability worldwide.
Aidan’s journey in OGP began in 2011 and in May 2016 he was appointed to the Open Government Partnership’s global Steering Committee where he also served as the OGP’s Civil Society Co-Chair in 2022 with the Italian government.
In announcing the appointment, Maria Baron, Chair of the OGP Board “We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Aidan Eyakuze to OGP. He brings an inspiring vision for open government and a proven track record of achieving transformational change. Under his leadership, we look forward to deepening OGP’s impact in tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from combating corruption to protecting civic space and advancing climate action” she said.
Aidan an Economist has been at the forefront of calling out Governments from the reports they have been releasing at Twaweza, he faced repurcussions from hiw own Government from 2018 to 2020 after the Immigration Department in Tanzania confiscated his passport on allegations he was not a Tanzanian citizen.
According to media reports, the Tanzanian government seized the passport of the Twaweza Executive Director shortly after the release of research findings. These findings included data indicating a decline in the popularity of the late President John Pombe Magufuli.
“My work required me to travel to offices in Kenya and Uganda so for almost 3 years , I couldn’t travel outside Tanzania. It made it difficult to carry out my duties,” Eyakuze narrated.
Africa Dreams and Desires
The OGP is a membership based organization which brings both Governments and Civil Society to sit down and work together by co creating projects dubbed the National Action Plans (NAPs).
Tanzania joined the OGP in 2011 and withdrew in 2017. During their tenure Tanzania made 2 National Action Plans with 28 commitments where 5 were achieved.
Tanzania also hosted the first ever OGP summit on African soil under the guidance of the then President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.
“My dream for Tanzania is to rejoin the OGP… the opportunity remains open for Tanzania to rejoin” said Aidan during a recent interview.
Kenya, an active member of the OGP, will host the 2025 OGP Africa and Middle East Regional Meeting in Nairobi from March 25–27, 2025. However, it is unclear what Kenya’s National Action Plan priorities will be, given the current abductions and widespread discontent among Kenyan youth (Gen Z).
Eyakuze succeeds Sanjay Pradhan as CEO and is expected to lead OGP’s efforts to support its 76 member countries and thousands of local governments and civil society partners in co-creating and implementing reforms that make governments more open, inclusive, and responsive to citizens.
He expressed great enthusiasm about joining OGP “I am honored to take on this role and work alongside the incredible OGP community. In this era of profound challenges and opportunities, open government is more essential than ever. Together, we will continue to push boundaries, innovate, and deliver meaningful reforms that improve lives and rebuild trust in government,” he said.
Aidan currently serves on the boards of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) and the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP). In 2020, Apolitical and the World Economic Forum recognized him as one of the “World’s 50 Most Influential People Revolutionising Government.” This year, he was also appointed a part-time Director of the Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company (TRFSC), which upholds the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
