MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY COMPLAINT HANDLING PROCEDURE

The Mandate of Ministry of ICT is derived from the Executive Order No. 1/2018 of June, 2018, which stipulated the following functions;

  • Telecommunications policy
  • Broadcasting policy
  • Coordination of Government advertising services
  • Public communications
  • Postal and courier services
  • Film Development Policy
  • Development of the Film Industry
  • Policy on Development of Local Content
  • Telecommunications, Postal Services and Electronic Commerce
  • Government Telecommunications Services
  • Kenya News Agency
  • Media Policy
  • Facilitate the Development of the Information and Communications Sector( Including Broadcasting, Multimedia)
  • National ICT Policy and Innovation
  • Promotion of E-Government
  • Promotion of Software Development Industry
  • ICT Agency (E-Government, Kenya ICT Board and Government Information Technology Services)
  • Provision of ICT Technical Support to MDAs.
  • Policy on Automation of Government Services
  • Development of National Communication Capacity and Infrastructure
  • Management of National Fibre Optic Infrastructure

 

INTRODUCTION

The Ministry of ICT is committed to consistent, fair and confidential complaint handling and to resolving complaints as quickly as possible.  The Ministry of ICT aims at making it easy for the members of public to make a complaint if they are dissatisfied and the Institute shall treat all customers making a complaint equally.

LODGING OF COMPLAINTS

  1. A person/s can lodge a complaint in their own name or on behalf of another person. A group, organisation or institution can also lodge a complaint.
  2. Complaints to the Ministry of ICT will be lodged at our Offices located at the Ministry Headquarters or in all the 47 County Headquarters. Complaints can also be lodged through the following modes:
  • In person (persons with disability will be assisted to lodge their complaints)
  • Complaints on behalf of persons unable to lodge complaints
  • Online via email, website, web posting,
  • Telephone/fax
  • In writing, including Braille
  • Text messages
  • Social media
  • Any other mode as may be determined by the institution

Apart from the complaints lodged through the modes stated above, the Ministry of ICT will also take up the following complaints:

  1. Ministry of ICT will pick up matters that are relevant to our mandate, for instance issues exposed through the media.
  2. The Ministry of ICT accepts anonymous complaints shall be treated as complaints to the institutions.
  • Complaints originating from reports, including social audits.

 

 COMPLAINT HANDLING PROCESS

  1. Complaints received will be recorded in a register and accorded a case reference number to facilitate follow-up. A record of a complaint shall include the name and contact details of the customer, full details of the complaint including the date, as well as details of all communication with the customer and any actions to resolve the complaint.
  2. The complaint shall then be directed to the appropriate Officer within the Ministry depending on the subject matter of the complaint.
  3. All complaints that are not in writing shall be recorded in writing by the receiving Officer.
  4. All complaints received will be acknowledged appropriately within seven days.
  5. Where the complaint cannot be resolved immediately, the client shall be informed of the aforementioned timeframe at the time of making their complaint. Customers shall be informed of the progress of their complaint regularly, especially if there are any delays or changes to what has been agreed upon receipt of the complaint.
  6. Where a complaint cannot be resolved by the foregoing complaint handling procedure, it shall be referred to the Managing Director and the customer shall be informed and given an amended timeframe for resolution.
  7. The Ministry of ICT does not charge any fee for lodging /receiving and determination of complaints unless expressly permitted to do so by law.

HANDLING ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS

The Ministry of ICT will act on anonymous complaints as per Procedure above after assessing the following:-

  1. The seriousness of the matter reported;
  2. The extent to which allegations are specific (e.g. it is clear what is being alleged, dates, times, locations, consequences of wrongdoing, names of witnesses);
  3. The extent to which allegations are based on reliable information, not simply on hearsay;
  4. Reasons to believe that there is justification for the matter being reported anonymously and not through channels that allow for easier scrutiny; and
  5. Whether the language used is abusive or otherwise suggests a poison-pen letter.

Where the Ministry has no way of contacting the person making the anonymous complaint, all of the necessary information for a decision to take further must be clearly available.

Anyone making an anonymous complaint should be aware that the Ministry of ICT:-

  1. May hand the complaint(s) over to the police or other authorities for their views or with a request to investigate the allegations further if deemed appropriate;
  2. Will provide the person(s) accused or implicated in the alleged wrong doing with copies of the allegation(s);
  3. Will view VERY seriously any false, carelessly prepared or malicious allegations. Inaccurate, malicious or negligent accusations by an employee are considered a matter of gross misconduct;
  4. Is obliged to support employee(s) named in anonymous allegations until such a time as there may be sufficient evidence to justify any action against them; and
  5. Will dismiss as malicious any complaint that is found to have used a misleading sender name or address.

 

All complaints shall be addressed to

The Principal Secretary

Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology

P.O. Box 30025-00100 GPO

Nairobi.

Tel 020 4900000

Email: complaints@moict.go.ke