Civic responsibility is at the heart of how citizens, communities, institutions and leaders contribute to public life.
Who We Are
CRAG-Kenya is a non-partisan civic responsibility advocacy organisation working to strengthen a culture in which responsible citizenship is visible, valued and practised as part of everyday life. We see civic responsibility not simply as an obligation, but as a shared public value that shapes how people act in their homes, communities, workplaces, institutions and wider society.
CRAG recognises that responsible citizenship cannot be sustained by individual action alone. Citizens are more likely to act responsibly when laws, institutions, public systems and social norms support ethical conduct, accountability, participation and care for the common good. Our work therefore addresses both sides of civic responsibility: strengthening citizen demand for responsible action while advocating for systems that enable and sustain it.
Why CRAG Exists
CRAG was established in response to a gap in public life: civic responsibility is often discussed in terms of what governments, leaders and institutions should do, with less attention to the everyday choices and actions of citizens themselves. Yet the quality of public life is shaped by both. How citizens participate, make choices, hold leaders accountable, care for shared resources and respond to public issues matters alongside the conduct of institutions and those who lead them.
CRAG exists to help close this gap by making civic responsibility more visible, practical and relevant to everyday public life. We seek to strengthen the expectation that citizens, institutions and leaders each have a role in building a society defined by integrity, accountability, participation, service and care for the common good.
Our Vision and Mission
Our Vision
A society where civic responsibility is visible, valued and practised, and where institutions, policies and public systems actively enable and sustain responsible citizenship.
Our Mission
To advance civic responsibility through research, advocacy, citizen engagement and capacity strengthening, while promoting the policies, institutions and public systems that enable responsible action and accountability.
Our Core Values
Non-Partisanship
CRAG is guided by public interest, evidence and civic responsibility, not political affiliation. The organization engages citizens, institutions and public actors across different backgrounds without aligning itself to any political party, candidate or partisan agenda.
Integrity
CRAG holds itself to the same standards of honesty, ethical conduct and accountability that it advocates for in public life. Integrity guides how the organization conducts research, communicates evidence, manages partnerships, uses resources and engages the public.
Public Interest and Citizen-Centeredness
CRAG’s work is anchored in the common good. The organization places citizens and society at the center of its advocacy, ensuring that its work responds to real civic needs and contributes to stronger communities, better public conduct and a more responsible society.
Equity, Inclusion and Respect
CRAG recognizes that civic responsibility belongs to everyone. The organization is committed to reaching citizens across gender, age, geography, disability, socio-economic status and other forms of difference, including communities and groups that are often marginalized, excluded or underrepresented in civic conversations. CRAG promotes inclusive participation, gender responsiveness and respect for the different realities that shape how people engage in public life.
Collaboration and Collective Responsibility
CRAG believes that a functioning society requires shared responsibility. The organization works with citizens, communities, government, civil society, media, academia, private sector actors and public institutions as partners in advancing civic responsibility.
Learning, Innovation and Institutional Excellence
CRAG is committed to continuous learning, improvement and responsible innovation. The organization strengthens its own internal capacity, supports the growth of its team and partners, and adapts its approaches to remain relevant, practical and effective in advancing civic responsibility.
Our Guiding Beliefs
CRAG believes that a functioning society is not built by leadership and institutions alone. It is also shaped by citizens who understand that public life is a shared responsibility.
CRAG believes that civic responsibility begins in everyday life. It is reflected in how people act in homes, communities, schools, workplaces, public institutions, digital spaces and shared public environments. It is also reflected in how citizens participate in governance, protect the environment, respect the common good and hold one another accountable.
CRAG believes that responsible citizenship must be valued, practiced, modelled and safeguarded across generations. It should not be treated as a seasonal duty, a political slogan or an obligation that only applies during moments of public crisis.
CRAG believes that citizens and systems must work together. Citizens are more likely to practice civic responsibility when policies, legislation, institutions and public systems support ethical conduct, accountability, service, inclusion and care for the common good.
Our Non-Partisan Commitment
CRAG is a non-partisan civic responsibility advocacy organization. Its work is issue-based, evidence-led and guided by public interest rather than political affiliation.
CRAG does not endorse political parties, candidates or partisan formations. It engages citizens, communities, institutions and public actors around civic responsibility, ethical conduct, accountability and care for the common good.
This commitment allows CRAG to address public issues firmly and honestly while remaining grounded in its long-term mandate: strengthening responsible citizenship as a foundation for a functioning society.