Budget Talk Global (BTG) is a social enterprise dedicated to advancing citizen-centred and inclusive public budgets through technology-driven and innovative solutions that enhance sustainable livelihoods.
Our Vision
Developing innovative, technology-focused solutions for inclusive public budgets that prioritize people.
Our Mission
To Harness technology and innovation to bridge citizen-government information gaps, fostering inclusive and transparent public finance systems for sustainable communities
Our Story
As a social enterprise, BTG aims to deliver innovative, tech-enabled solutions that enhance public finance management by creating mutual value for both governments and citizens.
BTG aims to provide digital engagement platforms, data analytics, and capacity-building services to governments, enhancing transparency, citizen participation, and efficient budget processes, ultimately leading to improved governance outcomes.
For citizens, BTG seeks to deliver digital literacy programs, accessible and simplified budget information, and advocacy tools, empowering communities, particularly underserved groups, to engage meaningfully in budget decision-making.
History
Budget Talk Global (BTG), formerly Ke Budget Talk, was founded in April 2020 as an online platform to enhance public budget literacy. The platform emerged during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when physical meetings were restricted, creating a gap in public participation in governance processes. In response, Ke Budget Talk created a virtual space where communities, policymakers, and government actors could engage in meaningful dialogue around public budgets and policy issues. Using digital tools such as tweet chats, virtual budget clinics, and budget literacy forums, the platform made budget information more accessible and encouraged inclusive public engagement.
BTG, in partnership with and supported by Connected Development (CODE), Nigeria, undertook a project dubbed the “Covid-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP)” to track Covid-19 allocations and expenditures in Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisumu, Uasin Gishu, and Turkana counties.
Since then, Budget Talk Global has become a vibrant thought leader in public finance. It actively participates in policy research and public finance reforms, as well as innovative dialogues on public finance, and contributes to policy reviews that promote equity, transparency, and inclusiveness.
On 23rd December 2024, Budget Talk Global was officially incorporated as a company limited by guarantee, marking a new chapter in BTG’s institutional development. As a social enterprise, BTG aims to deliver innovative, tech-enabled solutions that enhance public finance management by creating mutual value for both governments and citizens. BTG aims to provide digital engagement platforms, data analytics, and capacity-building services to governments, enhancing transparency, citizen participation, and efficient budget processes, ultimately leading to improved governance outcomes. For citizens, BTG seeks to deliver digital literacy programs, accessible and simplified budget information, and advocacy tools, empowering communities, particularly underserved groups, to engage meaningfully in budget decision-making.
Why We Exist
Despite the rapid growth of digital connectivity, which now reaches over 5.6 billion people globally, 2.6 billion individuals still lack internet access, thereby limiting their ability to participate in governance and public decision-making. In low- and middle-income countries, the digital divide and exclusion disproportionately affect marginalised communities, in rural areas, who face barriers in accessing public services, understanding budget processes, and holding governments accountable.
In Africa, digital transformation is recognized as a key driver of inclusive development. Yet limited infrastructure, affordability issues, and low digital literacy continue to exclude millions from the digital economy and from the civic processes that determine how public resources are used. In Kenya, while mobile access is widespread, internet penetration stands at just 48%, with rural populations facing the greatest digital exclusion. Digital exclusion limits access to information, engagement in public processes, and influences the allocation of resources, especially by marginalised rural communities and the urban poor.
These challenges are compounded by rising public debt and the growing impacts of climate change, which stretch government budgets and often lead to cuts in basic services that vulnerable groups rely on. This threatens to leave most groups more vulnerable and poorer, thereby widening inequality. These challenges particularly affect women, children, and rural populations, who remain largely excluded from influencing how public resources are allocated.
Budget Talk Global (BTG) exists to address the deep inequalities that prevent vulnerable groups, especially women, children, and rural populations, from fully participating in public decision-making and accessing essential services. Poverty, limited access to digital tools, and the gap between rural and urban areas continue to widen, leaving many behind. These challenges are exacerbated by climate change and rising public debt, which strain public resources, leaving little for basic services. BTG works at the intersection of these issues, using technology and inclusive platforms to bridge gaps, empower citizens, and promote fair, people-centered public finance.
Our Thematic Areas
1. Research, Evidence & Learning for Development
We produce research, policy briefs, and data insights to inform inclusive PFM reform. Through our online and offline courses, we build capacity among citizens, civil society, and public officials to understand and influence public budgets. Our learning model promotes continuous reflection, adaptation, and action.
2. Innovative Civic Spaces
We design and facilitate inclusive platforms, both digital and physical, that connect citizens, policymakers, and government actors in meaningful dialogue on public finance management. Our flagship initiative, PFM Village, launched in 2025 at the People Dialogue Festival (PDF), is a civic dialogue space to deepen public understanding of PFM, foster inclusive dialogue, and generate citizen-driven solutions that can shape national and county-level public budget policy.
PFM Village builds on years of engagement in the SDGs Village (2021–2024) and now serves as a dedicated space to explore fiscal policy, transparency, and accountability at both the national and county levels.
3. Business Development & Economic Empowerment
Through this thematic area, BTG equips communities with the knowledge, tools, and digital innovations needed to build climate-resilient, economically empowered livelihoods. By adopting a people-centered approach, we connect public budgets to real-time community needs by co-design solutions that enhance local economies, promote circular value chains, and ensure that climate-smart investments are informed by data and community voices. We believe that inclusive, transparent budgeting and sustainable entrepreneurship are closely intertwined, offering potential for long-term resilience and equity.
