Paul-Joel Kamtchang

How Access to Information Can Help Combat Kleptocracy: The Case of Central Africa

Mr. Paul-Joel Kamtchang is the executive secretary of ADISI-Cameroon, a civil society organization that advocates for access to information and better data laws in Cameroon. He is also the coordinator of an information access platform called DataCameroon, which provides citizens with verified data and fact-checking. From 2014 to 2017, he served as a researcher for Global Integrity, where he collected and analyzed data for the integrity indices of fifty African states. A respected investigative journalist, he has lent his expertise to numerous projects using investigative journalism techniques to expose corruption, document hate speech, and track money laundering. He has also trained journalists on uses of data journalism during elections. In recognition of his expertise, the National Anti-Corruption Commission of Cameroon invited him to contribute to its 2013 annual report on the state of the fight against corruption in Cameroon. During his fellowship, Mr. Kamtchang analyzed how access to information and public data can be employed to combat kleptocracy. His efforts were intended to bolster the work of an emerging coalition of journalists and civil society organizations coordinating efforts to expose kleptocracy across Central Africa.