Devolution in Kenya Four Years On

A Review of Implementation and Effects in Mandera County

Bibliographic Data

ID16810540
AuthorsBrendon J Cannon (0000-0003-1731-9547), Brendon J Cannon Brendon J Cannon, Jacob Haji Ali Jacob Haji Ali, Jacob Haji Ali
Year2018
Volume8
Issue1
Pages1
Publication date2018-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAfrican Conflict and Peacebuilding Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2156-7263 • E-ISSN: 2156-695X
PublisherIndiana University Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2979/africonfpeacrevi.8.1.01
OpenAlexW2803761741
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited17

Instituted in 2013, devolution in Kenya seeks to bring government closer to the people by devolving political and economic resources to Kenya’s forty-seven county governments. Devolution’s stated aim is to better address the local needs of Kenyans. This article attempts to gauge the extent to which devolution has been implemented at the county/local level by comparing expectations and reality, highlighting successes and locating current challenges. It uses Mandera County as a case study. This article argues that Mandera County ought to have experienced significant economic development because of the accrual of substantial funds and political power since devolution was instituted. However, our findings indicate that graft, corruption, and misallocation of political and economic resources have largely conspired to stunt Mandera County’s ability to take advantage of the stated aims of devolution. The results are valid and generalizable, in some cases, for Kenya’s other counties

Accrual · Economic growth · Economics · Language change · Local government · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Economic, financial, and policy analysis · European Monetary and Fiscal Policies · Human Rights and Development · Law · Public Administration · Finance

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