BC-Department of Sociology

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    Evolution of Local Authorities in Kenya
    (the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research, 2010) Muia, D. M.; Ngugi, J.; Gikuhi, R.
    Local government system is more or less a universal phenomenon of public administration throughout the world. The term local government is usually used to bring out the graphic contrast between the local level system of government and the central or national level government. The central government could be a unitary government or a federated government. Equally in many cases, the terms local government (LG) and local authorities (LAs) are used interchangeably. While increasingly local governments exercise powers more or less at the same level as national government as calls for enhanced autonomy become the norm, the normal practice has hitherto been one of local authorities exercising delegated mandate, often through a constitutional arrangements and/or a legislated process. Nevertheless the question of local government autonomy continues to be a subject of concern as the questions of democratic and participatory governance assume a prime place in governance discourse. As systems for devolved administration, local governments are increasingly being seen as viable vehicles through which people can participate in their own governance since these units are closer to them as compared to central governments.
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    Death, Grief and Culture in Kenya: Experiential Strengths-Based Research
    (Springer International Publishing, 2015) Njue, J.R.M.; Rombo, D.; Lutomia, A.N.; Smart, L.S.; Mwaniki, L.M.; Sore, I.L.
    The purpose of this chapter is to examine how families deal with bereavement in Kenya. Our discussion is based on the constructivist assumption that bereaved individuals and families construct the meaning of the death of a loved one, shaped by the cultural context but not determined by it. The colonial experience disrupted and reshaped the traditions and belief systems of the numerous ethnic groups in Kenya. We provide an overview of traditional religion and spirituality in three Kenyan ethnic groups (Luo, Luhya, and Embu), give an overview of Kenyan family structure, and then provide a brief case study of a bereavement experience in each of the three tribes. We apply the family strengths perspective to the case study material, illustrating family strengths with excerpts from the bereaved individuals whom we interviewed. Implications of our findings include that established cultural practices support family and community mourning, but that no rituals are in place to support individual mourning, giving little room for grieving at the individual level. Professionals who work outside of their own culture, particularly internationally, will be effective only to the extent that they have cultural awareness and the ability to make sensitive interventions from a global perspective.