Potential for positive socioeconomic transformation through rural industrialization: evidence from the Magana Industrial Park in Kenya
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Date
2013
Authors
Mwangi, S.M.
Mugenda, Olive M.
Karagu, N.M.
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Abstract
Social and economic development in rural Kenya has largely been ignored by the market forces and
the state although the Third Sector (civil society and non-government organizations) have
established operations in those areas. As a result, rural areas continue to experience low growth and
high poverty with most of these regions being highly marginalized and disenfranchised. Little
efforts have been made to reverse these trends though the new constitution on devolved governance
and the strategic plan of Vision 2030 promise positive changes once they are fully implemented. In
the new constitutional dispensation, counties will become the new engines of social and economic
development mandate to mobilize savings and investments and grow their zones socially and
economically. The current study hypothesizes that rural industrial parks may well be the best
avenues for promoting the lacking development and achieving social empowerment. Using a sample
of 902 households living proximate to a semi-rural industrial park, the study found that indeed local
residents highly rated positive impacts of the park on basic services and infrastructures required for
economic development. In addition, labour migration heralded positive social interactions among
members of diverse ethnic communities and contributed in establishing a ‘social synergy’ that
significantly created harmony, social groupings and business organizations that advanced economic
pursuits . These findings support a framework for rural social and economic development as
envisioned by Vision 2030. Policymakers should thus consider promoting rural industrial parks to
achieve the desired social and economic goals decentralized and devolved governance
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Research paper
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Citation
International Journal of Education and Research Vol. 1 No. 8 August 2013