Effects of County Governance Practices on Promoting Rural Development: A Case Study of Wajir County
| dc.contributor.author | Abdi, Hussein Kalil | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-08-05T12:51:05Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-08-05T12:51:05Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-06 | |
| dc.description | A Research Project Submitted to the school of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Public Policy and Administration of Kenyatta University, June 2023. | |
| dc.description.abstract | Analysis reveals that the impact of devolution on the effectiveness of governance practices in Wajir County, Kenya, is a topic of significant importance. Devolution, which entails the decentralization of authority, resources, and decision-making power from the central government to local or regional authorities, has significantly transformed the governance structure within Wajir County. In the previous centralized system, the national government held responsibility for the administration and provision of services in Wajir County. However, with the introduction of devolution, the county government has taken on the responsibility for managing health services, animal welfare, road construction and maintenance, revenue collection and generation, and Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) service delivery. This shift has brought about notable changes in governance processes, decision-making, and the allocation of resources. The effects of devolution on the efficiency of key service delivery can be analyzed from multiple perspectives, including accessibility, quality, fairness, cost-effectiveness, and satisfaction of service recipients. Devolution has the potential to enhance access to key services in Wajir County by bringing decision-making and service delivery closer to the local population. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of governance practices on effectiveness of service delivery in Wajir County. The study specific objectives were to examine how accountability influences rural development in Wajir County, to evaluate how transparency affects rural development in Wajir county as well as to establish how implementation of policies affect rural development in Wajir County and to examine how the rule of law influences rural development in Wajir County. Specifically, it aims to assess the changes in access, quality, equity, efficiency, and public satisfaction and participation in key decision making resulting from the shift in governance structure and decision-making authority from the national government to the county government. This study was guided by several theories including the good governance theory, participatory development theory and stakeholder management theory and conceptual frameworks to analyze the effect of county governance practices on accountability and service delivery effectiveness. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach to gather comprehensive and robust data. Quantitative data is collected through structured surveys administered to a representative sample of county government workers in Wajir County. The surveys captured information related to access to accountability, perceptions of service quality, satisfaction levels, and equity in service delivery. Qualitative data was obtained through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders, including county government officials, county management and lower carder staff in the county. These qualitative data sources provide insights into the contextual factors, challenges, and potential opportunities associated with devolution and its impact on service delivery effectiveness and public participation on key decision making processes. The study reveals that transparency in communication, information access, and public service delivery is relatively well-established within the county. The study concluded that governance practices are important in promoting rural development. The study recommends that county governments should find ways of promoting policy initiatives to enhance transparency, policy implementation, and accountability to promote sustainable rural development in the region. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/28594 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | Effects of County Governance Practices on Promoting Rural Development: A Case Study of Wajir County | |
| dc.type | Thesis |