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AEGIS European Conference on African Studies
11 - 14 July 2007
African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Elective Political Leadership for Service Delivery: Where is the Disconnect? The case of Parliamentary By-elections in Marsabit District, Northern Kenya
| Panel |
74. The Creativity of Practitioners for Development
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| Paper ID | 638 |
| Author(s) |
Odemba, Beneah Ooko; Dido, Sabdiyo Bashuna
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| Paper |
No paper submitted
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| Abstract | Fiscal decentralisation is one of the policies recently adopted by the Kenya government to enhance local service delivery and contribute to poverty reduction. Through this process, various devolved funds have been established. Access to these funds is, however, embedded in structures created through political processes. Due to the nature of political elections and the associated patron-client relationships, community participation is limited. Community participation is crucial for ownership and success of development initiatives at the local level.
Drawing on a field research conducted on a by-election in North Horr constituency, Marsabit district, the study seeks to examine the electoral process and how it determines the effectiveness of service delivery.
The research highlights how the flaws in the electoral process lead to community polarisation, patron-client networks and capture of service delivery structures by the political elite. The study also underlines the power struggles between local elites and its effects on service delivery - diverted focus and energy from service delivery.
The research confirms earlier hypothesis that fiscal decentralisation alone doesn't translate to effective service delivery at the local level.
The study concludes that, as a strategy for poverty reduction, fiscal decentralisation essentially includes the establishment of democratic governance structures and culture at the national and local levels. |
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