| dc.description.abstract | The democratic system of governance has been touted as the best because it gives citizens
more voice and control over the running of their countries. As countries continued to
grow and develop politically, socially and economically, groups that were historically
denied power now demanded it. As much as there was some form of resistance by some
central governments, it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore and resist these
demands and such governments eventually yielded to the demands of these groups.
Centralized systems of governance began giving way to decentralization of governance in
some countries across the world. Like the national government, the devolved units of
governance must be kept in check so that powers and resources at their disposal are never
misused or abused. In Kenya, besides the Senate and accompanying legislations and
policies, the success of devolved governance has been pegged on County Assemblies, the
immediate watchdog of the activities of the County Governments. In this study, the
research sets out to answer the general question, how effective are county assemblies in
enhancing devolved governance? The specific objectives of this study were; to determine
strategies used by the county assembly in enhancing devolved governance in Kwale
County, to analyse efficacy of the strategies employed by the county assembly in
enhancing devolved governance in Kwale County and to explore challenges faced by the
county assembly in enhancing devolved governance in Kwale County. The findings of the
study are envisaged to contribute to policies on devolution of governance in Kenya and
other parts of the world as well as contributing to the existing field of knowledge. This
research study targeted Kwale County only. Agency theory, one of the major theories
used in Corporate Governance, guided this research study. In this study descriptive
research design was employed. A mix of probability and non-probability sampling was
used in selecting survey participants. Regarding data collection tools, interview schedules
and questionnaires were used to collect data from the field. Throughout the process of
conducting the research, the researcher observed various ethical guidelines to ensure that
any laws or codes of ethics are not breached. The study established that despite the
various challenges, the county assemblies are an essential cog in the wheel when it comes
to devolved governance. These institutions play an important role, such as ensuring that
the devolved resources are availed to the people and that the residents of the county are
actively involved in governance of the county. Main strategies employed by the county
assembly to enhance devolved governance are public participation forums, cooperation to
hold the county government to account through cross-party support and formal legal
competences. These strategies were found to be largely effective in driving the county
government to share resources equitably in their respective counties and to avail services
closer to the residents among other objectives of devolution. However, the assembly has
faced impediments such as political interference both from within and outside the county,
resource inadequacy and low literacy levels all of which, to varying degrees, have the
overall performance of the county assembly in entrenching devolution at the grassroots
level. The researcher of this paper also recommends that MCAs work closely with the
county government to address cases of corruption which lead to pilferage of public funds.
It is also recommended that MCAs and other relevant agencies should formulate and
implement regulatory instruments to protect MCAs from improper political interference. | en_US |
