Strategic Management Practices and Performance of the Embakasi North Constituency Development Fund

Abstract

In the modern world, most states especially those in the south are shifting on their development strategies from the top-bottom approach into the bottom-up approach. Kenya is no exception.in 2003 there emerged an act of parliament that declared that 2.5% of the national revenue should be channeled directly to the constituencies with an aim of poverty eradication at the grass roots level and ensuring that there is equalization of development levels across the country. This fund was managed by the sitting members of parliament who were given the sole authority of handpicking the committee members who were to manage the CDF funds. These CDF committees were so controversial in that they were accused of embezzlement, corruption, marginalization and high handedness. In the advent of the new constitution which brought in devolved governments. The CDF act was amended in 2013 to realign with the principles of the new constitution. The management of the CDF committees were altered to include the area senator, the representatives of national government, various sectorial groups in the society such as women, youths, persons with disabilities among others. In 2015 the high court ruled that the CDF is unconstitutional since it contravenes the tenets of the new constitution. Therefore it was converted into a national government programs fund allocated to constituencies. Its management committees were clearly defined and the sitting members of parliament acted as patrons of the fund. However despite all these changes there are rampant cases of corruption, marginalization, lack of transparency, embezzlement in utilization of these fund. This makes it hard for the fund to achieve its purpose. The study will adopt the management theory that will guide the study. This study will attempt to examine the role of Constituency CDF committees in managing this fund and Embakasi north constituency will be the case study. The study will adopt the descriptive survey design as the research design, it will also adopt the purposive sampling as its sampling technique, the study will further have a target population of CDF committee members, residents of Embakasi north, opinion leaders in Embakasi north, civil society organizations that have operations in Embakasi north, as well as the area members of the county assembly. The study will rely on both the primary and secondary sources of data collection. The study will also adopt the content analysis as its data analysis technique. Finally the study will adhere to all the ethical considerations of research.