The Impact Of Governance On Development In Kenya: 1980 - 2000
Abstract
This research project examines the impact of governance on economic development in
Kenya between 1980 and 2000. The analysis reveals that bad governance has impacted
negatively on economic development and is a major factor that militates against economic
development in the country. Although governance has become a common vocabulary in
both academic and socio-political discourse, its meaning and analytical content has not
been brought to the fore clearly. Many analysts have used the concept loosely to suit their
narrow purposes. Govemance is a complex process that involves three main actors - the
state, the civil society and the private sector - as opposed to the popular view that good
governance is good government. However, these three actors have not played their roles
exceedingly well in Kenya.
Chapter One shows that although the word governance has become popular among
scholars and practitioners alike, there is still no consensus about its meaning and
analytical content. Chapter Two treats the evolution of govemance as a field of study. It
shows that the discourse on the govemance-development nexus is quite recent. Chapter
Three examines the intricate relationship between govemance and public administration.
The study argues that effective public administration is crucial to policy credibility and
sustainability which is also central to good governance.
Chapter Four and Five examine the govemance trend in Kenya between 1980 and 2000.
These chapters underline several points; that good governance is a prerequisite for
economic development; that good govemance is not a sole responsibility of the
government; that authority and power to govern do not rest solely on political leadership
and; that good govemance is difficult to institute and maintain in a single party regime as
opposed to a multiparty regime. However, it further revealed that multiparty democracy is
not tantamount to good governance. Kenya experienced bad governance even during the
multiparty era.
Citation
Masters thesis University of Nairobi (2001)Publisher
University of Nairobi. Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies
Description
Masters degree in international studies