Effect of Responsiveness Practices on County Government Performance in Kenya: A Case Study in Makueni and Marsabit County Governments

Abstract

It is expected that public involvement through participation and incorporation of other good governances' practices in the developed governance process would enable policy makers legislate responsive policies that promotes performances in the county governments through timely delivery of services and efficient utilization of resources in the counties. The Constitution of Kenya has prioritized public participation in the devolved governance system, by acknowledging the right of local people to manage their own matters in advancing their political, social and economic expansion. However, previous studies indicate that counties are experiencing misappropriation and misallocation of resources, against the needs and priorities for the public. About 41 percent of Kenyans were unsatisfied with performances of their counties. This hinders effective performance. Conversely, some counties have performed well according to rating done by Policy Tracking Impact Public Affairs Consulting 2018, which ranked Makueni county government as the best performing county based on development projects and policies implied by counties. Therefore, the study sought to compare the effects of corporate governance practices on performances in Makueni and Marsabit counties. Marsabit County was chosen because despite Makueni being ranked the best, both counties experience almost similar challenges in their governance. The issues of low human capital development, cross-border community level conflicts, and low level of investment in infrastructure, high level of poverty, food insecurity, land degradations and poor health system are the common challenges that affect performance in the counties. Thus, this study sought to examine the effects of responsiveness governance practices on the selected counties in Kenya. To accomplish the objectives, the study adopted correlational research design and interpretivism research philosophy. The target population consisted of county officials, heads of groups and community leaders in the two counties. Primary data was collected and analyzed using a linear model to estimate the coefficients. The findings indicated that responsibility had significant positive effect of 13.6 percent on county government performance. In this regard, the study recommended the need for counties to ensure strict adherence of resource allocations in line with the county integrated development plans and annual development plans, developed through public participation.