Other Public Sector Study
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Publication
Inclusive and Effective Citizen Engagement: Participatory Budgeting - Makueni and West Pokot Counties
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2018)The introduction of citizen engagement into law is an idea that is gaining popularity around the world. New provisions in Kenya’s Constitution enshrine openness, accountability, and public participation as guiding principles for public financial management. Yet, translating participation laws into meaningful action on the ground is no simple task. Experience has shown that in the absence of commitment from leaders and citizens and without appropriate capacities and methodologies, public participation provisions may lead to simple tick the box exercises. With support from the Kenya participatory budgeting initiative (KPBI), and the commitment from West Pokot and Makueni county leaders, PB is being tested as a way to achieve more inclusive and effective citizen engagement processes while complying with national legal provisions. This report captures the experiences of Makueni and West Pokot counties. -
Publication
Realizing the Devolution Dividend in Kenya through Cohesive Public Finance Management and Public Participation at County Level: Challenges, Lessons Learned, and Recommendations
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-08)This report covers four areas that had been identified by County officers from both the County Executive and the County Assembly as areas that have brought conflict and disharmony in Counties. These issues and challenges cut across Public Finance Management (PFM), public participation, functions and powers of the County actors and formed the basis for capacity building and training intervention that was provided through the Council of Governors (CoG) and Kenya School of Government (KSG) with the support from the Kenya Accountable Devolution Program (KADP). This brief report highlights the issues and challenges identified in four thematic areas and then provides the identified good practices and lessons learned that can be considered and implemented by County Governments. The first chapter discusses the PFM legal framework with reference to the fundamental processes of planning, budgeting, revenue, expenditure, and financial reporting and relates these to identified areas of conflict that are experienced while executing various PFM processes. The chapter also makes corresponding recommendations for good PFM practices in Counties. The second chapter highlights the challenges that County Governments have experienced in rolling out public participation and provides conceptual clarification and examples of good practices. The third chapter highlights areas that were recurring areas of misunderstanding and misinterpretation with regard to the Constitution and legislative framework on devolution (especially relating to functions and powers of the County Executive and County Assembly). Further, it articulates the Constitutional framework and interpretations of key provisions covering those areas of concern to facilitate common understanding that would help reduce recurring operational disharmony and conflicts. The fourth chapter highlights challenges that the County assemblies experience while executing their responsibilities with regard to fiscal matters and suggests good practices that should address these. This report is intended to be a simple, practical, go-to reference resource for County Executives and County Assemblies on common challenges that they experience while executing their roles and responsibilities and suggests good practices that can help them navigate through the challenges. -
Publication
Integrating Social Accountability in Healthcare Delivery: Lessons Drawn from Kenya
(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-02)The Constitution of Kenya provides that most functions of the state are decentralized in a devolution process. The devolved health system is four tiered: community health services, primary care services, county referral services, and national referral services. However, even though roles and responsibilities are elaborately outlined, in practice the transition from national to county governments has been marred by inconsistency, poor understanding of the system, management challenges, and lack of coordination between the national and county governments. This policy note provides observations from a pilot that tested integration of social accountability mechanisms in healthcare delivery in Kenya between 2011 and 2013. -
Publication
Building Public Participation in Kenya’s Devolved Government
(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-02)Kenya has embarked on a highly ambitious decentralization that seeks to fundamentally change the relationship between government and citizens under the 2010 Constitution. The Constitution and new legal framework place a strong emphasis on strengthening public participation. This paper summarizes findings and analysis from five working papers and case studies reviewing opportunities and challenges for strengthening public participation in Kenya’s newly decentralized system. It provides a consolidated list of recommendations emerging from all the working papers. -
Publication
Participation in Kenya’s Local Development Funds: Reviewing the Past to Inform the Future
(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-02)Kenya's new Constitution mandates a new era of public participation in government, particularly within the devolved government structure. The new devolved structures can benefit from reviewing the country's prior experience with participation in decentralized funds. The Kenyan government and citizens gained extensive experience in local participatory development through decentralized programs and funds, in particular the local authority transfer fund (LATF) and the constituency development fund (CDF). This paper focuses on the two development funds because participatory initiatives both by the government and the civil society were centered on them. This paper reviews Kenya's past experiences on public participation in local service delivery to highlight practical lessons that county governments can draw from as they design participation mechanisms. -
Publication
Basic Requirements for Public Participation in Kenya’s Legal Framework
(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-02)Kenya has embarked on a highly ambitious decentralization that seeks to fundamentally change the relationship between government and citizens under the 2010 Constitution. The Constitution and new legal framework place a strong emphasis on strengthening public participation. This working paper seeks to distill key provisions in the legislative framework related to transparency, accountability and participation in county government, in particular the planning and budgeting cycle, and present them in a format that is useful for county planners, executive and assembly members. It can be used as a guide for how counties can interface with citizens based on Kenya’s legislative framework. -
Publication
Kenya Devolution Working Paper Series: Summary Overview
(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-02)Kenya has embarked on a highly ambitious decentralization that seeks to fundamentally change the relationship between government and citizens under the 2010 Constitution. The Constitution seeks to shift government from centralized to decentralized, and from "top-down" to "bottom-up". The Constitution and new legal framework place a strong emphasis on strengthening public participation. Strengthening public participation and governance is a core element in Kenya's strategy to accelerate growth and address long-standing inequalities in economic opportunities, investment, and service delivery in different parts of the country. -
Publication
Practical Approaches for County Governments to Facilitate Public Participation in the Planning and Budget Process
(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-02)Kenya's new Constitution and supportive legal framework contain multiple provisions requiring both national government and counties to make information publicly available and consult with citizens in planning and budgeting. Citizen participation affords county governments an opportunity to empower citizens on their operations and to deliberate, debate, and influence the allocation of public resources. This working paper presents practical approaches for Kenyan counties to implement public participation in their systems that encourage meaningful public engagement. -
Publication
One Year On: Review of Country Initiatives in Public Participation in the Roll Out of Devolution
(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-02)The roll-out of devolution has been formally underway since March 2013 when county governments were established under the 2010 Constitution. The period under review is April 2013 to June 2014, which enables observations of public engagement in preparation of the 2013-2014 county budgets (between April-June 2013) and the 2014-2015 county budgets (between September 2013-June 2014). This paper reviews initial county initiatives on public participation and possible interventions to improve the overall design and implementation of participatory systems going forward. -
Publication
Devolution without Disruption: Pathways to a Successful New Kenya
(World Bank, Nairobi, 2012-11)Kenya's new constitution marks a critical juncture in the nation's history. It is widely perceived, by Kenyans from all walks of life, as a new beginning. Indeed, many feel that post- independence Kenya has been characterized by centralization of political and economic power in the hands of a few, resulting in an uneven and unfair distribution of resources and corresponding access to social services; the opposite of an inclusive state. Born of the political opportunity created by the 2008 post-election violence, the constitution finally adopted, after almost a decade of unsuccessful reform attempts, presages far-reaching changes. Its vision encompasses a dramatic transformation of the Kenyan state through new accountable and transparent institutions, inclusive approaches to government and a firm focus on equitable service delivery for all Kenyans through the newly established county governments. Devolution is at the heart of the new constitution and a key vehicle for addressing spatial inequities. A more decentralized government makes eminent sense, given Kenya's diversity and experience with political use of central power. Decentralization has been increasingly seen and adopted worldwide as a guarantee against discretionary use of power by central elites as well as a way to enhance the efficiency of social service provision, by allowing for a closer match between public policies and the desires and needs of local constituencies. Kenya's constitution entrenches devolved government by guaranteeing a minimum unconditional transfer to counties under the new dispensation. The devolution train has already left the station: the challenge is to make sure it arrives at destination, safely and on time. The politics of devolution explain the high intensity of hopes and expectations that have been pinned to it. It also means there are high risks if they are disappointed. There are great opportunities and enormous challenges waiting for Kenya, in a critical election year, which will determine the fate of the country, politically and economically for years to come. This report takes a snapshot look at the critical issues facing Kenya's policy makers today. It does not argue for or against devolution (a decision that belongs solely to Kenyans), but presents suggestions and recommendations on how best to navigate the tough choices ahead. It's main focus in on helping Kenya manage a delicate transition.