The Role of Governance Strategies in Service Delivery in Nyeri Central Sub-County, Nyeri County; Kenya
Abstract
Background: Both governments at central and sub-national levels have increasingly pursued mechanisms to improve governance and service delivery to the citizenry. Since the onset of devolution, expectations for public service delivery have been high among the citizenry. Governance strategies are an important component of service delivery in the devolved system of governance.
Aim: The aim of the study was to examine the role of governance in service delivery in county governments.
Setting: The study was conducted in Nyeri Central Sub-County
Methods: The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The study shall employ a descriptive research design targeting a population of t140, 338 individuals’ persons living in the Nyeri Central sub-county. A sample of 178 participants was selected for this study. This study used systematic sampling technique was used. The validity and reliability findings were used to assess the adequacy of the study tool. Quantitative data was collected using structured questionnaire while an interview guide was the main qualitative research instrument. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS (v23). Qualitative data was summarized using a thematic analysis approach.
Results: The findings of this study are envisioned to inform policy for the evaluation of governance strategies to ensure the efficacy of service delivery in the county government.
Conclusion ad Contribution: The study concludes that while governance strategies have improved decision-making and planning, they have not significantly increased service efficiency.
References
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2. Bua, A. and Escobar, O., 2018. Participatory-deliberative processes and public policy agendas: lessons for policy and practice. Policy Design and Practice, 1(2), pp.126-140.
3. Bulut, E. and Abdow, B.I., 2018. Decentralization and poverty reduction: Opportunities and challenges in Kenya. Sosyoekonomi, 26(36), pp.179-196.
4. Burbidge, D., 2017. Security and devolution in Kenya: Struggles in applying constitutional provisions to local politics. Strathmore LJ, 3, p.131.
5. Dick-Sagoe, C., 2020. Decentralization for improving the provision of public services in developing countries: A critical review. Cogent Economics & Finance, 8(1), p.1804036.
6. Ferreira, C., 2023. Handbook on Decentralization, Devolution and the State: Ignacio Lago, Cheltenham (UK) and Northampton (USA), 2021,£ 185 (hardback), ISBN 9781839103278.
7. Galukande-Kiganda, M. and Mzini, L.B.T., 2019. Evaluation of participatory governance for enhancing the quality of local governments: Towards a new model. Smart Cities and Regional Development (SCRD) Journal, 3(1), pp.103-124.
8. Gjaltema, J., Biesbroek, R. and Termeer, K., 2020. From government to governance… to meta-governance: a systematic literature review. Public Management Review, 22(12), pp.1760-1780.
9. Guha, J. and Chakrabarti, B., 2019. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through decentralization and the role of local governments: A systematic review. Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance, (22), pp.1-21.
10. Ismail, M.A., 2018. A Study on Challenges of Devolution in Kenyan Public Service: A Case Study of Garissa County, Kenya. European Journal of Political Science Studies.
11. Jennings, V., Rigolon, A., Thompson, J., Murray, A., Henderson, A. and Gragg, R.S., 2024. The dynamic relationship between social cohesion and urban green space in diverse communities: Opportunities and challenges to public health. International journal of environmental research and public health, 21(6), p.800.
12. Jerab, D. and Mabrouk, T., 2023. Strategies for Effective Organizational Restructuring: A Comprehensive Guide. Available at SSRN 4584665.
13. Kembayev, Z., 2018. Development of Soviet federalism from Lenin to Gorbachev: Major characteristics and reasons for failure. review of central and east european law, 43(4), pp.411-456.
14. Kharel, A.B. and Acharya, A., 2023. Centralized and Decentralized Federal System: A Comparative Analysis of Governance Structures and Policy Implementation. Interdisciplinary Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 4(2), pp.1-17.
15. Kosec, K. and Wantchekon, L., 2020. Can information improve rural governance and service delivery? World Development, 125, p.104376.
16. Lynch, M.J., Fegadel, A. and Long, M.A., 2022. Green criminology and state-corporate crime: the ecocide-genocide nexus with examples from Nigeria. In The Genocide-Ecocide Nexus (pp. 81-101). Routledge.
17. Makara, S., 2018. Decentralization and good governance in Africa: A critical review. African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, 12(2), pp.22-32.
18. Maracha, V., 2016. Feedback mechanisms in public administration system: VSM application and institutional factors. Governing Business Systems. Theories and Challenges for Systems Thinking in Practice, p.25.
19. Muchekehu, N.D., 2018. Analyzing public participation in Kenya’s devolved units: A study of participatory planning in the formulation of County Integrated Development Plans (Doctoral dissertation).
20. Mudalige, P.W., 2019. The discussion of theory and practice on decentralization and service delivery. European Journal, 15(14), pp.115-135.
21. Njagi, T., Kirimi, L., Onyango, K. and Kinyumu, E., 2018. The status of the agricultural sector after devolution to county governments.
22. Nogueira, S.P.D.S. and Jorge, S.M.F., 2017. The perceived usefulness of financial information for decision making in Portuguese municipalities: The importance of internal control. Journal of Applied Accounting Research, 18(1), pp.116-136.
23. Nyandiko, N.O., 2020. Devolution and disaster risk reduction in Kenya: Progress, challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 51, p.101832.
24. O’Brien, P., Pike, A. and Tomaney, J., 2004. Devolution, the governance of regional development and the Trade Union Congress in the North East region of England. Geoforum, 35(1), pp.59-68.
25. Onyalo, P.O., 2021. The Decentralised Governance in Kenya: Implications on Citizen Participation in Local Governance. European Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 4(4), pp.22-39.
26. Onyango, J.A., Cheluget, J., Akello, G.M. and Keraro, V., 2012. Factors to be considered in revenue allocation to devolved government in Kenya. Prime Journal of Business Administration and Management (BAM) I 1319-1328, 2(10), pp.704-708.
27. Onyango, M., 2015. Operations strategy and service delivery by the county government of Kisumu (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).
28. Opolot, H.N., Isubikalu, P., Obaa, B.B. and Ebanyat, P., 2018. Influence of university entrepreneurship training on farmers’ competencies for improved productivity and market access in Uganda. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 4(1), p.1469211.
29. Pataraia, N., Jinchveladze, T. and Magalashvili, T., 2025. Examining Citizens’ Expectations and Perceptions About Service Quality in Public Sector: Adapting a Hybrid Public Service Quality Model to the Local Context. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 37(1), pp.105-132.
30. Sairmaly, F.A., 2023. Human capital development and economic growth: A literature review on information technology investment, education, skills, and productive labour. Jurnal Minfo Polgan, 12(1), pp.679-693.
31. Waddington, H., Sonnenfeld, A., Finetti, J., Gaarder, M., John, D. and Stevenson, J., 2019. Citizen engagement in public services in low‐and middle‐income countries: A mixed‐methods systematic review of participation, inclusion, transparency and accountability (PITA) initiatives. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15(1-2), p.e1025.
32. Wallen, N.E. and Fraenkel, J.R., 2013. Educational research: A guide to the process. Routledge.
33. Wanyande, P., 2021. The politics of implementation at county level: Realizing devolution in Kenya. Governing Kenya: Public Policy in Theory and Practice, pp.103-120.
34. Weiss, T.G., 2000. Governance Good Governance & Global Governance: conceptual & actual challenges' Third World Quarterly 21 (5).
35. Yamane, T., 1973. Statistics: An introductory analysis.
36. Yang, F.H. and Chang, C.C., 2008. Emotional labour, job satisfaction and organizational commitment amongst clinical nurses: A questionnaire survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 45(6), pp.879-887.
Authors
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“The Role of Governance Strategies in Service Delivery in Nyeri Central Sub-County, Nyeri County; Kenya”, Soc. sci. humanities j., vol. 9, no. 05, pp. 7951–7969, May 2025, doi: 10.18535/sshj.v9i05.1819.
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