The local authorities in Kenya have for a long time been managed without strategic planning. They have been faced with poor financial management beginning with poor collection of revenue and made worse by lack of financial management systems. They have been managed from a position of inaccurate information further limited by lack of knowledge on the need of the inhabitants.
At inception most local authorities were planned in the background of considerably smaller population of residents. At the time, aspects of planning revolved around basic social amenities, high density housing units and basic schooling facilities. All other social requirements were equally scaled.
Provisions of commercial investments were very limited as the local authorities were mostly set up as local centres. Roads, electricity, water and communication networks were as basic as the needs then envisaged. Planning for expansion for quite a number of local authorities were therefore not provided for.
The leadership has been at two levels. The political class made up of elected councilors. The administrative and technical class made up of officers appointed through the ministry of local authorities. This led to the diversity in the quality of leadership, divergent interest between the councilors and the technocrats and multiple principles originating directives as to the management of the affairs of the local authorities.
Financial shortfalls caused by limited support from central government and poor collection of targeted revenue if at all has been the order of the day in many local authorities
Most local authorities have been faced with increased growth in population. Migration from rural to urban centres has further increased the number of residents nearly in all local authorities.
Over the years, arising from the foregoing local authorities, residents in Kenya have been faced with poor delivery of essential services. In extreme cases, provisions of some due services have stopped all together. Garbage collection services have stalled, health facilities have run down, water quality has been below standards leading to disease outbreaks. The road networks have been in a continuous state of disrepair. Inaccurate records of residents’ dues to the councilor have led to conflicts leading to legal recourse.
Lack of further developments of housing units has led to poor living conditions among residents, stalled developments of further school and health provision facilities.
Reduced commercial activities have led to none or limited employment opportunities to residents of most local authorities.
Overdependence on government revenue by the leadership of most local authorities has blinded the need to look elsewhere for resources that could still be used in their development.
Conclusively, residents of local authorities have for many years faced poor delivery of service and degraded social circumstances.
The second cycle of performance contracting covering the year 2006/2007 was successfully managed for 38 ministries and 125 state corporations. This benefited from the performance contract secretariat’s effort in exposing over 200 government officers to training on improving public sector performance conducted by the Boston Institute of Developing Economies In March 2007, in Nairobi. The results of the entire exercise are due for public announcement. This marks a further achievement due for consideration for another UN Award.
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