Kenya Archives – Decentralization Net

Devolved health services in Kenya: Access, efficiency, and the unfinished business of devolution

January 31, 2026 LPS Alliance

Over the past decade, Kenya’s devolution reform has fundamentally reshaped the country’s public sector by transferring responsibility for a wide range of public sector functions—including primary health services—to 47 county governments. The intent of this […]

Deepening devolution and constitutionalism in Kenya

March 18, 2024 LPS Alliance

While the Constitution of Kenya (2010) provides the framework for inclusive, devolved governance, there are many challenges to its effective implementation including: resistance to change by the power and economic elites; legacy of disrespect for […]

An Initial Assessment of the State of Local Governance Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

March 17, 2024 LPS Alliance

Many countries in Africa and around the world have established regional and local governance institutions based on the notion that government powers are best exercised at the lowest level of the public sector as efficiently […]

Making Devolution Work for Service Delivery in Kenya

April 10, 2022 LPSAManager

Kenya adopted a new constitution and began the process of devolution in 2010, ceding many formerly national responsibilities to new county governments. As an institutional response to longstanding grievances, this radical restructuring of the Kenyan […]

Using specific–purpose grants to achieve development goals

March 5, 2022 LPSAManager

Decentralization has been increasing in developing countries, oftentimes, with the encouragement of development partners. It is estimated that intergovernmental transfers account for about 60 per cent of total local government revenues in developing countries. Given this trend, the question […]

Fiscal decentralization and redistributive politics: Evidence from Kenya

January 10, 2022 LPS Alliance

Fiscal decentralization can improve the quality of public spending if sub-national governments allocate their expenditures according to local needs and preferences. However, many other factors – especially those related to politics, influence allocative decisions. When […]

An Intergovernmental Perspective on Managing Public Finances for Service Delivery

June 28, 2021 LPS Alliance

Improving service delivery is a major concern in global development agendas, but exactly how best to manage public resources to support better and more inclusive public service delivery in developing countries eludes clear guidance. Key […]

Localizing Climate Change Efforts in Kenya: The Role of County Governments

April 4, 2021 LPS Alliance

Kenya’s 2010 Constitution triggered a major re-organization of the country’s public sector, devolving considerable power and functions from the National Government to 47 newly established County Governments. The Council of County Governors (COG) plays an […]

Third Basis Allocation Formula Approved in Kenya

March 28, 2021 LPS Alliance

The main funding source for county governments in Kenya is a large unconditional transfer mechanism known as Equitable Sharing, which provides more than three-quarters of the funds used by county governments. Kenya’s Commission on Revenue […]

Intergovernmental Transfers in Federations

November 2, 2020 LPS Alliance

In a multi-level government system, the assignment of roles and responsibilities and institutional legacies between the federal and the subnational governments often create imbalances. A common challenges is a primary vertical fiscal imbalance, which is […]