Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi

This paper gives the major conclusions and recommendations of the study described in I.D.S. Working Paper No. 116. The basic conclusion is that a growth centre strategy should become much more central in Kenya's rural development strategy and that it opens up an exciting new possibility for rural development. These centres can foam a vital link between rural and urban sectors but they must be chosen with care. Suggestions are made on criteria for choosing such centres and a case is made for incorporating and building on traditional spatial systems rather than following an artificial network imposed in colonial times.