Factors Influencing Citizens’satisfaction With Service Delivery: A Case Of Murang’a County, Kenya

Abstract

Kenyans endorsed a new constitution in 2010 which established devolution through county governments. Despite the hopes of better governance and service delivery to citizens, Kenya has experienced difficulties ranging from audit reports indicating financial mismanagement, supremacy battles between Parliament, Senate and Governors, to Governors being impeached and citizens in Murang’a taking to the streets against their County Governments. Consequently, this study sought to establish the factors influencing satisfaction with service delivery within Murang’a County under the era of devolution. The objectives of the study included: to establish the extent to the level accountability of county leaders affects satisfaction with service deliver, to investigate how financial decentralization affects satisfaction with service delivery, to determine how public participation in decision making affects satisfaction with service delivery; and to examine the extent to which inter-governmental relations affect satisfaction with service delivery. Literature studied revealed that in most developing countries quality of public service remained the same or unchanged after devolution. A descriptive survey research design was used. Purposive sampling was done in order to select opinion leaders in the eight sub-counties within Murang’a County. Questionnaires and interviews were used as instruments of data collection, which were validated prior to actual data collection by close consultation with experts. Opinion leaders of a ward that was not included in the study were used for pilot testing to determine the instruments reliability. Raw data was systematically organized, coded and analysed through descriptive statistics using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS), and finally presented using percentages and frequency distribution tables. The research findings showed that county leaders’ accountability had great influence on services delivered as they were not accessible to citizens as expected. The study also found that financial rate of flow and timely transfers greatly influenced County service delivery. Citizen participation in meetings and their gender representation were great influencers of County service delivery. The study recommends an increase in public meetings to enhance accountability, gender balance in citizen participation in County decisions and civic education.Both levels of Governments should strive to enhance predictability of funds so that funds are adequate for service delivery as well as establishan intergovermental technical committee and secretariat to reduce disputes. Structures and systems for service delivery should be developed by both tiers of government and state organs for satisfactory service delivery.