Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi

On the 16th December, 1978, President Hoi, on a visit to Myanza, proclaimed the creation of the Lake Basin Development Authority. He directed the Minister of Planning and Community Affairs, Dr. Robert Ouko, and the Vice-President and Minister of Finance, Mr. Mwai Kibaki, to work out details of the proposed regional development. This paper has attempted to provide ideas which may be useful in discussing the development project. The author believes that the best approach is the comprehensive and integrated regional development planning. The planning and development authority charged with the responsibility should be as automatons and independent as possible to ensure efficiency of operations and for the participation of the local people in their own development. But such a plan requires detailed information of the existing natural and human resources. These resources could then be transformed into tangible useful goods and services. The framework of operational decisions was then discussed, and problems of plan implementations were briefly mentioned. The author then cautioned the readers to beware of certain serious weakness of a regional development plan. Such weaknesses include externalities political problems, multidisciplinary approach and the need for cooperative international efforts.