Decentralization of Rural Development: The Case of the Kenya District Focus Approach

Abstract

In 1983 the Kenyan government launched the 'District Focus Approach' (DFA) to rural development. This approach aims at strengthening the capacity of the districts to plan and implement rural development programmes. It also aims at ensuring the participation of the local population in development programmes. This paper critically looks at the DFA, highlighting various of its shortcomings: decisionmaking and the allocation of funds continue to be centralized; the District Development Committees which are responsible for the planning and implementation of the programmes are too large, consist exclusively of politicians and civil servants, and offer no room for serious and detailed discussion; the development programmes are carried out by less qualified and lowly motivated staff; and the role of district government units (county councils) is not taken into account. An alternative mode of decentralization, the 'district development service', is proposed, which would involve the strengthening of district government units, emphasis on the district economy (as against the national economy on the one hand, and the household economy on the other), and funding through district taxation.