Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: Deconcentration in Kenya Since the Beginning of Multi-Party Democracy

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

Nearly one-third of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have restructured their governments and increased the number of administrative units in the past two decades. When unaccompanied by changes in the distribution of power, this process is known as deconcentration, and is defined as the spatial decomposition of the state apparatus, and the multiplication of administrative units at lower tiers of government. To understand these recent changes, this project proposes an in-depth study of the Kenyan state. Within Kenya, the beginning of deconcentration in 1992 coincided with the country's first multi-party elections since the independence era. The sudden and massive multiplication of administrative units in Kenya during this time period did not follow historical trends, levels of development, or stated administrative concerns such as security issues or population growth. Moreover, it did not begin as a concerted effort to extend authority. In understanding this increase in the state apparatus, the driving intuition for this project is that the power to shape the structure and size of this body often lies unchecked under a country's executive. In this new electoral environment, Kenyan presidents have overseen unit creation and shaped the state in response to their electoral needs. This project traces when and where new administrative units were created to empirically test several hypotheses. This project amasses and aggregates bi-annual administrative officer returns, which contain the names of administrative areas, as well as redistricting maps since 1990. Collected at this frequency, these data allow for the delineation of any changes in the country's internal units, and will be used to understand the dynamics that affect when and where a state extends its authority. The intellectual merit of this project lies in its promise to advance the literature of state building. Most work in this sub-field examines the development and effect of post-independence era institutions. This work focuses on recent reorganizations to understand how state building progresses as a response to changes in the institutional environment. This project will make several broader contributions. This work will be of use to journalists, policy makers, and civil society organizations. Additionally, a better understanding of the logic of state structure promises to contribute to the ongoing debates within policy and international organization circles regarding decentralization and devolution of power.