Governance and Public Administration During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Issues and Experiences in Kenya’s Health System

ABSTRACT

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has devastated societies and economies all over the world. States, both developed and developing, have struggled to mitigate its effects. National interventions have reaffirmed the importance of co-ordination of different levels of government to help cushion the impact of the pandemic. For a developing country such as Kenya, these conversations include issues of decentralisation via a devolved system of governance that was enacted by the 2010 constitution after decades of agitation against centralisation. Devolution was used as a mechanism to curb inequality, create more inclusive governance, as well as enhance service delivery throughout the country. Health was one of the sectors that was decentralised with these aims in mind. However, despite devolution, centralisation tendencies continue to present a challenge to the sector, to policy implementation and the pandemic response. This article seeks to evaluate the extent to which these problems of the two-tiered devolved governance structure affected the COVID-19 pandemic response in its early stages.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Early period under consideration is March when the first case of Covid-19 was recorded in the country to end of September 2020. The onset period of the virus provides an opportunity to study government response showing the relationship between central and local levels of government

2 Unlike a unitary system of governance, Majimbo represents a regional system where power is shared from central government to districts

3 Even with the main goal of achieving independence from the British, there were different camps in the African negotiating contingent, with the main party the Kenya African National Union – KANU favouring a unitary system of governance and minority party, Kenya African Democratic Union - KADU favouring a federal system.

4 Central Kenya is the ethnic base of former President Jomo Kenyatta 1964–1978, President Kibaki who succeeded President Moi from 2002 to 2013 and President Uhuru Kenyatta 2013–Present. Three of the four presidents hail from Central province in Kenya and are from the Kikuyu ethnic group.

5 The disappointment in state-led development across the continent can be attributed to different factors including: severe political instability, corruption, patrimonialism, external interference, economic liberalisation and outward-oriented policies without targeted support for infant industries, agriculture, technology as well as key sectors including health and education.

6 https://www.indexmundi.com/coronavirus/country/ke

7 https://www.facebook.com/HEaliiroba/posts/remarks-by-he-capt-ali-ibrahim-roba-on-the-visit-to-covid-19-isolation-wards-at-/3646064805466789/

8 https://www.facebook.com/HEaliiroba/posts/remarks-by-he-capt-ali-ibrahim-roba-on-the-visit-to-covid-19-isolation-wards-at-/3646064805466789/

9 President Uhuru Kenyatta offered to add 50 billion shillings ($462 million), to the 15% of national revenue that counties are entitled to, in the financial year starting from next July This action broke the month-long standoff

10 Maina (2020). https://www.pd.co.ke/news/list-of-counties-that-have-met-the-minimum-300-isolation-beds-capacity-42077/

11 Mwanza (2020). https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/55129-zero-icu-beds-20-counties-unprepared-covid-19-surge