Effect Of Corporate Governance On Service Delivery: A Case Of Kenyan Metropolitan County Governments

Abstract

In the last three decades, the term good governance has become a common vocabulary in the development discourse across the developing world which promised to bring about fundamental changes in the political, administrative and economic structures of the developing world. The role of the central government in the management of cities changed. Devolution has been adopted in a number of countries as a guarantee against egocentric use of power and resources by central government elites as well as a way to enhance the efficiency of service delivery, by allowing for a closer match between governance of public institutions and the desires and needs of local people. Governance is a relevant strategic matter for devolved counties as it determines how they are directed, administered or controlled However, despite the devolution of the government, there is still poor governance exhibited by stalled projects, poor management of funds, corruption, bureaucracy, incompetence, white elephants, wastage of resources which has affected the service delivery to the public in the counties. Therefore, there was need to determine the extent to which good governance influences service delivery at the County Government with a focus on the Metropolitan County Governments in Kenya. The main objective of this study was to establish the extent to which effective corporate governance influences service delivery at the Metropolitan County Governments, Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to: find out the extent to which accountability of staff influence service delivery at the Metropolitan County Governments; establish how transparency influence service delivery at the Metropolitan County Governments; determine the extent to which public participation influence service delivery at the Metropolitan County Governments; and determine the extent to which inclusivity influences service delivery at the Metropolitan County Governments. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population for this study included 165 County government officials of Metropolitan County Governments namely: the County Executive Officers, Committee members, Chief Officers, and County Directors. The study relied on data collected through questionnaires structured to meet the objectives of the study and an interview guide. Responses were tabulated, coded and processed by use of a computer Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0 programme to analyze the data. The study concludes that transparency and public participation have a positive and significant effect on service delivery at the Metropolitan County Governments while accountability of staff and inclusivity have no significant effect on service delivery at the Metropolitan County Governments. There is need for the County government should adopt well developed strategies that are meant to ensure they perform their duties effectively and efficiently as well as ensuring they achieve their competitive advantage and superior economic performance; and ensure there is sufficient facilitation, that is, financial and transport availability; enhance the strategic planning meetings; proper delegation, that is, with your eyes on and your hands off. There is need to conduct a similar study in other Counties in an attempt to compare the findings. There is also need to conduct a study on the challenges facing service delivery in the County governments.