How can donors contribute to governance reform in Kenya? What role can they play in strengthening state-society relations in particular? This report, published by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), makes recommendations for Norway’s strategic approach to governance in Kenya based on a political economy analysis of the country. More focus on state-society relations is needed, particularly at local government level. For example, donors could support CSOs that represent the interests of local groups. Systematic learning, analysis and social dialogue should also be emphasised.
The report is informed by an analytical approach developed by OECD/DAC that proposes that the focus in countries in fragile situations should be on state legitimacy and state-society relations. Three dimensions of state legitimacy are identified: how the state functions, what the state does, and people’s beliefs.
State-society relations in Kenya have been under strain since independence due to a widening gap between ruling elites and the population at large. They deteriorated further during the Moi era when state predation intensified, accountability structures were deliberately weakened and violence was increasingly used for political means. These problems have been compounded by impunity for political leaders involved in corruption and violence.
- Support to the government, in the present Kenyan context, is not likely to improve state legitimacy. There is a risk that assistance will further entrench current elites rather than improving state-society relations.
- Change is most likely to be brought about as a result of demand from below. To support this demand, people’s participation in public affairs at local level should be encouraged.
- However, finding ways to support such participation is, in the absence of decentralisation reform, a key challenge for development partners in Kenya.
In the short term, Norway should continue to support the reconciliation process, including support to internally displaced people (IDPs) and work to address gender-based violence. Support should continue for the Annan process. Norway should join the multi-development partner support of the preparations for the next elections. For the longer-term, the following recommendations are made for support to government and non-state actors:
- Support to the government of Kenya should be scaled down until there is evidence of a stronger commitment to reform. Norway should position itself to support decentralisation reform if it appears on the agenda.
- Support to civil society organisations should as far as possible be channelled through the multi-donor supported Civil Society Democratic Governance Facility and the Gender and Governance Programme.
- The exception to this rule is support to the larger strategic organisations such as Transparency International Kenya and Kenya Human Rights Commission.
- Support to political parties through the National Democratic Institute (NDI) should continue. Norway should encourage a particular focus on the democratic process at the local level.
- Limited support to media is recommended if it links with and reinforces other supported activities. Support to representative organisations including trade unions and farmers associations should be explored.
- Norway should support efforts by partners in Kenya to engage in a continuous process of political economy analysis to inform their own and others’ planning and programming.
