POLITICAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION IN NORTH EASTERN REGION, KENYA
Abstract
Currently, social change is a phenomenon that is extensively celebrated in public administration. Changes in political structures have resulted in a movement in the political sphere from a more localized to a globalized concept and from centralized to decentralized institutions. Little research has been done in the Kenyan context examining the correlation between political structure and community social transformation. This study's primary goal was to investigate how political structure affects social transformation in the North Eastern region of Kenya. This study used the pragmatism philosophical framework and employed an explanatory with a descriptive cross-sectional design. The unit of analysis comprised of counties of the North Eastern region of Kenya which included Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties. The unit of observation was the senior employees (Job group M to S) in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties. The target population was 2,002 senior employees of the 3 County governments. The research instrument generated both quantitative and qualitative data. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics comprised of frequencies, percentages, mean score, and standard deviation. Inferential statistics included correlation analysis and linear regression analysis. The study further established that political structure has a positive and significant effect on social transformation in the North Eastern region of Kenya. Therefore, it was recommended that county administrative units institutionalize regular and structured public participation activities. This should involve creating clear mechanisms to incorporate community feedback into decision-making, ensuring that policies and resource allocations are more aligned with community needs.
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