Assessing Post-devolution Urban Service Delivery in Kenya

Kenya’s 2010 constitutional reform consolidated a complex array of subnational government institutions into a single tier of 47 county governments. The World Bank’s East Africa Regional Unit, and other agencies, have partnered with the government on the Kenya Urban Support Program. Its goal is to help establish and strengthen urban institutions under the new county governments so that they can deliver improved infrastructure and services. The Capstone team worked with the World Bank to perform background research and conduct field research in Kenya’s Kiambu, Makueni, and Muranga counties. Through data collection and interviews of national and local government officials, the team examined the structure and performance of newly established urban boards and their relationship with county governments. The team’s final report, focusing on successes and challenges in urban service delivery under the new institutional arrangements, informs the World Bank’s efforts to improve support to the urban reform process in Kenya.