The Socio-Political Context of Public Spending in Kenya: A Case of Education Inequality in Turkana County
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David Kamar Imana, Graduate School of Public Administration (GSPA), National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Bangkok, Thailand.
Usually, the study of public spending is framed around theories that attempt to explain growth in public spending. The rationale is to test and predict factors responsible for growth in public spending, particularly for the purposes of public policy decision making or reforms. However, in a context that is characterized by sharp inequalities, understanding inequality from the perspective of the marginalized provides new perspectives which can inform the formulation of need based policies necessary for mitigating inequality in the education sector. This is a case study that examines contextual factors that characterize inequality in Turkana County located at the northwest of Kenya. Primary and secondary data was used in the inquiry. The findings of the study show that minority Turkana community face unique contextual challenges such as politicization of resource distribution, lack of access to public information, colonial legacies, lack of access to participation in public budgeting process among others. These conditions serve to disadvantage the community from adequately benefiting from the current public spending on education. In order to reduce inequality, the study recommends investment in infrastructure that will makes it possible for this community to benefit from public spending in education.
Socio – Political, Context, Public Spending, Inequality, Politicization, and Turkana County
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