NAVIGATING CONTESTED MANDATES: INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN KAJIADO WEST SUB COUNTY

Abstract

Kajiado West Sub-County is a semi-arid area of Kenya that experiences recurrent water shortages, while county planning documents identify groundwater and other water resources as important components of local water supply. This study evaluates how intergovernmental relations shape water-infrastructure development under Kenya's devolved system of governance. Guided by Falleti's sequential theory of decentralization, the study adopted a convergent mixed-methods design. The quantitative component drew from a target population of 353, from which a sample of 188 was calculated using Yamane's formula, while the qualitative component involved 18 key informants. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically and integrated with the quantitative results to identify convergence and divergence. The findings indicate that respondents perceived relations between national and county actors in the water sector as strained, particularly because of contested functional boundaries, resource-allocation disputes, delayed disbursements, and weak coordination. About 68.4% of respondents rated relations between the two levels of government as poor or very poor; 84.6% reported that relations between the County Government of Kajiado and national water institutions adversely affected water-service delivery; and 88.9% reported that relations among national water institutions affected service delivery. The study concludes that weak coordination and contested mandates constrain the planning, implementation and sustainability of water infrastructure. It recommends stronger use of the cooperative-government mechanisms under Article 189 of the Constitution, clearer operational coordination under the Water Act, 2016 as amended, improved information sharing, and a joint county-national coordination framework for water-infrastructure development.