INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY POLICIES ON PERFORMANCE OF THE DEVOLVED SYSTEM OF COUNTY GOVERNMENTS: WAJIR COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The 2010 Constitution of Kenya created 47 county governments to improve service delivery and ensure equitable distribution of resources. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies play a critical role in enhancing efficiency, transparency, and accountability across devolved governance structures. This study investigated the influence of ICT policies on the performance of devolved systems with specific focus on Wajir County, Kenya. Utilizing Public Management Theory and descriptive survey methodology, the findings demonstrate that ICT policy adoption, infrastructure development, and automated procurement systems significantly improve municipal service delivery, citizen engagement, and organizational performance across county administrative departments. INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY POLICIES ON PERFORMANCE OF THE DEVOLVED SYSTEM OF COUNTY GOVERNMENTS: WAJIR COUNTY, KENYA ALI KHALIF1, SAMUEL NYANGAU2 1Master of Public Policy and Administration, Mount Kenya University 2School of Business and Economics, Mount Kenya University Abstract: Devolvement has been promoted as a political response to conflicts, administrative inefficiencies, corruption, economic stagnation, inefficient use of public resource and other ills that characterize centralized governments. In spite of the development of various County Information and Communication Technology policies made to reverse past inequalities through good governance and equitable development, six years into the devolution system in Kenya, there are only a few reported success stories. The study sought to evaluate the effect of Information and Communication Technology policies on performance of devolved system within Wajir County, Kenya. Descriptive research design was used during the study. Moreover, target population was 140 personnel working in the five departments and 30 Members of County Assembly in Wajir County. Slovin's Formula was utilized to establish the sample size. In this study, th