Gender dimensions in management of decentralised resources in Kenya

In the last three decades, there has been a near-universal quest for decentralisation of state functions to lower levels of political governance. At the same time, advocacy for gender equality and non-discrimination can today be said to have truly gathered international momentum. In Kenya, both the decentralization and gender equality movements are at their peak as is clearly demonstrated through the constitution review discourse. To a large extent, the Proposed New Constitution of Kenya recognized the need for decentralization as well as entrenchment of mechanisms to advance gender equity. Away from the constitution review process, the National Gender Commission, among other organs, has been established to pursue the rights of women. The plethora of local development funding mechanisms, which are the subject of this study, represents progress on the decentralization front. These mechanisms include, for instance, the Local Authorities Transfer Fund Act and the Constituencies Development Fund Act. This study, conducted by the Centre for Law and Research International (CLARION), explores the link between the decentralization and gender equality movements. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the two movements, aside from being almost simultaneously anchored, share concerns, which may be harnessed to further the realization of their entwined concerns. The dimensions of gender in the nascent decentralization initiatives in Kenya are scrutinized with a view to assessing whether the women’s course has been advanced in the process. Solutions are also suggested in this regard. This is a unique investigation that discusses gender in the context of decentralization of resources.