Village Elders’ Participation in Public Governance in Kenya: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Village elders play an instrumental role in public governance in Kenya. Being at the grassroots level, they are the leaders closest to the people in terms of representing the interests of the government. Since they work as volunteer public servants, a focus on village elders in Kenya provides an interesting perspective to public governance. Globally, governments have embraced citi-zens' involvement in the decision-making process to increase the efficacy of regulation and improvement of the provision of public goods and services. Furthermore, volunteering is one of the ways that community members contribute to good governance, participate in government projects and reduce the public-government gap. Using a social capital theoretical framework, this phenomenological study sought to understand village elders' role in public governance and influence on community members' participation in government agenda. Thirty respondents including ten village elders, seven chiefs, and thirteen community members were purposively chosen to participate in the study. Collected data was analyzed using ATLAS.ti qualitative data analysis software. The study findings revealed that village elders made an attributable contribution to the provision of public goods and services as well as mobilization of community members for public participation.