Administrative Impact Of Restructured Provincial Administration On Selected Aspects Of Maintenance Of Law And Order In Kenya In 2010-2014: A Case Study Of Bomet County

Abstract

This study sought to investigate administrative impact of Restructured Provincial Administration (RPA) as independent variable on maintenance of law and order as dependent variable in Bomet County, Kenya in 2010-2014. Based on the theory of legitimate domination, it focused on four selected aspects of maintenance of law and order measured in 2006-2010 and in 2010-2014. These formed the objectives of the study and include: analysis of the nature and causes of crimes committed, establishing the frequency of joint security operations on illicit brews and reasons for not conducting them, establishing the duration of response to scenes of crimes and why and establishing the frequency of security committees meetings and what informed them. It employed a descriptive survey design, which targeted 223 security officers with a sample of 143 respondents drawn from four security agencies purposively chosen, namely the Provincial Administration, the Kenya Police Service, the Administration Police Service and the National Intelligence Service. Data was collected through a structured open and closed ended questionnaire and analysis of written records. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics tabulated using computer Statistical Program for Social Sciences and the MS Excel. The findings were interpreted and presented in percentages and frequency graphs and charts. The findings were: that the RPA had significant negative administrative consequences on the selected aspects in 2010-2014 compared to the similar period before, the RPA contributed to increased personal, property and statutory crimes, the frequency of joint security operations on illicit brews dropped from weekly basis to monthly and need basis, the duration of response to scenes of crimes increased from minutes to hours, and that the frequency of security committees meetings increased to weekly and need basis from monthly and need basis. The new command structure in the RPA, independent security institutions, inadequate resources and entry of County government, all had negative administrative impact on the fight against crimes, the frequency of joint operations on illicit brews, the duration of response to scenes of crimes, and the frequency of security committees meetings in 2010-2014. The government should consider re-restructuring the four security agencies to overcome overlapping chain of command to enhance enforcement and coordination, establish a clear law and policy on liquor that is universal to all Counties to streamline joint operations on illicit brews, avail adequate resources to enhance response to scenes of crimes and fully operationalize Article 239 (5) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 to empower security committees.