Leadership In Kenya Research Articles

Redefining TVET Leadership in Kenya

The alignment of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with industry needs is pivotal for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Kenya. Yet, reliance on global commitment mechanisms, primarily voluntary national reviews (VNRs), has proven insufficient. This forum piece argues for a strategic transition towards voluntary local reviews (VLRs) and incorporating indigenous philosophies, such as Harambee, to better align TVET with SDG objectives. This transition is essential for fostering inclusive, equitable learning environments, enhancing workforce preparedness, and facilitating a community-centric educational model that effectively addresses local needs while contributing to global sustainability goals. Additionally, this forum piece underscores the need for institutional social change to resolve contradictions in current policies that hinder educational systems from reaching their goals. Drawing from a comparative study of TVET governance models in Nairobi, Kenya, and Pittsburgh, USA, this forum piece illustrates how different approaches can align TVET systems with localized educational demands and SDG frameworks, highlighting policy innovation, leadership development, and community engagement as key strategies for redefining TVET leadership.

Influence of Workplace Mentorship Programs on Gender Diversity in Leadership in Kenya

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze influence of workplace mentorship programs on gender diversity in leadership in Kenya. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Research on the influence of workplace mentorship programs on gender diversity in leadership in Kenya highlights several key findings. Studies indicate that mentorship programs significantly enhance the representation of women in leadership roles by providing guidance, networking opportunities, and skill development tailored to address gender-specific barriers. These programs foster a supportive environment where women can gain confidence and visibility, which translates into increased career advancement. The effectiveness of such programs is often amplified by their focus on addressing systemic biases and promoting inclusive practices within organizations. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social learning theory, role congruity theory & transformational leadership theory may be used to anchor future studies on the influence of workplace mentorship programs on gender diversity in leadership in Kenya. Organizations should implement mentorship programs tailored to the specific needs of women in different sectors and career stages. Policymakers and organizations should develop and enforce structured mentorship policies that include regular evaluations, clear objectives, and accountability measures.

‘Constitutions without constitutionalism’ and judicial leadership in Kenya

ABSTRACT Judicial leadership and ‘constitutions without constitutionalism’ are two opposing but useful concepts to demonstrate the oppositional stance taken by a minority of judges in safeguarding the rule of law in Kenya. Okoth-Ogendo accused African states of adopting constitutions not for the sake of rule of law, but to consolidate their hegemonic power through law – what has been termed as ‘rule by law’. I conducted an empirical study on the role of courts in constitution-making in 2018. At the time, the conversations were focused on persistent constitutional problems that garnered immense public-interest litigation: the two-thirds gender principle, and the right to housing. After the empirical study, I followed the trajectory of these judges, some of whom were involved in the subsequent Building Bridges Initiative Case on constitutional amendments by popular initiative. For this reason, I focus on adjudicatory leadership, not only in the two themes of the two-thirds gender principle, and the right to housing, raised in the 2018 study, but also on the BBI cases in constitutional amendments. A central theme is the retaliatory backlash against these few oppositional judges involving huge personal and professional sacrifices.

When Will It Be Our Turn to Lead? An Evaluation of Women's Perceptions on Barriers to Access the Top Positions in Educational Institutions' Leadership in Kenya

This study evaluated women's perceptions of barriers to accessing the top positions in organisations' leadership in Kenya. The study had 3 specific objectives: to determine the women leaders' perceptions of the barriers to accessing top organisational leadership in Kenya; to establish how much support women leaders get in their attempt to access top organisational leadership in Kenya; to investigate the barriers women leaders face in their attempt to access top organisational leadership positions in Kenya. The research was a descriptive study preferred because it provides a comprehensive and accurate picture of the study subjects and to describe the inherent relationships, patterns, and trends demonstrated by the data analysed. The study findings were: women progression to top offices has not been easy, for example over 55% of the female Deputy Principals had stagnated for over 10 years in the same position without promotion. According to the study, about 22% of the respondents blamed patriarchy and gender stereotypes for their lack of promotion. Finally, the study found that family roles remains critical for the respondents. For example, 44% feared that promotion may result being sent far from home, while 39% did not apply for promotions due to family roles

Men’s Contribution in Championing Women Leadership in Kenya: A Case Study of Nairobi County Assembly

This research project embarked on an analysis of men's historical contributions to championing women's leadership in Nairobi County, with a specific focus on the Nairobi County Assembly. The thesis hypothesized that meaningful contributions and advocacy by men could pave the way for achieving gender parity in political leadership. The primary objective was to scrutinize the efficacy of men's contributions in fortifying and sustaining women's leadership, prompted by the persistently low representation of women in political offices despite constitutional mandates like the one-third gender rule in Kenya. Informed by Social Identity Theory and Telic Theory, which shed light on shared identity dynamics and deliberate decision-making in influence and leadership, the study aimed to enhance the understanding of variables shaping the research questions. Methodologically, a comprehensive approach that amalgamated qualitative and quantitative methods was employed, drawing insights from primary and secondary sources. The study focused primarily on county assembly ward committees in Nairobi, the county government executive wing, the county assembly, the national gender commission, and two non-governmental organizations fervently advocating for women's leadership in Nairobi. Respondent selection adhered to a non-probability sampling technique, specifically utilizing a purposive sampling method. Descriptive statistical methods were applied for data processing and analysis. The findings highlighted the multifaceted nature of men's contributions, indicating varied levels of impact across different sectors. While some men played a pivotal role in fostering women's leadership, challenges and disparities persisted. In light of these findings, recommendations have been formulated to inform strategies and interventions aimed at strengthening women's participation and leadership within the intricate political landscape of Nairobi County. This study aspires to contribute to the broader discourse on achieving gender parity in political leadership, building upon the historical contributions and evolving dynamics of men's involvement in championing women's leadership.

Drivers of Gender Imbalance in the Senior Management of the Parliamentary Service Commission of Kenya

Purpose: There have been several studies focussing on gender imbalance among the political leadership in Kenya and the internal workings of the Parliament of Kenya, however, minimal attention has been given to the leadership of the PSC employees. The objectives of this study were to analyse the extent to which promotion criteria, organizational politics, and corporate norms drive gender imbalance in the senior management of PSC.
 Materials and Methods: A descriptive research design guided the study. The research adopted the Skills theory of Leadership and the African Feminism theory. The study population was the permanent and pensionable employees of the PSC. Interviews and a structured questionnaire were used to collect the data efficiently and effectively. The study applied both descriptive and inferential analysis.
 Findings: The study concluded that practices entrenched in the overall organization politics, corporate norms and promotion criteria do significantly influence gender imbalance at the PSC. Individually, the study found out that only promotion criteria had a significant effect on the gender imbalance at the PSC. Specifically, supporting inclusive promotion criteria will help in reducing gender imbalance at the workplace as it will foster better gender representation in positions of senior management. The study found out that organization politics and corporate norms have an insignificant effect on gender imbalance at the PSC.
 Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study, therefore, recommended that supporting inclusive promotion criteria will help in reducing gender imbalance at the PSC as it will foster better gender representation in positions of senior management. Further, the PSC should consider using affirmative action in the selection of their senior management to achieve the two-thirds gender principle. Another recommendation is that the PSC needs to implement and enforce a gender policy, as provided for in its Strategic Plan. This policy needs to be well communicated and disseminated to all employees. The study recognizes the importance of mentorship and coaching programs in shaping women’s views and perceptions of leadership and in building their confidence.

Popular Culture and Political Repression: The Rejection of Political Repression through Language

This paper does a Critical Discourse Analysis on popular songs in Kenya to show that the artists are cognizant of the evils committed by the political elite and condemn them. The paper investigates, analyzes and interprets discourse in Kikuyu popular songs to show how language has been used resist oppression by the political class in Kenya. The Kikuyu popular artists use language to represent the political leadership in Kenya, condemning them for misuse of their positions to oppress the citizenry. Popular music can be a site of political discourse, it and a field to challenge the elite’s dominant ideology. People do not consume popular culture mindlessly and passively, instead they use it in their lives in innovative ways. The artists aim at emancipating the masses through their songs. To create a common ground with their listeners, the artists first categorize the leaders as greedy and selfish by highlighting their evils. The artists use language as tool to advance the welfare of the nation by castigating those in leadership. Using the analytical tools of CDA, this paper points out that popular culture is not just for entertainment but a powerful tool for advocating for proper utilization of national resources and condemning the excesses of those in authority

Exploring the paradox of gender preferred leadership in Kenya: a GLOBE study on gender egalitarianism and women in leadership

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore gender gaps, values and practices in a Sub-Saharan African (SSA) country, specifically to identify gender inequality in Kenyan leadership and propose suggestions for advancing gender equity.Design/methodology/approachThis Kenya study replicated the research design of the Global Leadership and Organizational Behaviour Effectiveness Project for gathering country data. It sampled middle and upper management in the commercial sector (finance and agriculture) and added the civic sectors of health care and education, using quantitative research (267 managers in over 100 organizations) and qualitative research design (30 interviewees from 23 organizations).FindingsGender had no apparent effect on leadership attributes nor on preferred modes of leadership. Statistical and thematic analysis revealed conflicting values and behaviours regarding gender equality and leadership. A high cultural dimension score on practices reflects a traditional leadership approach for male dominance, referred to as the Bwana Kubwa model. However, a high value score for gender equality reflects a more contemporary perspective, identified as the Inspirational Idealist. The gender gap presents a cultural paradox and a leadership constraint.Research limitations/implicationsThe Inspirational Idealist model advances African leadership theory as it identifies a preferred value-based paradigm of effective performance-based leadership. This is contrary to the prevalent patriarchal practices of the Bwana Kubwa (Big Boss) model, which reflects biased gendered preference.Practical implicationsMale and female leaders need to challenge the status quo and align leadership practices with the articulated cultural values expressed as an Inspirational Idealist model. It has considerable relevance to advancing African leadership theory and informing culturally relevant policies and contextualized practices focused on gender equity in leadership.Originality/valueThis research on practices and values pertaining to gender equality of Kenyan managers is the first in-depth managerial leadership study of any SSA country. It is unique in that it broadened the scope of study to include professional sectors, gender, age and ethnicity variables.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling In Kenya: Defining Attributes Of Trailblazing Women in Higher Education Leadership Positions

Patriarchal issues, in which the women's role was to always take care of the family and pursue motherly duties have hampered women’s quest for ascendency to leadership positions, and more so in Africa. Yet, as the years and generations pass, women are just as capable to be a leader in big companies, yet due to past traditions they are still viewed as the caretaker of the family. The objective of the study was to presents in detail the attributes of the women trailblazers in higher education leadership in Kenya. A feminist approach problematizes the gendered relations in universities which research has pointed to inequalities in the distribution of resources and opportunities.This study is situated within the African Feminist theoretical framework because it is central to the fight against oppression of women in Africa and has granted women a platform to voice their concerns. The plank of African feminism postulates that, in many parts of Africa, women strive to bear and rear children in addition to having economic and political roles. This theory underpinned this study because African feminist perspective problematizes the blatant discrimination against women in all cadres, particularly in leadership levels across institutions. The study was qualitative in nature and was based on a census survey design. The research targeted 107 women in leadership ranks of principals, research centers’ directors, deans, and heads of departments, as well as deputy vice-chancellors and vice-chancellors across the 32 public universities.The results from the study are mainly based on a verbatim narrative of 18 women leaders in response to the research questions. Some of the 18 participants currently occupy senior leadership positions and small number of former leaders that have since completed their terms, retired or moved on to leadership positions outside the university. Overall the respondents are associated with 12 of the 32 public universities in Kenya. The study answered the research question: What is the defining attributes of the women in higher education leadership in Kenya? The study found that the attributes can be broadly categorized as leadership style and quest for identity, the right skillset, education, and training, activism and collaboration, reliance on role models and mentors, demonstration of ambition and standing out, and being an embodiment of spiritual values. The study concluded that it’s through the exposition of this attributes that the women in higher education leadership have been able to break the glass ceiling.

Midwifery workforce education, planning and leadership in Kenya and Nigeria.

Abstract not availale.

The development of task sharing policy and guidelines in Kenya

BackgroundThe global critical shortage of health workers prevents expansion of healthcare services and universal health coverage. Like most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya’s healthcare workforce density of 13.8 health workers per 10,000 population falls below the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of at least 44.5 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 10,000 population. In response to the health worker shortage, the WHO recommends task sharing, a strategy that can increase access to quality health services. To improve the utilization of human and financial health resources in Kenya for HIV and other essential health services, the Kenya Ministry of Health (MOH) in collaboration with various institutions developed national task sharing policy and guidelines (TSP). To advance task sharing, this article describes the process of developing, adopting, and implementing the Kenya TSP.Case presentationThe development and approval of Kenya’s TSP occurred from February 2015 to May 2017. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allocated funding to Emory University through the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Advancing Children’s Treatment initiative. After obtaining support from leadership in Kenya’s MOH and health professional institutions, the TSP team conducted a desk review of policies, guidelines, scopes of practice, task analyses, grey literature, and peer-reviewed research. Subsequently, a Policy Advisory Committee was established to guide the process and worked collaboratively to form technical working groups that arrived at consensus and drafted the policy. The collaborative, multidisciplinary process led to the identification of gaps in service delivery resulting from health workforce shortages. This facilitated the development of the Kenya TSP, which provides a general orientation of task sharing in Kenya. The guidelines list priority tasks for sharing by various cadres as informed by evidence, such as HIV testing and counseling tasks. The TSP documents were disseminated to all county healthcare facilities in Kenya, yet implementation was stopped by order of the judiciary in 2019 after a legal challenge from an association of medical laboratorians.ConclusionsTask sharing may increase access to healthcare services in resource-limited settings. To advance task sharing, TSP and clinical practice could be harmonized, and necessary adjustments made to other policies that regulate practice (e.g., scopes of practice). Revisions to pre-service training curricula could be conducted to ensure health professionals have the requisite competencies to perform shared tasks. Monitoring and evaluation can help ensure that task sharing is implemented appropriately to ensure quality outcomes.

The Role of Patriarchy, Women’s Participation in Electing a Woman into Top Political Leadership of Kenya

Leadership is not only contextual, but it’s also significantly influenced by the patriarchal society. Unequivocally there is no consensus as to why women are underrepresented in the top echelons of the country. Since its inception, the Kenyan government patriarchy has taken the center stage and even the women who fought for independence were never considered for leadership but were relegated to the periphery. The 2022 general elections in Kenya come at a time when the two-third gender rule has never been implemented. Even with Maraga ruling that the president dissolves parliament for failing to implement the two-thirds gender rule, it was also unheeded. On the other hand, the patriarchal government has presented and nominated a woman for the position of Deputy President in the Azimio coalition. This is a position that has been received with mixed feelings, some with celebration and others with disgust. This disgust is based on their particular inclination. The question remains was she put there with good faith, or it’s just to become a stepladder to help the Azimio coalition to gain mirage? Bearing in mind the entrenchment of the patriarchal ideologies in most tribes in Kenya will men vote for a woman in the office of the deputy president in Kenya? These are the issues feminist leaders are wrestling with. The purpose of this paper is to establish the barriers that hinder women from being elected to the top echelon of the leadership of this country, and secondly, to discuss the role of patriarchy in keeping women away from the decision-making table and the top leadership of the nation. The paper provides a solution to enhancing women’s election into the top leadership in Kenya. It suggests that men must champion the election of a woman into top leadership. It contributes toward breaking the glass ceiling and political gender inequality, and suggests inclusivity as a way forward in having a woman in the top leadership of a country. Also, the partnership between men and women to support and elect a woman leader is a prerogative. Breaking the glass ceiling and electing a woman to the top leadership position of being the deputy president in Kenya brings hope and inspiration not only to the Kenyan women but also to the whole society.

Volunteer public leaders’ values-driven leadership: the case of village elders in Kenya

Village eldership, though a voluntary and non-salaried position, plays a crucial role in public leadership in Kenya. The choice of village elders has to be done in line with expected roles but guided, importantly, by the values needed for the office. Generally, some values (such as altruism, solidarity, reciprocity, equity, social justice, among others) are considered distinctive to active volunteers as they influence their outcomes and prosocial behaviour variation. The purpose of this study was to establish the relevance of values in volunteer leadership in the public sector in Kenya, and specifically focused on village elders. Thirty respondents (composed of village elders, chiefs and community members) were purposively chosen to participate in this qualitative study. The study, which was guided by the servant leadership framework, revealed that peace, respect, harmonious living, relationships, justice, honesty, and hard work are important values for volunteer leadership. These values influenced the village elders' attributable contribution, guided them in decision-making, and earned them respect while also providing them with the mandate to lead. The study contributes to the field of volunteerism by highlighting the place of values in public service leadership in Kenya, and in relation to village elders.

“Why Do You Behave Like That?”: Anthropological Inroads into Leadership in Kenya

“Why Do You Behave Like That?”: Anthropological Inroads into Leadership in Kenya

Liberationist Icon or Conservative Leader? Ismael Mwai Mabiu’s Afro-Pentecostalism and Ecclesiastical Leadership in Kenya

This article sets out to retrieve the oral histories of a pioneer African Christian at Kagumo Full Gospel Churches of Kenya (FGCK), namely Rev. Ismael Mwai-Mabiu. Mwai-Mabiu offered exceptional leadership as he sought to revive the Mount Kenya region and the entire Kenyan nation, particularly in the mid-1940s–1980s and 2000–2012, through his oral “liberation theological discourses.” These efforts were well captured in his preaching as a roving pastor in mass seminars and in evangelism. His Afro-Pentecostal theology, which he propounded in the FGCK (a church he co-founded), provided the forum that he used as a platform to launch and advance his liberationist Afro-Pentecostal approach. Was Mwai-Mabiu a liberationist or a conservative ecclesiastical leader in his theo-social doctrinal matters; or was he seeking to indigenise theological discourses in his Afro-Pentecostal outfit? The concern of this article is to unearth the nature of leadership that Mwai-Mabiu employed and to describe the relevance of his Afro-Pentecostal oral and liberationist theologies. What were his fundamental concerns? Was his “ministry” evangelised in a cultural vacuum, rather than an inclusive environment that relied upon already existing networks of the host area of ecclesiastical operation? The methodology of this article comprises interviews conducted in four phases: 1) with Mwai-Mabiu himself; 2) with his wife; 3) with three focus discussion groups (FDGs) in interviews between 2016 and 2018; and 4) by the researcher with people closely related to him, namely Bishop Joshua Kiongo Kimani, assistant Bishop Rev. Joseph Muriithi Karugendo, elder Joseph Munene, elder Benson Ngiri, and the pioneers of the FGCK. Later, in May to October 2019, the researcher conducted further research to seek clarification on some areas that did not come out clearly during the first interviews. A review of the relevant literature was also conducted.

Impact of National Cultures on Global Leadership in Kenya

This paper examines the effects of national cultures on a Sglobal organizational leadership and how to understand and handle the cultures effectively. The paper examines the trends in the 21 st Century organizations and their relevance to global leadership practices especially the rapid development of technology and globalization which have led to the need for prioritizing the marketing function and its demand for diversity in the human capital and so has led to cultural diversity in the organizations themselves. The paper discusses the impacts of these cultures on the basis of the Hofstede cultural dimensions which are then discussed, each with its possible impact on the organization and how it can be handled in the Kenyan context. Keywords: Globalization, culture, diversity, cultural dimensions DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-18-06 Publication date: June 30th 2020

Effect of Emotion Focused Coping Techniques of Stress Management on Secondary School Student Leadership in Kenya

There are many factors in student leadership which predispose student leaders to high levels of stress. This include; students discipline, communication, enforcing school rules, decision making and balancing leadership and academic roles. The increase in student leaders stress is alarming thus the need to focus on stress management techniques that they employ. This study assessed the effect of emotion focused coping techniques of stress management and secondary school student leadership in, Kenya. The study hypotheses stated that` there was no significant effect of emotion focused coping techniques and secondary school student leadership. Emotion focused coping technique is a personal effort to deal with negative feelings caused by a stressful event and may include venting, rumination, emotional support and religion. Student leadership refers to the roles that student leaders participate in within the school setting which involve, communication, Students discipline, coordination decision making, Planning, and monitoring of student’s activities. The Cognitive Appraisal theory was applied in the study. The research designs used were descriptive and correlational in nature. The target population was 4143 respondents out of which were 3825 student leaders, 159 head teachers and 159 deputy head teachers within 159 secondary schools in Kenya. Stratified random sampling technique and saturated sampling technique were used to select 1275 student leaders, 53 deputy head teachers and 53 head teachers as respondents for the study. Data was harvested using questionnaires and interview schedules. Pearson r correlation, percentages and frequency counts was used in data analysis. Study results indicate that there was weak positive correlation between emotion focused coping techniques and student leadership [r = .197, n=1126, p<.05. The study also revealed the existence of a weak effect of emotion focused coping technique on student leadership. In the current study, it was recommended that student leaders require training in stress management techniques, emotional awareness and leadership training.

Democracy, ethics and social justice: Implications for secondary school leadership in Kenya

Principals in Kenyan schools are required to adopt democratic school leadership practises as part of the government policy. Adopting an interpretive case study, this paper set out to explore the application of democracy, ethics and social justice in secondary schools in Kenya. The study was in two phases. Phase one: twelve school principals were interviewed to explore their perspectives on democratic school leadership and establish the rationale for selecting two case schools. Phase two: an in-depth case study was conducted in the two schools. Interviews, focus group discussions, observation and informal conversations were used to generate data. The findings suggest that the principals, teachers and students each perceive and apply democratic school leadership differently based on individual as well as the school socio-cultural context. These contrasting views provide grounds for further discourse on the phenomenon. The paper recommends formal training for principals through in-service courses. Inclusion of democratic school leadership principles in teacher training programmes and an inculcation of democratic school leadership practices/values in the school curriculum for students to create a shared vision and understanding of these concepts for the success of the school. Keywords: democracy; ethics; leadership practices; social justice

Rethinking Ethical Leadership in Kenya: Adopting A New Paradigm

Rethinking Ethical Leadership in Kenya: Adopting A New Paradigm

Book Review: Trails in Academic and Administrative Leadership in Kenya: A Memoir

Book Title: Trails in Academic and Administrative Leadership in Kenya: A Memoir Book Author: Ratemo Waya Michieka Boston: Beacon Press (2016)