Kenya

For the past two decades, experiments in decentralization and federalization have been developing in Africa, Asia, and the formerly communist states of Eastern Europe.... Show More + Many of the powers previously in the hands of the central government or its de-concentrated structures have been transferred to lower government layers. Additionally, local governments are gradually emerging as development actors. Whatever the reasons for decentralization, the transfer of new functions to local governments can be substantive, at least in intent. This publication offers a new policy-oriented implementation model, applied systematically in parallel in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal. The book studies the individual countries and compares similar issues based on the same blueprint. The analysis is not intended to assess whether the chosen decentralization model is the right one, which does not exist. Rather, it examines decentralization achievements in specific national settings and compares those achievements with the announced objectives. The divergences revealed enable decision makers to choose appropriate directions for country reform. This method does not transpose textbook solutions to the states. The reference framework offers an analytical approach contextualized to each country that integrates not only economic arguments, but also sociopolitical ones. The authors propose an analytical guide founded on political and institutional economy. They analyze decentralized policies that help stakeholders to identify the issues, point out stumbling blocks, and ensure coherent decisions on decentralization. Show Less -

This book constitutes one of the main outputs of the School Fee Abolition Initiative (SFAI). The initiative, launched in 2005 by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)... Show More + and the World Bank, was designed to support countries in maintaining and accelerating progress toward universal primary education as outlined in the Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All (EFA) goals. Specifically, SFAI strengthens country efforts to eliminate school fees and/or implement targeted exemptions, subsidizations, and incentives to reduce education costs for the poor. The initiative has now grown into a broad partnership through the involvement of other key development partners and constituencies as well as research and academic institutions. SFAI promotes access to quality basic education worldwide through three specific and interlinked goals. The first is to construct a knowledge base on school fee abolition in order to inform sound and sustainable policies, strategies, and interventions. SFAI recognizes that school fee abolition is a complex process that requires both the development of a credible database and the solid analysis that builds on lessons learned from experience. The second goal is to provide guidance and support to countries in planning and implementing school fee abolition policies. Engagement by SFAI partners is taking the form of both technical and financial assistance within the framework of ongoing national planning processes. The third goal is to advance the global policy dialogue on the financial barriers to education access and to build on existing EFA partnerships. The result will ensure a good understanding of the complexities involved in school fee abolition, facilitate the articulation of complementary roles, and create an environment for success. Show Less -

The two volumes of Understanding Civil War build upon the World Bank's prior research on conflict and violence, particularly on the work of Paul Collier and Anke Hoeffler,... Show More + whose model of civil war onset has sparked much discussion on the relationship between conflict and development in what came to be known as the "greed" versus "grievance" debate. The authors systematically apply the Collier-Hoeffler model to 15 countries in 6 different regions of the world, using a comparative case study methodology to revise and expand upon economic models of civil war. (The countries selected are Burundi, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, Sudan, Algeria, Mali, Senegal, Indonesia, Lebanon, Russian Federation, Colombia, Northern Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Caucasus.) The book concludes that the "greed" versus "grievance" debate should be abandoned for a more complex model that considers greed and grievance as inextricably fused motives for civil war. Show Less -

This report attempts to fill that gap for two of the most important water-related issues facing the effects of climate variability and the steady degradation of the... Show More + nation's water resources. The study reported here concluded that the El Niño-La Niña episode from 1997-2000 cost the country Ksh 290 billion (about 14 percent of GDP during that period). During El Niño-induced floods, this cost primarily arises from destruction of infrastructure such as roads, water supply infrastructure, and pipe networks. The largest costs incurred during the La Niña droughts (1998-2000) were from loss of industrial production and other costs arising from reduced hydropower generation, as well as from crop and livestock losses. These costs are felt throughout Kenyan society. Show Less -

The World Bank'sGlobal Conference on Comprehensive Legal and Judicial Development in June 2000 offered an unprecedented opportunity to exchange views on reform, to compare... Show More + results achieved and lessons learned, and to discuss the need for revised agendas and new goals for the future. This report comprises selections from that forum and includes the following topics: which addressed the following questions: What are the elements for a successful legal and judicial system? What alternatives exist for holding governments accountable? Can laws and institutions give voice to the poor? what informal mechanisms exist for dispute resolution and contract enforcement? What conditions are necessary for the judiciary to curb corruption? How do the media support the reform process? What conditions are necessary for an independent yet accountable judiciary? How does legal training improve participation in the reform process? How does global knowledge sharing foster civil society participation? How can effective strategies be developed for law and justice programs? Included is ann an%Included is an an epilogue by Dr. Mamphela Ramphele entitled, "Perceptions of the Rule of Law in Transitional Strategies." Author biographies follow. Show Less -

Without rapid and substantial improvements in education access and quality, broader poverty reduction efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa will be thwarted. This report argues... Show More + that at the cusp of the 21st century, the opportunity to address the often intractable problems of education in Sub-Saharan Africa is perhaps greater than at any time in the past two decades. Economic growth has resumed in many countries; the political commitment to education development is strong; and new democracies have created a more favorable environment for the participation of civil society and communities in policy formulation and program implementation. Also, information and communication technology offer new opportunities to overcome the constraints of distance and time. Finally, increased debt relief and stronger international partnerships in favor of education will help ease the financing constraints on accelerating education development. The report proposes a strategy and a program of action for the World Bank's Africa Region, which is striving to support countries in their efforts to accelerate education development. It summarizes the challenges facing education development in Africa, suggests key elements of country responses, discusses the implications of these responses, and proposes actions for improving the Bank's effectiveness as a partner in education development. In doing so, it lays the groundwork for future increases of World Bank support for education development in Africa. Show Less -

This study presents the main findings of an evaluation of the impact of the World Bank's support of projects for agricultural extension services in Kenya during 1982... Show More + - 1998. Since 1982, the training and visit (T&V) management system was adopted for extension services in the country, subject of debate on its perceived high costs, and apparent lack of impact on agricultural production, arguing its efficacy vs. alternative mechanisms for delivering extension advice. The evaluation in this report presents a theory based approach to systematically gather empirical evidence to establish the likely impact of the projects. Following a results-based management framework, the report relates the results in the field, to those of the projects' inputs. Intermediate output and outcome indicators are measured to assess the performance of the extension system, and confirm impact potentiality. The study concludes that it appears there has been no appreciable improvement in the effectiveness of extension services; institutional development is limited, thus, conducive to a continued weak management. This led to rationalize the extension services through alternative approaches. The report suggests recommendations on targeting practices for improved extension services, and develop information systems for better monitoring and evaluation results. The intensity of visits should be replaced by wider coverage, through a more dynamic and responsive delivery system, focusing on empowering farme Show Less -

The importance of an appropriate legal framework reflecting the cultural, sociopolitical, and economic circumstances of a country is now widely considered to be an important... Show More + element in the development process. The latest recognition of this link may be found in the Comprehensive Development Framework adopted by the World Bank, where the second pillar underscores the fact that no equitable development is possible without, among other things, an effective system of property, contract, labor, bankruptcy, commercial codes, personal rights laws, and other elements of a comprehensive legal system. This study presents a historical perspective of legal reform programs in Africa, especially after the post-independence period. It then reviews the experience to be discerned from World Bank-financed legal reform projects in Africa, which have the primary objective of promoting private sector development. It focuses primarily on legislative reform, that is, reform of substantive laws and subsidiary legislation, and activities designed to ensure the appropriate application of the new texts, such as capacity building and strengthening of legal institutions, including the ministries responsible for justice, the judiciary, and the legal profession. Show Less -

This study examines the state of agricultural incentives in Sub-Saharan Africa, taking stock of the current policy environment and its recent evolution. The global price... Show More + environment is examined together with the macroeconomic, export crop, food crop, and fertilizer policies in sixteen African countries. Policy diamonds are constructed as incentive indicators reflecting the state of macroeconomic and agricultural policies relative to a perceived frontiers. The study attempts to determine the factors inhibiting countries from moving towards this frontier. The study highlights several continuing policy challenges that sub-Saharan Africa faces to ensure appropriate agricultural incentives to stimulate growth. These include: coping with agricultural commodity price decline and fluctuation; securing access to foreign markets and in particular meeting the sanitary and phytosanitary requirements; removing continuing domestic trade barriers; stabilizing macroeconomic policies; enhancing the institutional framework and the credibility of rules; removing the remnants of marketing boards in many African countries; removing excessive agricultural taxation and ensuring public rural investment; improving transportation infrastructure; encouraging public and private sector partnership and dealing with aid in input markets. Show Less -

Over 245 river basins are shared by two or more states. About 40 percent of the world population and 50 percent of its land are either dependent on or stand to benefit... Show More + from the waters available in these basins. For the most part, the uses of international waterways by the respective riparian states are carried out peacefully in spite of the lack of a universal agreement on the law governing their non-navigational uses (the UN Convention on this matter was at long last opened for signature on May 21, 1997, but has not yet entered into force). However, lack of adequate cooperation and outright disputes among some riparians hinder the optimal utilization of many international waterways to the detriment of all their basin states. Times has come to replace the old divergent approaches representing conflicting interest of upstream and downstream riparians by an approach that emphasizes cooperative and comprehensive management which benefits all the riparians while ensuring the most efficient and environmentally friendly uses of river basins. The World Bank has financed a large number of projects in international waterways. In 1985, the Bank adopted detailed rules and procedures for financing of this type of projects (OP 7.50 and BP 7.50). The Bank's approach in this area has certainly influenced the progressive development of international law. Show Less -