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Governing Through Development Narrative in the Era of ‘Africa Rising’: Interrogating the County Integrated Development Plan of Kisumu, Kenya

Tefera, Fisseha LU (2018) SIMV29 20181
Department of Political Science
Master of Science in Development Studies
Graduate School
Abstract
The first decade of the 21st century saw a shift in the way Africa is being presented in the media and in major events where development issues of the continent are discussed. The narrative is accompanied by ambitious utopian like ‘vision’ of countries across the continent. This study is aimed at understanding how the narrative of development, during the time when the ‘Africa Rising’ narrative is prominent, is used by the government to govern societies in Kenya by taking the case of Kisumu. The Kisumu County Integrated Development Plan (2013-2017) document, end term review report of the plan period and elite interviews with the local government officials are used as the sources of data. Within the broader governmentality conceptual... (More)
The first decade of the 21st century saw a shift in the way Africa is being presented in the media and in major events where development issues of the continent are discussed. The narrative is accompanied by ambitious utopian like ‘vision’ of countries across the continent. This study is aimed at understanding how the narrative of development, during the time when the ‘Africa Rising’ narrative is prominent, is used by the government to govern societies in Kenya by taking the case of Kisumu. The Kisumu County Integrated Development Plan (2013-2017) document, end term review report of the plan period and elite interviews with the local government officials are used as the sources of data. Within the broader governmentality conceptual framework of Foucault, Tania Murray Li’s concepts of problematization and ‘rendering technical’ are used to understand and locate how power operates in the development arena in Kisumu, Kenya during the period 2013-2017. The findings of the study indicate that ‘mosaic’ planning, public participation and narratives of devolution are the mechanisms by which power operates in the field of development in Kisumu county. This will hopefully contribute to the ongoing theoretical debate on the relevance of the governmentality concept in contexts outside the Western liberal world. Further research through an ethnographic approach will allow in-depth investigation and also gain an understanding of the reaction of the people to this form of power. Similar studies at national and regional level will also allow us to understand the trend at meso and macro level. (Less)
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author
Tefera, Fisseha LU
supervisor
organization
course
SIMV29 20181
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Africa Rising Narrative, Development Planning, Participation, Devolution, Kisumu, Kenya
language
English
id
8957277
date added to LUP
2018-09-07 12:46:17
date last changed
2018-09-07 12:46:17
@misc{8957277,
  abstract     = {{The first decade of the 21st century saw a shift in the way Africa is being presented in the media and in major events where development issues of the continent are discussed. The narrative is accompanied by ambitious utopian like ‘vision’ of countries across the continent. This study is aimed at understanding how the narrative of development, during the time when the ‘Africa Rising’ narrative is prominent, is used by the government to govern societies in Kenya by taking the case of Kisumu. The Kisumu County Integrated Development Plan (2013-2017) document, end term review report of the plan period and elite interviews with the local government officials are used as the sources of data. Within the broader governmentality conceptual framework of Foucault, Tania Murray Li’s concepts of problematization and ‘rendering technical’ are used to understand and locate how power operates in the development arena in Kisumu, Kenya during the period 2013-2017. The findings of the study indicate that ‘mosaic’ planning, public participation and narratives of devolution are the mechanisms by which power operates in the field of development in Kisumu county. This will hopefully contribute to the ongoing theoretical debate on the relevance of the governmentality concept in contexts outside the Western liberal world. Further research through an ethnographic approach will allow in-depth investigation and also gain an understanding of the reaction of the people to this form of power. Similar studies at national and regional level will also allow us to understand the trend at meso and macro level.}},
  author       = {{Tefera, Fisseha}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Governing Through Development Narrative in the Era of ‘Africa Rising’: Interrogating the County Integrated Development Plan of Kisumu, Kenya}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}