Abstract: Devolution, as other types of decentralization, profoundly changes governance relations in the health system. Devolution is meant to affect performance of the health system by transferring responsibilities and authority to locally elected governments. This study aimed to establish the effect of devolved health on the performance of the health sector in Kenya. The guiding objectives included: To establish the influence of devolved procurement on the performance of the health sector; to determine the effect of devolved leadership on the performance of the health sector; to evaluate the effect of devolved resources on the performance of the health sector; and to establish the effect of devolved policy and regulatory framework on the performance of the health sector in Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The target population was 572 patients and health care providers from Kiambu County. Stratified sampling method was adopted at the rate of 10% to come up with a sample size of 57 respondents. Primary data was collected using questionnaires from all the respondents. Secondary data was sourced from health sector reports in Kenya from the year 2015 to 2016. The collected data was then analyzed through frequencies and percentages to enable the research come up with conclusions and recommendations for the study. The research employed the assistance of some computer tools, including the Statistical Programs for Social Sciences (SPSS) and excel version 16 to analyze the data quantitatively. The analyzed data was presented in the form of graphs tables and charts. The Study established that devolution process has not been fully implemented and its effect has not been fully experienced in the health sector. The sector performance was averagely rated in the study and its contribution to GDP reduced by 0.5 percent by the end of the year 2016. The devolved procurement process, organizational leadership, resources allocation and availability as well as policy and regulatory framework had a significant influence on the performance of the level four hospitals and the overall health sector. It was recommended that the health sector players should improve in financing of critical health investment areas, particularly those relating to improving quality of care.
Keywords: Statistical Programs for Social Sciences (SPSS), GDP, GOOD MEDICAL CARE.
Title: Effect of Devolved Health Sector in Kenya on Accessible Good Medical Care: A Case Study of Kiambu County
Author: Muritu George Gathecha, Daniel Kamau, Dr Kepha Ombui
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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