An Assessment of Collaborative Development Based Approach on Poverty Reduction in Kenya: Case of Kenya Government and Civil Society Organizations

The government of Kenya has initiated several national development plans and policies to generate wealth and ensure fast economic growth so as to reduce high poverty rates in the country. To achieve this, the government is working closely with several stakeholders, especially the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in order to attain a broad based, sustainable development for the welfare of her population. It is strongly believed that poverty alleviation needs concerted efforts so that the escalating poverty rates can be tackled effectively. The state and non state actors have vital roles to play in confronting the challenges posed by escalating poverty levels in the country. The war against poverty, diseases and ignorance has not been won fifty years since independence. The government has put in place several measures on poverty reduction without much success. The civil society has also instituted poverty reduction strategies with minimal gains. It is crystal clear that about half of the total population in Kenya is poor. Efforts geared towards poverty reduction in the country have not been fruitful because of the rising poverty and inequality rates in parts of the country. In response the government has initiated new strategies of collaborating with non state stakeholders through broad based consultations and participation. It is therefore important to investigate and critically assess Kenya’s claims of stakeholders’ collaboration, inclusion and quality participation. To this end , it is important to know who participated, in what way did they participate, in whose term did they participate, at what levels did they participate and what has been the strategic results of these in poverty reduction process. The purpose of this paper therefore is to assess the performance of stakeholders’ collaboration and participation in alleviating poverty in Kenya. The study seeks to provide an overview of the stakeholders’ participation in poverty eradication programs and identify the achievements and challenges facing the partnership approach to poverty reduction process in Kenya. Keywords: Poverty Reduction Strategy, Kenya Government &Civil Society