Training for Local Government
| Date | 01 April 1961 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1099-162X.1961.tb01267.x |
| Published date | 01 April 1961 |
Training
for
Local
Government
by R. C.
PROSSER
Department
of
Extra-Mural
Studies, Makerere College
In
July
1960 this Journal published an article by
Mr.
R.
Tatt6n Brown
entitled, "Local Government in the African Areas
of
Kenya."1The
reference
in that article tofinancial advisers was expanded by lvIr.
A.
Altorfer in an
article entitled "Financial Officers in the Ministry
of
Local Government,
Kenya,"2 which was published in January 196
I.
The
reference
to training is
expanded in the following article.
Local government development in Kenya
KENYA,
acolony diverse in racial
and
cultural
traditions, set on a course
toward
self-government of a
unitary
kind, requires astrong
and
well-organized system
of
local government. This system
must
at
the
same time give
an
outlet to local
feelings
and
enthusiasms
and
take
into
account
local custom
and
tribal entity
without
destroying
the
central
structure.
In
addition
to
the
foregoing, all
the
normal
reasons for
the
development of
local
government
hold good in
Kenya:
atraining for
democracy;
the
bringing
of
government
as close to
the
people as possible; encouraging
them
to
playa
greater
and
more
responsible
part
in
the
affairs of
government;
and
the
develop-
ment
of
the
initiative which leads to self-improvement.
It
would be a mistake to say
that
there
was no local
government
before
the
birth
of
Kenya
as we now know it, for there was a form
of
administration
suited
to
the
tribal organization of society;
and
this was used as far as possible in
developing
the
present system
more
suited to
modern
conditions.
The
first
landmark
was in 1924,
when
Local
Native
Councils were instituted.
These
councils,
though
largely advisory
and
chaired
by
the
district commis-
sioner,
marked
the
beginning of a formal organized system
of
local
government.
There
was a steady development of these bodies until in 1950
the
African
District Councils
Ordinance
was passed, giving a far
wider
range
of
powers to
the
councils
and
enlarging
their
scope considerably.
In
1959,
the
African
District Councils
Ordinance
was
amended
to provide for
the
development
of
Locational
Councils,
which
were to be developed
within
the
African district
council
area.
Within
the
general framework
of
development,
the
individual councils
have
grown
with
varying
speed.
The
Northern
Frontier
Province
with
its
huge
districts
and
spaces,
poor
and
sparsely
populated
with
a
primarily
nomadic
people, has yet to begin its development, or
perhaps
no
comparable
system to
African district councils will be possible in these areas
with
a
population
of
about
two to
the
square
mile.
The
African District Council
of
Elgon
Nyanza,
on
the
other
hand,
has
now
its
own
elected
chairman,
a
majority
of
elected
members,
and
it organizes
and
manages
its affairs
with
a
minimum
of
central
government
control.
The
remainder
of
the
26 African district councils lie
somewhere between these two extremes.
To
draw
a
general
picture
within
this
1
J.A.A.,
Vol.
XII,
NO.3,
p. 147.
2
J.A.A.,
Vol.
XIII,
No.
I,
p.
II.
98
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