THE CONTRIBUTION OF VOLUNTARY, FAITH BASED AND NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN TURKANA COUNTY, KENYA 1986-2006

Abstract

Abstract: The voluntary, religious and Non-Governmental Organizations have done tremendous work in Kenya in the areas of socio-economic development. It is indicated in this study that these organizations especially Voluntary organizations set foot in Kenya in an attempt to mitigate the suffering of refugees from war torn African countries hosted by Kenya at the Kakuma Refugee Camp located in Turkana County. That is when they discovered that even the local populations were adversely affected by challenges of drought, famine, illiteracy, conflict, cattle rustling and diseases. The study exposes how church organizations, voluntary agencies and NGOS contributed to the socioeconomic development of Turkana County residents in areas of medical, conflict resolution, education and provision of social amenities from 1986 to 2006. This study obtained data from both primary and secondary sources. Interviews were conducted after a purposive sampling. This was preferred so as to target respondents who are NGO officials, government officers and employees of other specialized organizations, such as Civil Society Organizations and Voluntary Agencies. The study also sourced materials from the reports of UN agencies working in Kenya, Voluntary Agencies and funding institutions. Some of the libraries and institutions that were of good help included university libraries, the United Nations Information Centre, British Institute of Eastern Africa, the British Council Library, Institute of African Studies and the internet. The neo-liberal approach as expounded by Kegley and Wittkopf (1997) and Keohane (1995) was adopted as its tool of analysis. The theory advocates that the state should accommodate an array of NGOs, transnational, supra-national and transgovernmental relation and coalition building in an effort to uplift the socio-economic status of the people. It was found out that religious organizations, voluntary agencies and NonGovernmental Organizations collaborate with the Government of Kenya in an attempt to uplift the socioeconomic status of the people of Turkana County.