Good Governance and Ethics in Institutional Leadership: A Review of County Governments in Kenya

Good governance is essential in providing structures and processes that ensure accountability, responsiveness, transparency and adherence to the rule of law. It entails rules, policies, laws that guide activities which entrench of a culture of excellence. Consequently, leaders steer their administrations in the right direction by implementing sound governance systems. On the other hand, ethics provides a moral compass, which is critical in determining right and wrong actions. This enhances personal responsibility and promotes social order. Good governance and ethics are therefore complimentary concepts that are significant in ensuring that institutions achieve their mandate. The role of good governance and ethics in the political leadership in Kenya cannot be overlooked. The enactment of The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 saw the establishment of a decentralised system of government, comprising 47 Counties. This presented a new frontier for accelerating development and service delivery to the citizenry. However, Counties have been marred with political, fiscal and administrative challenges. It is therefore essential to assess the role of good governance and ethics in Kenya's decentralized system, which can contribute in addressing these emerging challenges. This includes addressing the capacity of the leaders, governance systems and structures as well the need for establishing an ethical culture.