What happened to the PRSP in Kenya? The role of politics

The article situates experiences of implementing poverty reduction strategies within the Kenyan socio-political context. It looks at different factors affecting these experiences and draws links with the challenges and opportunities involved. The author also looks at how the PRSP process and subsequent ERSP (Economic Recovery Strategic Paper) are inter-linked with political changes within the country. The article concludes with recommendations for institutionalising participation in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national poverty reduction strategies. Specifically, the author focuses on issues of political dynamics, governance and accountability in Kenya and suggests that strengthening these systems would work best if also done in conjunction with building citizen monitoring structures by a strategic combination of civil society action and foreign donor support.