Leadership styles adopted by county government officials in Taita Taveta County, Kenya, and their influence on socio-economic conflicts

Abstract

Leadership practices remain an influential component of governance in Kenya’s devolved system, particularly in counties experiencing frequent social and economic conflicts. Even after the state’s devolution policy of 2013, Taita Taveta County continues to experience conflicts over land, natural resources, development, and public participation, raising questions about the leadership style county government leaders practice among residents. This study aimed to determine the leadership style practiced by county government leaders in Taita Taveta County and establish the effect it had on social and economic conflicts following devolution. The study was guided by Conflict Transformation Theory and Dependency Theory and adopted a descriptive research design. The target population was 800, selected from government institutions, government agencies, political leaders, civil society, community groups, and residents in Taita Taveta County. The study used a sample size of 380 respondents selected from the target population using simple random and purposive sampling methods. Questionnaires, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), oral interviews, and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were the methods used to collect data. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. The researcher used triangulation methods by comparing and contrasting themes with documents and secondary literature related to the research topic. The study revealed that county government leaders mostly practiced consultative, participatory, transformational, and autocratic leadership styles. Consultative leadership style was the most practiced and preferred leadership style in conflict resolution, followed by participatory and transformational leadership styles. On the other hand, autocratic leadership style was associated with decision-making with no stakeholder involvement. The study also established that consultative, participatory, and transformational leadership styles enhanced dialogue forums, transparency and accountability forums, and public trust and confidence, thus reducing social and economic conflicts. However, autocratic leadership styles hindered public participation and civic engagement, caused political manipulation, and worsened developmental disparities, thereby promoting social and economic conflicts. The study concluded that leadership styles influence social and economic conflicts in devolved governance systems, with consultative leadership styles encouraging conflict resolution and transformational, participatory, and consultative leadership styles enhancing transparency, public trust, and confidence in leadership. The study recommended that county governments should practice consultative leadership with continual stakeholder engagement and enhance leadership capacity, especially on inclusive governance, to promote social cohesion and sustainable socio-economic development in the counties without experiencing social and economic conflicts.