The Role of Followership in Implementing Kenyans Vision 2030:A Case Study of Maragua Wholesale Hub

Abstract

Countries have bureaucratic systems where the majority can be described as followers. However, it is perceived to be politically incorrect to refer to this majority as followers. Nonetheless, modem development practices and democratic principles have empowered these followers. They own power and authority to influence decisions made that ban affect their livelihood. This qualitative research aimed at documenting the important 4ole of followership in the implementation of Kenya Vision 2030. Forty-one in-depth interviews were conducted on Producer Business Groups members who were determined to have a higher probability of participating in the implementation and sustainability of Kenya Vision 2030 pilot project of Maragua Wholesale Hub. The objectives were to explore the Producer Business Groups members' levels of awareness and participation in implementing the project; to examine if they influenced the decision making process towards the project's implementation process and to gauge their level of ownership of the Maragua Wholesale Hub. The results were that there was no in-depth awareness about the Maragua Wholesale Hub project. Thus the Producer Business Group members did not participate or influence the decisions made about the project. For this reason it was concluded that there was no follower ownership of the Maragua Wholesale Hub. Recommendations made were: civic education to Producer Business Groups members, renewed political goodwill, financing the project, continuous monitoring and evaluation of Kenya's vision implementation process against benchmarked countries and plans and assigning technical staff to spearhead this process.