INDIGENOUS GOVERNANCE
Abstract
Purpose of the study: Governments in Africa have a wealth of indigenous governance systems practiced in rural communities in Kenya. The indigenous systems that are functioning in Africa are hardly recognized by the existing government. Thus, the study objective is to analyse the similarities and contrasting areas in the two-governance system for transformed governance.
Research methodology: The study relied upon the existing literature to make inferences concerning the current study.
Findings: Fundamental to this shift is an understanding that indigenous governance exists and is practiced by Meru Community (Njuri -Ncheke). The formal institutions of contemporary governance already accommodate indigenous governance in various forms albeit implicitly. The study anticipates that contemporary indigenous policies are, ultimately, only as strong as the framework of governance that supports them.
Conclusions: The type of governance that existed and how such modes of governance were ultimately controlled by the people and the gods go a long way to show the ontological connection between the societies and the laws that bound them.
Recommendations: The article recommended that there need to be a conceptual shift in how we understand the framework of Contemporary governance (County Government) of Meru and the indigenous governance of Njuri Ncheke.
Keywords: Contemporary governance, Indigenous governance, Njuri Ncheke, Meru Community Kenya
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