A Master’s degree Dissertation presented in partial Fulfilment for the Award of Master of Management in Public Policy at University of Witwatersrand, Wits School of Governance (WSG), 2016 / As a result of the dependency created during the colonial period and later through preferential trade initiatives, Europe has been and continues to be Kenya’s major trading partner. The current trade relationship between Kenya and Europe was recently formalised after the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), a reciprocal and comprehensive free trade agreement that is legal under Article XXIV of General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT). The agreement has caused great debate on whether it is truly beneficial to Kenya in light of the asymmetrical levels of development, with many questioning what role the agreement will play towards sustainable growth and development and specifically in the horticultural sub-sector. Sharing the pitfalls of both the Lomé Convention and Cotonou Agreement that failed to deliver the expected development there is reason to believe that few gains will be made by signing the EPAs as they are today. The horticultural sub-sector is a major provider of employment, especially in the rural areas, and is the second largest foreign exchange earner for Kenya. Facing increasing domestic and international demand, coupled with continued and enhanced market access to Europe, participation in the highly profitable sub-sector has the potential of transforming rural agriculture by presenting an opportunity for small-scale farmers to increase their income and reduce poverty. As a non-Least Developed Country (LDC) country, the loss of trade preference for Kenya could severely undermine export competitiveness and damage the horticultural sub-sector which is heavily dependent on exports to the European Union (EU). The main objectives of the Kenyan government for signing the EPAs include sustaining the current market preferences, avoiding macroeconomic instability and the disruption of economic activities in the agricultural sector. The study found that, given Kenya’s substantial dependency on the horticultural sub-sector and the limited trade schemes options available to engage in trade with the EU, the government had no option but to sign the EPAs. The failure to diversify the economy, inadequate public institutions, insufficient human and financial capacity, declining public investments in agriculture and limited intra-African trade and the failure to seek other market destinations are some of the reasons why the government entered into the agreement. The Kenyan government needs to aggressively increase investments in the agricultural sector in order to enable transformation and promote diversification through value addition. Manufacturing should be prioritised as this will enable the economy to become less exposed to commodity price fluctuations. The government should seek to develop and increase intraAfrica trade as well as explore other market options in Asia, North America and South America in efforts to lessen Kenya’s dependency on Europe. Further, Kenya and other African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries should, instead of signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) such as an EPA, collectively call for an improved EU General Scheme of Preference (GSP) tailored for both LDC and non-LDC countries that would provide real cooperation and development. / XL2018

Non Governmental Organisations have been operating in Africa since the 1940’s; then, their work was heavily biased towards relief work. From the 1980s however, the role of NGOs evolved to include development; understandably, African governments were finding it increasingly difficult to provide adequate levels of basic services for their people. To this effect and initially; NGOs got involved in development as short term "gap fillers" in the provision of basic services; health and education amongst others. As Africa’s development discourse continued unabated, NGOs were recognised by donors and host governments alike, as indispensible to the provision of such services; in time however, they became the subject of criticism for allegedly failing to irreversibly ameliorate the conditions of the poor. In delivering services, NGOs work in a complex partnership characterised by power imbalances. The partnership involves donors who own the means of production which facilitate NGOs’ work and host governments who “own” the humanitarian space which NGOs need to fulfil their humanitarian mandate. While seemingly poor and powerless, the communities served wield the power to facilitate or block the success of NGO interventions through their commitment and/or lack thereof; respectively; NGOs’ contribution is their skills and humanitarian spirit. The success of NGO interventions is a function of resources, humanitarian space and the goodwill that donors, host governments and the communities served bring to the partnership table respectively. The study sought to establish why between 2001-2006; NGO post-drought rehabilitation through to development interventions failed to irreversibly reduce vulnerability against drought in communities in Machakos District and the extent to which power imbalances which characterise “partnerships for development” contributed to the failure by NGOs to fulfil their mandate. The study revealed that NGOs are unwaveringly committed to their humanitarian mandate however; the power imbalances that characterise “partnerships for development” and in particular, that between NGOs’ and donors militated against the fulfilment of their mandate in Machakos District. When NGOs fail to deliver on their mandate; they lose credibility amongst the other partners and this reinforces the power imbalances; it’s a vicious cycle. “Caught at Crossroads...” NGOs are indeed. / Development Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

Non Governmental Organisations have been operating in Africa since the 1940’s; then, their work was heavily biased towards relief work. From the 1980s however, the role of NGOs evolved to include development; understandably, African governments were finding it increasingly difficult to provide adequate levels of basic services for their people. To this effect and initially; NGOs got involved in development as short term "gap fillers" in the provision of basic services; health and education amongst others. As Africa’s development discourse continued unabated, NGOs were recognised by donors and host governments alike, as indispensible to the provision of such services; in time however, they became the subject of criticism for allegedly failing to irreversibly ameliorate the conditions of the poor. In delivering services, NGOs work in a complex partnership characterised by power imbalances. The partnership involves donors who own the means of production which facilitate NGOs’ work and host governments who “own” the humanitarian space which NGOs need to fulfil their humanitarian mandate. While seemingly poor and powerless, the communities served wield the power to facilitate or block the success of NGO interventions through their commitment and/or lack thereof; respectively; NGOs’ contribution is their skills and humanitarian spirit. The success of NGO interventions is a function of resources, humanitarian space and the goodwill that donors, host governments and the communities served bring to the partnership table respectively. The study sought to establish why between 2001-2006; NGO post-drought rehabilitation through to development interventions failed to irreversibly reduce vulnerability against drought in communities in Machakos District and the extent to which power imbalances which characterise “partnerships for development” contributed to the failure by NGOs to fulfil their mandate. The study revealed that NGOs are unwaveringly committed to their humanitarian mandate however; the power imbalances that characterise “partnerships for development” and in particular, that between NGOs’ and donors militated against the fulfilment of their mandate in Machakos District. When NGOs fail to deliver on their mandate; they lose credibility amongst the other partners and this reinforces the power imbalances; it’s a vicious cycle. “Caught at Crossroads...” NGOs are indeed. / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)