Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the administrative impact of Restructured Provincial Administration (RPA) as independent variable on maintenance of law and order as dependent variable in Bomet County, Kenya from 2010 to 2014. Based on the theory of new-institutionalism, it focused on four selected aspects of maintenance of law and order measured from 2006 to 2010 and from 2010 to 2014, namely analysis of the nature and causes of crimes committed, the frequency of joint security operations on illicit brews and reasons for not conducting them, the duration of response to scenes of crimes and why and the frequency of security committees meetings and what informed them. It employed a descriptive survey design that targeted 223 respondents with a sample size of 143 from four security agencies purposively chosen namely the National Administration, the Kenya Police Service, the Administration Police Service and the National Intelligence Service. Data was collected through a questionnaire and analysis of written records. The study argues that the RPA had significant negative administrative consequences on the selected aspects in 2010 to 2014 compared to the period before. It contributed to increased personal, property and statutory crimes, the frequency of joint security operations on illicit brews dropped from weekly basis to monthly and need basis, the duration of response to scenes of crimes increased from minutes to hours, and that the frequency of security committees meetings increased to weekly and need basis from monthly and need basis. This negative administrative impact on the selected aspects is attributed to the changed command structure in the RPA, independent security institutions, inadequate resources and entry of County government of Bomet in 2013. The government should consider restructuring the four security agencies to streamline the command structure to enhance enforcement and coordination, establish a clear law and policy on liquor that is universal to all Counties to streamline joint operations on illicit brews, avail adequate resources to enhance response to scenes of crimes and fully operationalize Article 239 (5) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 to empower security committees.

Key words: Administrative impact, restructured provincial administration (RPA), maintenance of law and order, selected aspects, security agencies, periods  2006 to 2010 and 2010 to 2014, Bomet County.