DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2018.v06i08.016

Pages: 1588-1599

This paper traces the history of the local government in Kenya between 1925 and 1949 focusing on the role it played in development in Machakos District. This role of the local government in Kenya began in the colonial period with the establishment of Local Native Councils (LNCs) in 1924. Though set up by the colonial government to reduce African political agitation for representation in the Legislative Council, the LNCs performed better as vehicles for the improvement of African areas. They operated under the leadership of the District Commissioner (DC) for the most part of the colonial period. The local government system and the functions thereof were as a direct result of colonial contact thus the postcolonial perspective applied in this research paper. The article adopted a historical research design whereby an interpretation of meanings and an assessment of the significance of events were carried out. This article is a contribution to the historiography of local government in Kenya.