NGOs in Kenya: Increase State Legitimacy or Undermine Popular Support?

According to theories of African politics, African states predicate their legitimacy on the promise of distributing services to the populace. This paper analyzes what happens when a new set of actors – non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – steps between state and society to deliver health care, education, water, etc. Does the introduction of largely foreign-funded organizations interrupt the flow of legitimacy from citizen to state? The literatures on NGOs and service provision in Africa suggest that this occurs: government legitimacy is undermined as NGOs call for democracy, accountability and rule of law, thereby developing active civil society in opposition to the state. And it happens as Africans compare responsive, generous, transparent and participatory NGOs to their less effective government.This paper analyzes the relationship between NGO provision of service and government legitimacy in Kenya. It examines whether the Kenyan government must provide services itself for legitimacy to accrue to it. When NGOs provide cheap services, distribute donor resources generously, and foster a democratic spirit of participation, is the result lower popular perceptions of government?There are four principle findings in this paper. First, most individuals have limited direct contact with NGOs. Second, at the same time, NGOs are generally regarded favorably – often better so than their government counterparts. Third, contact with and appreciation for NGOs does not translate into distaste for government. Finally, while NGOs appear not to have a major impact on legitimacy in general, there is some evidence of a significant difference in responses from urban versus rural dwellers, and on more versus less-educated individuals.