Revenue Mobilization, Political Gridlock and Service Delivery in County Governments within Lake Region Economic Bloc in Kenya

Revenue mobilization is a key driver of long-term transformation and democratization, particularly in developing countries striving to improve public service delivery under conditions of constrained fiscal capacity and widespread poverty. In Kenya, despite the expansion of county budget allocations under devolution, counties within the Lake Region Economic Bloc continue to experience persistent challenges in mobilizing adequate resources and translating fiscal capacity into effective service delivery. This study examined the effects of revenue mobilization, tested the moderating role of political gridlock on the relationship between revenue mobilization and service delivery. The study adopted a correlational research design under a pragmatism philosophy, anchored on Soufflé Theory. The target population comprised 435 respondents drawn from County Executive Committee Members, Chief Officers, County Revenue Directors, County Assembly Budget and Appropriation Committee Members, and Revenue Service Clerks, from which a sample of 208 was determined using the Yamane Taro formula (1968). A mixed-method approach was employed, combining structured questionnaire and interview schedules. Reliability was established through a pilot test using Cronbach’s alpha, while validity was ensured through expert review for content and face validity. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, with correlation and regression analyses used to determine relationships between variables, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Moderating effects were tested using the Baron and Kenny (1986) approach. The findings revealed that revenue mobilization has a positive but statistically insignificant relationship with service delivery (β = 0.192, p > 0.05), with own-source revenue perceived as more effective than equitable share allocations. Political gridlock negatively affected service delivery but did not significantly moderate the relationship (β = 0.160, p > 0.05). The study concludes that while revenue mobilization and governance processes collectively influence service delivery, their effectiveness is largely dependent on implementation strength and institutional efficiency. It recommends strengthening own-source revenue systems, enhancing enforcement of public finance regulations, improving participatory and data-driven budgeting, strengthening implementation systems, and addressing political gridlock through institutional coordination reforms. The study contributes to public finance, governance, and decentralization literature by clarifying how fiscal autonomy interacts with governance structures to shape service delivery outcomes in devolved systems.

revenue mobilization, service delivery, political gridlock, county governments

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