Strategic Leadership Transition Management and County Government Performance in Taita Taveta County Government
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jmrr/V2E5/2026-01Keywords:
Strategic Alignment; Leadership Vision; County Government Performance; Institutional Capacity; Policy ContinuityAbstract
Strategic leadership transition management has emerged as a critical determinant of performance in Kenya’s devolved governance system. County governments are expected to ensure effective service delivery, fiscal sustainability, and socio-economic development; however, frequent leadership transitions, weak institutional capacity, inconsistent policy implementation, and poor leadership vision continue to hinder performance. In Taita Taveta County, these challenges are reflected in stalled development projects, inconsistent service delivery, underutilized resources, weak implementation of County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs), and low own-source revenue despite existing governance and strategic planning frameworks. This study examined the influence of strategic leadership transition management on county government performance in Taita Taveta County, focusing on leadership vision, institutional capacity, strategic alignment and policy continuity and implementation as key dimensions of strategic leadership transition management. The study was anchored on Policy Implementation Theory, Resource-Based View (RBV), Leadership Succession Theory, and Transformational Leadership Theory. A descriptive research design was adopted targeting elected leaders, county executives, senior administrative officers, and community representatives. Using systematic sampling, 384 respondents were selected, of whom 363 returned usable questionnaires, representing a 94.5% response rate. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS Version 29. The findings showed that leadership vision positively influenced performance through clear communication of development priorities and effective resource alignment. Institutional capacity was constrained by inadequate financial resources, weak ICT infrastructure, and ineffective monitoring and evaluation systems. Policy continuity and implementation emerged as the strongest predictor of county government performance. Strategic Alignment had a positive and significant effect implying that alignment of county plans, budgets, leadership priorities, and departmental operations improves governance efficiency. The four dimensions of strategic leadership transition management jointly explained 86.1% of the variance in county government performance (R² = 0.861). The findings revealed that the joint strategic leadership transition dimensions significantly affect county government performance, with incoming administrations often revising or abandoning existing strategic plans. The study concluded that effective strategic leadership transition management significantly enhances county government performance by promoting continuity, strengthening institutional capacity, improving policy implementation, and sustaining development priorities across leadership changes. The study recommends structured leadership transition policies, stronger vision implementation frameworks, investment in ICT and M&E systems, and institutionalized policy continuity mechanisms to improve governance stability and sustainable development outcomes.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mary Wali Mngoda, Patrick Mutua Kimaku, Karim Hassanali Omido (Author)
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