County Government Administration and the Implementation of Covid Mitigation Measures in Machakos County, Kenya

The Constitution of Kenya (2010) ushered in devolution, and the transfer of several services including public health from the central government to the county to push for interventions that best fit the local context. The onset of Covid-19 pandemic in 2019 brought uncertainty, vulnerability, and increased health care responsibility for county governments. The county governments were faced with the challenge of handling a global pandemic. This study sought to examine the implementation of covid mitigation measures by the county government of Machakos in Kenya. The objectives of the study were to analyse how the county government prepared isolation facilities and provided medical equipment for Covid-19 mitigation. The study was guided by the agency theory and the theory of decentralization. It adopted descriptive research design. The target population was 128 health practitioners and management staff at the Machakos county level 5 hospital and census sampling was preferred. A self-administered questionnaire and key informant interviews were used to collect data. The statistical software for the social sciences version 25 was used to examine quantitative data, while content analysis was used to assess qualitative data. The findings showed that the county government did very well in the provision of isolation facilities and the provision of medical equipment. The study noted the timeliness and adequacy of government interventions were concerning. For the readiness for future pandemics, the study recommends establishing early warning systems, creating robust and strengthening of existing healthcare systems, strengthening research and development and the legal and policy framework.