The Commission, through the Research, Policy and Planning Department, in fulfilling its objective of facilitating and promoting equality of opportunity, good relations, harmony and peaceful coexistence between persons of different ethnic and racial communities of Kenya and also among persons living in different regions in the country, conducted a Study on the Distribution of County Resources in three counties namely, Lamu, Vihiga and Nyeri. The study took place from October to December 2018.

Kenya as a country has continued to experience resource-based conflicts attributed to imbalance in distribution of natural resources since independence. Despite devolution, questions still arise whether there is equitable distribution of resources in the counties.

The study brought together research assistants that represented three counties. Lamu County (Witu, Bahari, Kiunga, Mkunumbi, Basuba); Vihiga County (Luanda, Hamisi, Sabatia, Emuhaya, Noth East); Nyeri County (Kieni West, Kieni East, Mathira West and Mukuruweini).

The objective of the meeting was to create an in-depth understanding of the study to the research assistants and to train them on the methodology and tools to be used in the research as they are entailed with data collection relevant on the study. They were thus taken through questionnaires while also seeking their input in areas they felt needed to be clarified or restructure. The purpose of the research was to assess equitable distribution of county resources to all communities across the sub-county and wards and to explain why some areas in the respective counties may be ethnically inequitable.

The justification for holding the research in the three counties was to: In Vihiga County was to determine whether the differences in ethnic groups of leaders affect how resources are distributed among the Maragoli, Banyore and Tiriki. In Lamu county, the study sought to unravel how the minority, who head political leadership, deal with distribution of resources in a region inhabited by many outsiders. In Nyeri County, the study sought to find out why some regions of Nyeri are more developed than others and why some areas are marginalized.