Analyzing the Economic Development Using Partial Least Square Structural Model: A Case of Narok, Kenya

Abstract

After the establishment of the Narok County government and the transition from the central system of government into the Devolved system of governance, majority of the residents of Narok County had much anticipation in terms of developments that will take place as a result of governance being brought close to them. The study was checking economic development changes that has taken place in Narok Town the Headquarter of Narok County since the establishment of the Narok County Government. The objective was to access how the introduction of county government has impacted on the economic development by investigating its impact on the various key indicators of the economic development such as health, trade, and infrastructure. The study used a sample of 320 residents drawn at random from all parts of the town, the samples was surveyed using a written survey instrument and their opinion on the state of various economic indicators was captured and used to develop a structural equation model using SmartPLS 3 software, in order to use in examining the economic development status of Narok Town. The study fits a significant model that can tell the whereabouts of the economic status of the Town presently and in future. It was concluded that the county government has not done much in terms of economic development since the introduction of County government because the rural areas in the county are still struggling to catch up with the indicators of economic development. It was also evidenced that the impact of County government on trade is good compared to its impact on health and infrastructure.