Understanding dis-functionalities in multi-agency policy collaborations in Kenya

Policy program implementation challenges remain despite the recent adoption of multi-agency joint action in public administration. This means efforts to realise collaborative goals, and their success may sometimes only last for a while or remain largely symbolic. This paper trace such challenges to common dysfunctionalities of horizontal public accountability arrangements, using mutual trust-building strategies as an explanatory variable. It first conceptualises and applies a trust-embedded multi-agency relations framework to unpack the complexities and difficulties in implementing anti-corruption policy in Kenya. It shows how trust-related dysfunctions influence the agency of institutions and of their personnel’s involvement in implementing policy programs. The paper calls for systematic training and incentivisation of public managers on devising sustainable collaborative policy networks for the effective implementation of policy programs.