TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AND PERFORMANCE OF DEVOLVED COUNTIES IN KENYA

The establishment of county governments in Kenya was expected to decentralize governance and improve service delivery. However, performance has remained below expectations, with persistent issues such as corruption, delayed payments, and poor utilization of development funds. Technology adoption has been identified as a potential solution to improve transparency, efficiency, and accountability in county operations. This study examined the influence of technology adoption on performance of Kenya’s devolved counties. The theoretical foundation of the study on the influence of technology adoption on performance of devolved counties was the Technology Adoption Model (TAM). The study adopted a positivist philosophy and a correlation descriptive survey approach. Research was conducted in five counties, Kajiado, Nairobi, Machakos, Kiambu, and Murang’a, with a sample size of 399 participants. Data collection was through surveys and interviews. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 27, employing descriptive statistics and inferential analysis. The findings revealed that technology adoption had strong and positive correlation with performance (r = .757), suggesting that digital systems and innovations significantly enhance service delivery, transparency, and efficiency. The regression results indicated presence of strong and statistically significant relationship between technology adoption and the performance of devolved counties in Kenya. The study concluded that technology adoption significantly influences the performance of devolved governments in Kenya by enhancing service delivery, transparency, and operational efficiency. The study recommended that Kenya’s devolved governments should invest strategically in digital technologies to improve service delivery, transparency, and efficiency. Keywords: Technology adoption, Performance, Devolved counties, Devolution