Assessing the Effectiveness of E-Governance in Enhancing Transparency and Accountability in Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of e-Governance in enhancing financial transparency and accountability in public secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya, following persistent concerns regarding financial mismanagement despite the implementation of digital governance systems. A convergent mixed-methods research design with a cross-sectional approach was adopted. The study involved 39 purposively selected public secondary schools and 90 respondents, comprising 39 school administrators, 39 bursars, 5 bank managers, 6 sub-county education officers, and 1 government auditor. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation in SPSS Version 26, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed positive perceptions of e-Governance implementation and a positive, moderate, statistically significant relationship between e-Governance implementation and financial transparency and accountability (r = 0.408, p = 0.020). Key challenges included inadequate ICT infrastructure, limited ICT skills, cybersecurity concerns, implementation costs, and insufficient training. The study concludes that e-Governance strengthens financial transparency and accountability and recommends enhanced ICT infrastructure, continuous capacity building, technical support, and stronger policy oversight. The study concludes that e-Governance strengthens financial transparency and accountability in public secondary schools. It recommends strengthening ICT infrastructure, continuous staff capacity building, enhanced technical support, stronger cybersecurity measures, and regular government oversight to improve e-Governance implementation.