Abstract:
Education of any country is an integral tool for the general developmental process of that
particular nation. There are myriad factors that influence national systems of education. They
inevitably range from social, economical, technological to political influences. This paper
sought to investigate political parties manifesto and its contributions to educational policy
development and management in Kenya. The target populations were County Directors of
Education, Key Ministry of Education officials and members of County Education Boards in
Uasin Gishu County, parliament and party leaders within the county. They were purposely
sampled through non-probability sampling. The philosophical paradigm used was
constructivism. It adopted qualitative research design where data was collected through
interviews, document analysis of government policy documents, Parliamentary Hansards on
educational development were transcribed, theme development observed and interpreted.
Content and construct validity was observed. Data analysis was done through thematic coding;
content, narrative, discourse and framework analysis. It was established that the challenges
bedeviling educational sector would be effectively addressed through collaboration and
involvement of the key stakeholders as espoused by stakeholder theory embraced in the enquiry.
The study recommends that government should prioritize provision of education through sound
policy frameworks as espoused in their political manifestos and key policy documents. The
government and key stakeholders should plan; manage implementation and evaluation of
educational programmes to achieve equity, access and quality. The finding are significant to the
government in coming up with progressive policies, stakeholders in engagement and
researchers. It foregrounds and interrogates the stakeholder theory as applied in educational
provision.
