ABSTRACT
Gerald A. Heeger analyzes age-old problem in The Politics of Underdevelopment in which he suggests that the critical task of most new nations is one of political consolidation and acquiring the power to rule effectively. As Samuel P. Huntington and Joan Nelson have emphasized, elite choices as to "the relative priority of economic growth, socio-economic equity, political stability, and other goals shape the forms, bases and patterns of participation." In the case of Kenya, local government and political parties have been stripped of power, and development through self-help has been encouraged. Harambee encourages a transfer of individual resources from the prosperous to the poor and from urbanites to rural residents. Looking specifically at self-help projects and equity issues in relation to gender reveals that both males and females benefit widely from some projects, particularly water, primary schools and medical facilities, Girls are not benefiting as much as boys from Harambee secondary schools.
