Abstract:
The creation of county governments under the Kenyan governments was a breakthrough, which was
anticipated to water-down the bureaucratic bottlenecks of the central government in terms of resource
allocation and utilization. However, reports by the office of the auditor general and EACC indicated that most
county governments have not been efficient in terms of hiring of human resource, utilization of funds and
observing of chapter six of the constitution on leadership and integrity. This study focused on relationship
between ethical leadership practices and County governance in public institutions with specific reference to
Uasin Gishu County. The study adopted descriptive survey research design, while the target population
comprised of elected and nominated MCAs; Members of County Executive Committees (CECs); Chief Officers;
opinion leaders, clergy/church leaders; and members of the public (N=728). For the purpose of key
informants, the study targeted Governor, deputy governor, speaker of the county assembly, CECs and county
secretary. The sample size was obtained through stratified sampling techniques, purposive sampling and
random sampling to form 352 respondents, while Questionnaires were used for data collection. Data were
analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and presented using tables and figures. Analysis of data
showed that respondents agreed ethical practices (civility, interpersonal role, decision role and informative
role) play an essential part in ensuring that government policies and/or directives are implemented to the
letter and spirit of the constitution. Moreover, the study established that ethical practices have a significant
and positive linear relationship with governance. The study recommended that effective governance can be
achieved when public servants are ready to exercise unparallel accountability and transparency standards.
Similarly, public servants should prioritize ethical performance by entrenching workplace ethics that promote
efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery
