This article examines the Constituency Development Fund projects across Kenya's constituencies.
Data & Methods from Kenya's CDF Project Locations: We analyzed geo-locations of over 32,000 CDF projects. Data included population density, poverty rates, ethnic demographics, and road access controls.
Key Findings on MP Support Patterns:
- MPs showed no significant geographic bias toward rewarding allies in project placement
- Cross-constituency targeting varied significantly based on spatial distribution of supporters vs opponents
- Geographic factors alone could not explain most observed patterns
Why It Matters for African Politics:
This challenges the common belief about clientelism's role. We demonstrate how local conditions shape political incentives while highlighting both benefits and limitations of granular data analysis.
