The Bottom up Economic Model and the Development Agenda in Kenya: A Systematic Review and Future Directions

This systematic review evaluates Kenya's bottom-up economic model as a development framework emphasizing grassroots participation, indigenous knowledge, decentralized decision-making, and inclusive growth, positioning it as an alternative to top-down approaches that overlook local contexts. Addressing gaps in previous fragmented analyses, this review synthesizes evidence from 34 peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2025, sourced from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Studies were screened for eligibility, appraised for rigor, and thematically analyzed across institutional capacity, infrastructural barriers, policy alignment, and actionable strategies. The findings underscore significant barriers, including limited capacity and resources in local institutions, with many local government units experiencing funding shortages and deficits in skilled personnel, thereby constraining decentralized governance and grassroots leadership. Infrastructural deficits predominantly affect rural populations, limiting marginalized groups' economic participation and SMEs' market access, perpetuating poverty cycles. Bureaucratic inefficiencies cause delays in community-driven initiatives, weakening local ownership and disconnecting policy formulation from execution, alongside inadequate integration of indigenous knowledge. Despite alignment with Vision 2030, Agenda 2063, and SDG goals on equity, resilience, and inclusion, operational challenges persist. Realizing the model's potential necessitates integrated reforms: capacity building, rural infrastructure investment, streamlined governance institutionalizing participation, incorporation of indigenous knowledge, strategic technology use, and strengthened grassroots leadership networks to foster equitable development.