Contribution of Responsive Governance to Personal Security: The Case of Crime Victims Support Services (CVSS) in Kenya

This study investigates the role of responsive governance in enhancing personal security for crime victims within Kenya's law enforcement and justice system. The research addresses the systemic neglect of victims' rights and evaluates governance mechanisms to propose a victim centered approach for equitable justice. The following objectives guide the study; to examine the key principles of responsive governance that contribute to the success of crime support services, to assess the extent to which governance mechanisms in Kenya acknowledge and comprehensively serve the requirements of crime victims through the perspectives of crime victims and relevant stakeholders and to investigate strategic interventions for enhancing the efficacy of the existing governance mechanisms in addressing the needs of crime victims. The study adopted governance capacity and victim centred approach theories which integrates concepts from governance studies, victimology, and security studies to elucidate how governance mechanisms influence personal security outcomes for crime victims. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, data was collected from 180 respondents, including crime victims, law enforcement, legal practitioners, and advocacy groups, through structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The study identified major gaps in the accessibility and effectiveness of victim support services, with only 33.3% of respondents finding these services easily accessible and 35.3% expressing dissatisfaction with their effectiveness. Despite progressive legal frameworks, implementation gaps persist due to lack of a clear well-resourced single institution dedicated to crime victim welfare, financial constraints, corruption, low awareness and poor coordination among agencies with complimentary mandates. A strong consensus emerged on the need for strategic interventions, including a budget increase for victim support and streamlining the justice system to reduce re-victimization and undue delays. The study concludes that inclusivity especially of crime victims, transparency, and collaboration are crucial for successful victim support programs. However, significant implementation challenges undermine these efforts, necessitating specific, measurable, and time-bound interventions to improve governance mechanisms. The study advocates for enhancing the accessibility and tailoring of support services, strengthening legal/policy/administrative frameworks, increasing funding, and improving coordination among agencies. In view of the above, the study proposes urgent establishment of a Victim Support Agency (VSA) in Kenya meant to strategically provide leadership and ensure the effective coordination and oversight of crime victim support services.
Keywords: Responsive governance, crime victims, criminal justice system, victim-centered approach.