Tracing inclusivity: Contribution of the Dutch private sector to inclusive development in Kenya. Case study of Unilever Tea Kenya Ltd., the flower sector and Lake Turkana Wind Power project

Kazimierczuk, A.H. (2020)

Doctoral Thesis

This thesis investigates the potential contribution of the Dutch private sector, and supportive Dutch Private Sector Development policies, to inclusive development (in terms of outcomes and processes) in Kenya in three sectors: tea, flowers and renewable energy. This study is timely and relevant:
- To academia, as to date an explicit link between the international private sector operations in developing countries and their contribution to inclusive development has been little explored.
- To Dutch government, as it has been continuously supporting policies and initiatives stimulating private sector and economic development in developing countries since the inception of its bilateral aid.
- To the Sustainable Development Agenda debate, as the private sector was identified as one of the main strategic partners to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

This study applied an exploratory research design with the overarching qualitative method of process tracing. Based on the case studies of Unilever Tea Kenya Limited, the flower sector and Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) project, this research confirmed that inclusive development prompted by the operations of the private sector can contribute to poverty and inequality reduction but not in its full inclusiveness potential. Moreover, the identified inclusive outcomes are proceeded by lengthy and exclusive political processes. These processes are not only exclusive, but also ‘occlusive’ in nature – they happen behind closed doors among groups of carefully selected strategic actors. Hence, I have coined the term ‘occlusive development’. Overall, support given to the private sector in developing countries by the Dutch government is important, but PSD policies need to be more realistic about what the private sector, in the specific context, can actually do to contribute to a specific dimension of inclusive development in a country.

• Inclusive development
• Private Sector Development (PSD)
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
• Tea sector
• Flower sector
• Renewable energy sector
• Lake Turkana Wind Power
• Unilever
• Kenya
• Africa

• All authors: Kazimierczuk, A.H.
• Supervisor: Dietz, A.J.; Uche, C.U.
• Committee: Spierenburg, M.J.; Dekker, M.; Pouw, N.R.M.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL), Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University
• Date: 2020-10-22
• Sponsorship: The doctoral research was part of the research agenda of the Knowledge Platform on Inclusive Development Policies (INCLUDE), funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through NWO-WOTRO.