Bringing a 'Local' Voice to a 'Universal' Discourse: School Leadership Preparation and Development in Kenya.

In this paper we demonstrate, through content analysis of university-based programmes and one management institute, the construction of 'leadership' in the particular context of Kenya. The study paid attention to how the particularities of the locale are infused with universal discourses to develop an indigenous conceptualisation of 'leadership'. In the particular context of Kenya, school leadership is similar to the universal construction of leadership - with an emphasis on instructional leadership, the management of resources and change occasioned by rapid reforms in the education sector - but there are some context-specific differences. School leadership is also about negotiating between competing cultural and political interests, especially in relation to access, equity and equality. School leaders need to manage internal conflict in the school as well as external ethnic conflict. Leadership is also about implementing government initiated reforms that called for flexibility and innovation not only in the use of scarce resources, but also in identifying less traditional sources of funding. These unique roles have implications for leadership preparation and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]