Abstract

Significant volunteering takes place in government-based programmes, enhancing public sector image, productivity, quality of services, and cohesion. In addition, volunteering contributes to good governance, promotes participation in government projects, and reduces the public-government gap. Village elders are volunteer leaders who participate in grassroots governance and contribute to citizens’ participation in the government’s agenda at the community level. They hold administrative authority; overseeing villages under the guidance of chiefs and assistant chiefs as part of the public administration in the country. As a result, they command significant influence in rural development and participation in public affairs. However, they face diverse challenges as they carry out their community leadership roles. Despite these challenges, they persist in fulfilling their responsibilities. Their importance and influence cannot be overstated, yet they remain understudied. The key under explored question that this paper responds to is why the village elders persist in their role despite enduring challenges and what leadership principles and practices they engage in relation to their contribution to grassroots governance. Drawing on phenomenological research in Nyamira in 2019- 2020, the paper presents the different ways village elders engage with their followers for public participation and successful implementation of government programs. Thirty respondents (composed of 10 village elders, seven chiefs and 13 community members) in Nyamira County were purposively chosen to participate in the qualitative study. The study was guided by servant and transformational leadership frameworks. ATLAS.ti was utilized for data analysis and the study findings revealed that a mixture of servant, transformational and spiritual styles of leadership, are preferred in this context as they prioritize values and connection with followers for good governance. Further, it showed that the community was likely to choose a village elder who had a strong religious commitment. Their spiritual intelligence was essential, as their religious convictions significantly influenced their leadership style. This study contributes to the field of volunteerism by emphasizing the importance of Christian practices in public service leadership in Kenya.