Rural areas in most of the developing world have for a long time not benefited from the development programmes initiated by their governments. Using field data, the author comparatively analyses the prospects of decentralised development initiatives through local institutions in Kakamega District, Kenya, and West Bengal, India. Dr. Opata argues that despite efforts by the governments in the two countries to promote development, the quality of life for the majority of people has not changed. In Kenya and India, a highly uneven pattern of development is apparent. It is observed that since...