Factors influencing community participation in county development projects in Kenya: a case of Bungoma south sub-county

Abstract

The implementation of the community participation process is important for the democratisation of social values and better planning and fulfilment of public needs. The community participation process, however, is sometimes threatened by bureaucratic constraints caused by the lack of a systematic approach and an inadequate public administration system, which contribute to the community exclusion from the process. The exclusion is also caused by lack of knowledge about community participation and low levels of education amongst the public. With this in view, this study examined the factors influencing community participation in County development projects in Bungoma South Sub-County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: establish how training influence community participation in County development projects, determine the extent to which planning influence community participation in County development projects, determine the extent to which project execution influence community participation in County development projects and assess how Monitoring and Evaluation influence community participation in County development projects in Bungoma South Sub-County. The study was guided by the theory of planned behaviour. A descriptive research survey design was used for this study. The study targeted a population of 160 with sample size of 160 predetermined using census. The study used questionnaires and interview schedule for data collection. The instruments’ content validity was determined by consulting supervisors in tool construction and a pilot study used to examine reliability of study tools. This employed Cronbach’s alpha Coefficient to measure the internal consistency of the questionnaire at α >0.7. Descriptive method of data analysis was employed in both quantitative and qualitative data. The study findings may provide a systematic and comprehensive insight into the state of community participation as a way of socio-economic empowerment and development of the people in devolved systems of governance in Kenya and add value to policy framework and review the current status of devolution.