Community participation in infrastructure development: a case of Nyanza roads 2000 project in Gucha district

Abstract

The broad objective of the study was to establish various ways In which the communities in Gucha District participate in identifying road infrastructure development and maintenance for sustained development under the new Roads 2000 strategy. The study further sought to achieve three specific objectives: To examine the extent to which the communities were aware of the Nyanza 2000 Roads project; to find out how far the community members participated in Nyanza 2000 Roads project including achievements and limitations; and to determine barriers to effective community participation in the Nyanza 2000 Roads Project. The study covered selected priority roads in Gucha district. This district is among the five districts under phase one of the SIDA supported programmes under the Nyanza Roads 2000 Project. Purposive random sampling methods were used in the selection of priority roads, groups and individuals that were participating in the project that were interviewed using a structured interview schedule. The Key informants were also identified and interviewed. The findings established that the community members participated in the project through three approaches namely: formation of community groups; participation in the implementation process; and in sharing of skills/expertise. Participation in the project implementation process involved provision of human labour; identification of the project; community endorsement; identification of project priorities at the district level; and identification of the roads and in demarcations. The principal participants in the Roads 2000 Project included the local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs); community groups; opinion leaders; the youth; women groups; people living with HIV /AIDS (PL WHAS); and the provincial administration. Their roles in the project included project implementation; project identification; decision making at both local and district levels; through monitoring and evaluation; to offer trainings; and project planning. To enhance participation, the study recommended that the government should encourage both its agencies and the civil society to educate citizens to enable them to know the rights of participation in development projects; the provincial administration should organize public forums to update the members of the community on the ongoing development projects besides advising them on their participatory roles; the contractors should be compelled to source casual labour from the local communities from which they are executing a development project to enable the members to own the project. More sensitization workshops should be organized for community members; education of community members on technical roads construction should be done; involvement by project contractors and engineers during decision making stages is necessary; and the members of the communities should be involved in identification of priority areas of local development projects.