Conceptualizing regulatory frameworks to forge citizen roles to deliver sustainable natural resource management in Kenya

Abstract

Examines how Kenyan laws on community forestry and water resource management operate in practice, mandating the state’s cooperative engagement with participating citizens’ voice. Formalized legal contracts later signed and agreed on between such persons and the state are governed by accountability measures stipulated in law that support both citizens’ and the state’s rights and duties with respect to one another concerning the sustainable use of forests. This approach is important for Kenya, which is working to overcome the challenges of poverty through the attainment of sustainable development, which aims to bring about equity and the elimination of poverty. Kenya’s need to promote sustainable management of water resources has been a central factor in water sector reforms. The delivery of fair and equitable outcomes for stakeholders and citizens in Kenya is challenged with respect to both water resource management and community forestry by legal inconsistencies and imprecise legal stipulations.