Stakeholders Involvement and Performance of Maritime Safety Strategy in Lamu County, Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to establish the effect of stakeholders’ involvement on performance of KMA’s maritime safety strategy in Lamu County, Kenya. Stakeholder involvement has become paramount for most organizations not only due to stakeholders importance in the implementation of far reaching policies, considerable resources they hold but also their extensive knowledge needed for the successful implementation of a strategy. Through a descriptive cross-sectional survey, data was collected through structured questionnaires and administered to key stakeholders including; Beach Management Units, Boat Users, Kenya Wildlife Services, Maritime Police Unit, Ministry of Transport-Lamu County and Kenya Maritime Authority. The study used descriptive statistical tools to analyse the effect of stakeholder involvement on the performance of the maritime safety strategy in Lamu County. A multiple regression model was used to determine the relationship between stakeholder involvement in maritime safety strategy and performance in Lamu County. The results of the study showed significant stakeholder involvement in Lamu County and hence improved awareness and performance of the maritime safety strategy in Lamu County. The regression analysis results showed insignificant effect of the stakeholders’ involvement in the performance of the maritime safety strategy in Lamu County. This result could be attributed to the short time period after implementation of the Maritime safety strategy in Lamu County and the study. In conclusion, the successful implementation of strategy was found to be premised on the support of the entire stakeholder community as failure to secure such support may be self-defeating and counterproductive. To that extent, the need to involve stakeholders in strategy implementation becomes inevitable.