Factors Influencing Sustainability of Wei Wei Integrated Development Project in West Pokot County, Kenya.

Abstract

In the recent years the Kenyan government initiated some interventions with the objective to enhance food security and alleviate extreme poverty and hunger by initiating Wei Wei Integrated Development Project (WWIDP) through bilateral trade collaboration between the Kenya government and the Italian government in Wei Wei, West Pokot County, Kenya in 1986.Therefore, this research project adopted participatory monitoring and evaluation approach to assess factors influencing sustainability of WWIDP in Wei Wei, West Pokot County because the previous conventional monitoring and evaluation methods used have failed to ensure project sustainability (Mulwa, 2008). The statement of the problem was necessitated by the fact that past interventions along the Wei Wei Irrigation Project piloted by Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) were not successful beyond the donor support. Lam et al (2006) observed that in spite of the Italian Development Cooperation (IDC) investing huge amount of money on funding gravity sprinkler-fed WWIDP, in West Pokot County, it is not sustainable because it faces myriads of challenges. This study was guided by four objectives on, how cultural practice, management training, appropriate technology use and participatory monitoring and evaluation influence sustainability of WWIDP. Moreover, the study objectives were tested by a null hypothesis that cultural practices, managerial training, appropriate technology use and participatory monitoring and evaluation do not influence sustainability of WWIDP. The study in chapter two reviewed some relevant scholar’s work both at international and local scale on four independent variables of cultural practice, management training, appropriate technology use and participatory monitoring and evaluation that influence sustainability of WWIDP. The study also explained the four variables listed in the conception framework that is assumed to greatly influence WWIDP sustainability. The study sought to bridge some knowledge gaps that have not yet been carried out on Wei Wei, relating to the influence of the four variables on WWIDP sustainability. The study used descriptive research methodology to collect the data, with the target population of 253 consisting of 225 farmers, 8 WWIDP employees, 2 Italian technical experts, 2 County government agriculture officers, 3 National government officers (chiefs) and 5 community elders. The study in chapter three used questionnaire to collect data from the target respondents since it was the most convenient way to collect information. The study employed statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) tool to present, interpret and analyse the data collected from the field. The study then considered ethical issues that allowed the researcher to carry out research by seeking approval letter from University of Nairobi and a letter granted from National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation which assured the respondents of their confidentiality and the appropriate researcher’s behaviour to the right of respondent’s confidentiality. Chapter four of this study presented and interpreted the data that was collected from the field and discussed the findings in line with the objectives of the study which is to assess factors influencing WWIDP sustainability in Wei Wei, West Pokot County. Finally in chapter five the study provided the summary on the findings, conclusions and recommendations on how the findings of the project report can be utilized to enhance sustainability of WWIDP and suggested some further areas of research.