Factors Influencing Community Participation in National Government-constituency Development Funded Projects; a Case of Mwingi Central Constituency, Kitui County, Kenya.

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the factors influencing community participation in NG-CDF projects in Mwingi central constituency. The study was based on four objectives; to establish the extent to which demographic characteristics of the people influence community participation in NG-CDF projects in Mwingi central Constituency, to find out the extent to which cultural beliefs influence community participation in NG-CDF projects in Mwingi central Constituency, to establish the extent to which the level of awareness influence the community participation in the NG-CDF projects in Mwingi central constituency and to determine the extent to which accountability influence the community participation in NG-CDF projects. The target population included all NG-CDF stakeholders which was the 63,305 Adult residents of Mwingi central constituency which comprises of six wards. Stratified random sampling technique was used to arrive at the sample. The sample population for this study was 366 respondents who were composed of 300 community members, 60 PMC committee members, five top NG-CDF committee officials and the NG-CDF manager. In order to get the sample size, the researcher used Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table which translated to a sample size of 366 respondents. Piloting of the instruments was done in Mwingi west Constituency which was not be part of the main study. Descriptive survey design was used largely in this study. The data was then analysed using central tendency analysis with statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The research findings were documented as a research project report. The findings revealed that demographic characteristics of the participants significantly influenced community participation in NG-CDF projects. The findings generally revealed that culture does not affect community participation to a great extent. It was further revealed that the level of awareness greatly influenced the community participation in NG-CDF projects. The study further revealed that accountability influenced the community participation because NG-CDF was associated with very high levels of corruption, which was discouraging and causing apathy among the constituents. The researcher recommends that; Cultural values such as respect for communal work, obedience to elders and those in leadership should be integrated in projects to strengthen them while those that impact negatively on participation such as denying women leadership positions be eradicated tactfully. The study further recommends that the government should make strategies which will enable each village and ward administrator to have copies of the NG-CDF Act, which will make it possible for them to avail it to people to read/understand the contents. It is suggested that similar studies should be done in other constituencies to compare results. Studies should also be done in other counties with aim of coming up with a policy framework on community participation in NG-CDF projects country wide.