Influence Of Turkana Wind Power Project On Economic Empowerment Of The Community; A Case Of Loiyangalani, Marsabit County Kenya

Abstract

The study‟s purpose was to determine the influence of Turkana Wind power Project on economic empowerment of the community. Specifically, the study sought to examine in what ways the Turkana wind power project has influenced employment creation as an activity for economic empowerment of the community; to assess how the provision of physical infrastructure by the Turkana wind power project has influenced economic empowerment of the community; to establish how provision of social amenities by the Turkana wind power project has influenced economic empowerment of the community and to establish how revenue sharing by the Turkana wind power project has influenced economic empowerment of the community. The current studies were guided by system theory, social change theory, Keynesian theories and empowerment theory. This study adopted descript or explanatory design. The research was carried out in the Loiyangalani District, which is located in Rift valley Province in Kenya. The target populations of the research comprised of 34,175 residents of in Loiyangalani District, Marsabit County. The research employed snow balling sampling procedure to get a sample totalling to 384 respondents comprising of 380 local residents, two provincial administration officers and two civic leaders. The study used questionnaires because of its low cost and freeness from bias. Data analysis was done by use of qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative study method was used to analyze the collected data, SPSS to help analyzing data. Inferential statistics analysis was employed in analyzing the study outcomes. The study found that respondents agreed that physical infrastructure development, employment creation, provision of social amenities and revenue sharing brought about by the wind power project with composite means of 4.05, 4.22, 3.99, 4.08 respectively and standard deviation of 0.75, 0.68, 0.75 and 0.83 respectively have influenced the economic empowerment of the community. Comparatively it showed that there was a positive correlation between the independent variables and the dependent variables with correlation coefficients of 0.673, 0.422, 0.539 and 0.384 between physical infrastructure, employment creation, provision of social amenities and revenue sharing respectively. The study concludes that provision of social amenities along implementation of Turkana wind power project has positive significant impact on economic empowerment of the community, that residents of Turkana region enjoyed improved security and reduced capital distraction through improved lighting from wind power project. The study concluded that revenue sharing by the Turkana wind power project has a positive impact on economic empowerment of the community, this study concludes that Government entities implementing project at rural places must come up with sensitisation programme to the local communities on all economic indirect economic opportunities that locals can take advantage of. Again, the oversight committee should consider providing direct employment to the locals through theirs CSR programme. Regardless of nature of the project, the implementation team must adequately ensure that supportive physical infrastructure is implementation along the project. To ensure sustainability and efficiency in operations, the oversight team must ensure that all proper social amenities such as security provision, quality healthcare water, rescue teams must be made available. Given that the local communities appreciated more upon comprehending the benefits that come along with the projected project, it is therefore important for the implementation committee to ensure that the process of revenue sharing is made transparent and accountable.