Factors Influencing Sustainability Of Community-based Water Projects In Kajiado County, Kenya: A Case Of Kajiado Central Sub-county

Abstract

For the sustainability water services to both rural and urban areas in Kenya, good management of water points is paramount. However, despite the efforts made by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation in conjunction with international and local NGOs towards the improvement of the situation at the grassroots, in most of the parts of the country, the water coverage remains at infancy. The estimates of the population that can obtain clean water are just 60% despite most of the region having reliable sources of water and sufficient rainfall. The condition is more severe in rural regions, inhabited by the largest portion of the population. The study investigated some of the factors influencing the sustainability of community-based water projects in Kenya, focusing on Kajiado Central sub-county. Four objectives guided the study: To determine the influence of community participation; to examine the influence of socioeconomic factor; to determine the influence of financial resources and to assess the influence of the choice of technology on the sustainability of community-based water projects in Kajiado Central Sub-county. Henceforth, this study intention was filling the knowledge gap on factors influencing the sustainability of community-based water projects by assessing the situation in Kajiado Central sub-county. Theories utilized in the study were the stakeholders and the sustainability theories. The study employed a descriptive survey research design and a cross-sectional approach used to collect quantitative data by use of a closed-ended questionnaire. The total target population was 3092. By use of cluster, random and purposive sampling methods, a sample of 77 respondents was selected from the target population of 3,092. A questionnaire was administered to the respondents by the researcher and his assistants to collect quantitative data which were measured either in the form of nominal and ordinal scale and then coded, keyed into SPSS version 22 for further analysis. The data analysis was done by the use of both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. To determine the correlation between the dependent and independent variables, the Pearson correlation coefficient method was applied. This indicated the level of significance of each variable and how it influenced the sustainability of rural water projects. The study findings revealed that the average mean of 3.51 agreed that community participation influenced the sustainability while a mean of 2.83 showed that socioeconomic factor influenced the sustainability of community-based water projects. Besides, means of 3.47 and 2.62 showed financial resources and choice of technology influenced the sustainability of community-based water projects respectively. And finally, a mean of 3.47 showed an influence on the sustainability of community-based water projects in Kajiado County in Kenya. There was then a positive strong correlation between community participation, socioeconomic factor and financial resources and influence of the sustainability of community-based water projects while a positive weak correlation was observed between choice of technology and influence of sustainability of community-based water projects in Kajiado County in Kenya. The study recommended that community participation was a key aspect in project management hence beneficiaries should be actively involved in all stages of the project life cycle and decision making for ownership and sustainability of projects, ensure there is adequate representation through gender balance in projects to minimize on conflicts that may arise and also reasonable decisions being made, ensure there is adequate financial resources, transparency and accountability in project management for the sustainability of projects and finally there should be investment of proper and advanced choice of technology by leaders and the management that is easily obtained and necessary skills and training acquired in operation of the technology which influences the sustainability of projects. Further research ought to be done in consideration to other numerous vital factors that had the potential to influence sustainability of community-based water projects and better understand project management to a larger population in other counties in Kenya for comparative purposes.