| dc.description.abstract | The implementation of water supply projects especially in the rural areas has been the
focus of successive governments in Kenya. Thus over the years many millions of dollars
are invested by national governments and international donor agencies alike in
sustainable water projects, however many fail to maintain the flow of expected benefits to
the beneficiaries. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the factors affecting
sustainability of water projects in Kenya with particular reference to Maji ni Maisha
water project. The specific objectives of the study included the influence of project
financing, community participation, governance and monitoring and evaluation on
sustainability of water projects. The study used descriptive research design in collecting
data for the study because it usually provides rich detail about the project. The target
population comprised of two (2) project coordinators, ten (10) project managers and
seventy eight (78) operational staff from Maji ni Maisha water projects in Nairobi
County. The researcher used stratified random sampling. The data for the study was
collected using the questionnaires. Quantitative data was analyzed using correlation and
regression with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS17.0). The study
established that water projects sustainability are influenced by financing, governance,
community participation and monitoring and evaluation to high levels as project
implementation and management require sufficient funding drawn from varying financial
sources so as to ensure efficiency and timely procurement and maintenance of required
skills, equipment and facilities. Governance is of importance in project management and
performance as it provides a framework for project accountabilities and responsibilities.
Community participation is essential in successful design, implementation, management,
performance and sustainability of the project. There is lack of professional and technical
supervision, low community participation in monitoring due to the inadequacy of data
and general information. I recommend provision of general education and information
and use of participatory tools such as participatory urban appraisal and many others are
valuable particularly for initiating beneficiary participation processes for neighbourhood
and design initiatives for local projects. The project management should effectively
control use of resources by analyzing resource utilization on a regular and timely basis so
as to be able to identify resource variances and inefficiencies early so that corrective
action can be taken before the situation gets worse. | en_US |
