| dc.description.abstract | Public participation in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is meant to reduce conflict
through early identification of contentious issues and provide an opportunity for the public to
influence project design in a positive manner. The temporary stoppage of the construction of
one section of the Southern Bypass Road Project (SBRP) in Nairobi South West which was
to pass through the Nairobi National Park by the National Environmental Tribunal (NET)
even after an EIA license was issued by the Regulatory Authority poses some critical
questions on the utility of public participation in the EIA process. This study assessed the
utility of public participation in EIA in project designs and implementation using the SBRP
as a case study. The effect of public participation on the EIA process, its impact on the design
and implementation of the project and other aspects that influenced the effectiveness of
public participation in the EIA process of the SBRP in Nairobi were examined. Purposive
sampling was used to select participants from the neighborhoods of the project site in
addition to the Lead Agencies who participated in EIA project study of the SBRP. The study
used interviews, questionnaires, reports and consultations with various Lead Agencies as
instruments to collect data. The data collected was analyzed using percentages and
frequencies. The results indicate that the public was involved in the EIA process by way of
focus group discussions and consultative and public meetings among others. The results
indicated that there was a low level of awareness about the SBRP and that the public were
consulted late after the project had been handed over to the contractor meaning they were not
involved at the planning and design stages of the road. Although public participation
influenced the EIA process by contributing to the decisions made on the project, it did not
influence the design of the road project. The participation influenced the implementation of
the road project as evident in the litigation case that halted construction of one section of the
road project as various ecological concerns were raised by some Lead Agencies such as the
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and East Africa Wildlife Society (EAWS). The Study
concluded that the public participation of the road project and the EIA came too late in the
project cycle hence it could not influence the design of the road. The study recommends that
the Government of Kenya be at the forefront of obeying the set laws in all her projects. The
factors identified as barriers to effective public participation, should be moderated to
guarantee an effective public participation process. Further research should be done on why
governments projects are undertaken without following the laid down laws, polices and
regulations and on how to improve the utility of public participation in EIA process in Kenya. | en_US |
