Influence of Community Participation on Completion of Constituency Development Fund Projects in Kenya: a Case of Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County

Abstract

Ideally, CDF projects should be geared towards improving the livelihood of the constituents through addressing their social, economic situation. However, this has not always been the case. Despite increased allocations, there have been projecting delays especially in CDF funded construction projects that have seen constituents express their frustrations. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of community participation on completion of constituency development fund projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County in Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to establish the influence of community participation in need analysis in completion of constituency development fund projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County, to examine the extent to which community participation in the planning stage affects completion of constituency development fund projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County, to assess the influence of community participation in project implementation, in completion of constituency development fund projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County and to examine the influence of community participation in project monitoring and evaluation, in completion of constituency development fund projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County. This study was based on Freire’s theory of dialogical action. The study adopted descriptive survey research design to assess the influence of community participation on completion of CDF projects in Kabete Constituency. The study narrowed down to only CDF Projects commenced from the financial year 2017/2018, and are completed or on-going or failed, as its sampling unit. Survey questionnaires and schedule interviews were the data collection instruments used. The items in the questionnaire and interviews were similar but customized to suit the respondents. The study conducted pilot study to test for the validity and reliability of research instruments. The target population comprised management staffs, that is, CDF project management committee and CDF Committee members of CDF projects in Kabete Constituency. From the target population of 126 and a sampling error of 0.05, a sample size of 96 respondents was arrived. The pilot study was conducted a month to actual data collection in the bordering Kikuyu Constituency. The pilot study was conducted a month to actual data collection in the bordering Kikuyu Constituency. After the data was collected, both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis were used. A code sheet was prepared, and this information analyzed by the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), which is a computer aided program. The study concludes that community participation in need analysis influence completion of CDF projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County to a large extent. Further, the study finds that community participation in need analysis, planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation influence completion of CDF projects. The study concludes that community participation in the planning enhances the completion of CDF projects in Kabete Constituency to a large extent. The study concludes that the effective community participation in project implementation enhances the completion of CDF projects in Kabete Consituency to alarge extent. In addition, the study concludes that community participation in project monitoring and evaluation enhances the completion of CDF projects in Kabete Constituency to a large extent. The study has shown that community participation in need analysis has the greatest influence on sustainability of CDF projects, any development interventions targeting a community ought therefore to ensure that the community participates in need analysis if the intervention is to be sustained.