Participatory Communication in Kenya’s Large-scale Infrastructural Development Projects’ Planning & Implementation: a Case of Lamu Port in Hindi Ward, Lamu West Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

This study examined how developers of Lamu Port in Hindi Sub-County incorporated participatory communication during the design and implementation of the project. The study interrogated four objectives, including the participatory communication approach deployed in the project planning and implementation, the importance of participatory communication for indigenous people and the role of participatory communication in defining free, prior and informed consent in the Lamu Port project by the residents of Hindi Ward. The study employed a descriptive research design grounded on participatory development theory. Primary data was collected using a mixed-method approach from a sample size of 385 respondents and six key informants. The target population was the 10,039 residents of Hindi Ward living around the Lamu Port area whose livelihood has been directly affected by the Lamu Port project. Data from the study were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques, supported by the ArcGIS data analysis tool. The study revealed that the Lamu Port Project owners did not fully utilize a participatory communication approach in engaging the local community in Hindi Ward during the design and implementation stages of the project. Seven out of ten respondents indicated they did not provide their consent prior to the project commencement. In addition, the study found that the plight of local communities including the fisherfolk was ignored leading to protracted street battles and court cases. The key recommendation of this study is; large-scale infrastructure project owners must prioritize a robust participatory communication process during the design and implementation stages that allows host communities to get a deeper understanding of the vision and scale of their projects to avert opposition; not as a fringe benefit that they grant as and when they wish but as human being’s birthright that is undeniable and unpreventable.