dc.description.abstract | Kenya’s devolution, adopted following the March 2013 general elections, had the main
purpose of making government services locally available to the people in addition to
restoring the power of local communities to participate in the management of their
affairs. County governments have been given the responsibility of ensuring participation
of people in their affairs at the local level. Public participation is a key tool in the
effective, efficient and economic delivery of services to the citizens as it enhances
transparency, accountability and responsiveness to the needs of the local community. The
aim of this research study was to investigate the Influence of Public Participation on
service delivery in Isiolo County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research design
and targeted 268,002 residents of Isiolo County (approximate population 2019 National
Census). The sample size was 384 respondents. Questionnaire and interview guides were
used in the collection of primary data, which was analyzed using the SPSS and Ms-Excel
software and presented in descriptive statistics (distribution tables, percentages) and
inferential findings. The findings of the study indicated a response rate of 84.6%. The
study findings showed gaps in the process of public participation in Isiolo County, which
had an effect on the process of public participation and consequently compromising on
service delivery. Specifically, the findings of the study showed that County Government
of Isiolo has not established programmes to build the capacity of its residents so as to
enhance their participation in management of local affairs. The findings also established
that the county does not give feedback to its residents on how and whether their input
affected the final decisions made. The study concludes by recommending that Isiolo
County should undertake meaningful public participation by fulfilling all the preconditions
for meaningful participation so as to enhance service delivery in Isiolo
County. | en_US |