Stakeholder Participation and Performance of Water Projects in Kirinyaga County, Kenya

Abstract

Performance of a water project largely depend on how stakeholders are involved in the project. Stakeholder participation collaborate all inputs which are important in the project implementation especially providing solutions to various challenges based on their shared experiences. The aim of this research was to investigate the influence of stakeholder participation on performance of water projects in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The study targeted to evaluate role of involving stakeholder in identification, planning, monitoring and evaluation and implementation on performance of projects pertaining water on county of Kirinyaga. General system hypothesis was used together in conjunction with descriptive research design and cross-sectional in the process of data collection. The total target population were 29 water projects in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The researcher purposively picked 3 respondents that include managers, assistant project managers and project supervisors giving a total purposive sample of 87 respondents. The questionnaire was used in collecting primary data. Questionnaire were distributed by drop and pick strategy. Analysis of data employed various forms statistics ranging from regression, correlation, standard deviation, mean, percentages and frequencies. The descriptive finding of the study indicated enjoining stakeholders on process of planning, identification, and execution during implementation and supervisory of monitoring and evaluation of projects have been moderately adopted in water projects. Inferential finding indicated that collaborating stakeholders’ initiatives in these following stage of planning, identification, monitoring and evaluation, planning and implementation significantly contributed to performance. The study recommend that proper feasibility study should involve all the stakeholders comprehensively. In addition, adequate sensitization is supposed to be undertaken to equip the community with information that is necessary. The project implementers should involve the community in tracking projects progress. There is need for project and community to work together during assessment so that elaborate assessment is undertaken and all gaps that might hamper project implementation are identified. The study recommends strengthening of public participation in all processes of a project. Public participation promotes accountability in the process thus improving efficiency. Keywords: Stakeholder engagement, project planning, project implementation, KIRIWASCO