Role of Citizen Participation in Sustainability of Water Projects in Makueni County, Kenya

Abstract

Sustainability of community development projects is a major challenge in the African context. Some of these challenges mainly revolve around stakeholder participation. The Theory of Citizen Participation Ladder was adopted to guide the study. This study examined the role of Citizen Power in the sustainability of water projects. A mixed method approach was adopted in this study. A sample size of 121 respondents were selected using systematic sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire and interview schedule were the main data collection tools. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were used to analyse data. The results show that Citizen Power and water projects sustainability was not significant (0.637). Households did not participate fully in the project cycle. The study recommends enhanced community participation in all water projects.