Influence of the Level of Citizen Participation on Governance of Projects in County Governments in Kenya

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume II, Issue V, May 2018 | ISSN 2454-6186

Influence of the Level of Citizen Participation on Governance of Projects in County Governments in Kenya

Moi Edna Jemutai^1*, Iravo Mike², Minja David³

¹PhD Student, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
²Professor Department of ETLM, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
³Professor Department of Public policy and Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
^*Corresponding author

Abstract: The level of citizen participation in decision making processes tends to be low. The citizensare often also very little informed about what is being discussed and decided, even though it is supposed to be in the public interest. That has even been the case in the most fundamental expression of the socio-political contract between state authorities and citizens.This paper describes the influence of the level of citizen participation on governance of projects. It is based on the study of the level citizen participation in local governance of projects carried out in Elgeiyo Marakwet and Nandi Counties in Kenya. This study was anchored with the theory of New Public Management (NPM) where it emphasized ona situation that is more transparent, responsible and predictable, and therefore, prompts advance good governance at the local levels. A qualitative research method was the most suitable approach of collecting and analyzing the data. The study found out that citizens were still at the level of tokenism as their power have not been felt though their voices have been heard.When citizen participation is increased sometimes seen as a way to increase the efficacy of regulation, improve the provision of public goods and services, and boost outcomes in areas such as health and education that overlap the boundaries between citizens and their governments. Local government is a platform that all citizens can participate in local issues efficiently and effectively. Their participation is considered as an important factor for the success and prosperity of local government.

Keywords: Citizen Participation, level of participation, tokenism, power, local governance.

I. INTRODUCTION

Since the early 1980s, citizen participation in administrative decision-making have been focused on. For example, in the beginning of participatory government, the argument was that participation in government improved public service delivery and increased the trust of citizens in government. However, the outcomes of citizen participation depended on the characteristics of participation mechanisms, the target organization especially its capacity, structure, and commitment to the process; and environmental characteristics such as the size of the community and the forms of government involved.

Read More