Public Participation in the Governance of Busia County – Kenya

Public Participation in the Governance of Busia County – Kenya

 Michael Otieno Oloo, Prof. W. Okumu Bigambo, Dr.MasiboLumala
Department of Publishing, Journalism andCommunication Studies, School of Information Sciences, Kenya Moi University, P.O Box 3900-30100, Eldoret Kenya
Received: 09 February 2023; Revised: 23 February 2023; Accepted: 04 March 2023; Published: 05 April 2023

Abstract: Public Participation (PP) was inscribed in Kenya’s 2010 constitution to facilitate collaborative dialogue in governance. Inclusive governance was meant to sustain citizens’empowerment and wellbeing. This study explored the communicative performance of PP in governance at Busia County. The questions comprised: How does Busia County use Public Participation as a tool of communication with the stakeholders? What are the benefits of Public Participation in County governance? What are some of the challenges of using Public Participation in governance at Busia County? Newcomb’s communication model was applied to illustrate the role of PP in governance. The inquiry was carried out through a qualitative approach and case study method. Barnlund’s Transactional Model provided the study with functional communication cues inherent in collaborative engagements. Purposive sampling was used to raise 35 participants from seven sub-counties of the county. The participants comprised teachers, traders, farmers, MCAs and County Government staff. The qualitative data was analyzed through a thematic technique. The study established apathy and lack of committed goodwill by the leadership as the major setback to PP in governance. The knowledge of PC on PP functions in governance is significant information to academia. To policymakers, the findings are useful for formulating and sustaining legal and enforceable communication frameworks to improve inclusive governance. To practice, the proposed ideals would empower PREs to be responsible advocates and enforce goodwill for mutual gains of all county stakeholders. The findings would further good governance in CG and facilitate the general publics to have a say in the prioritization and implementation of their development wishes. Theseideals would liberate citizens from challenges associated with underdevelopment, thus culminating in sustainable livelihood and happiness.

Keywords: Participatory communication, Public participation, Governors, Development

I. Introduction

The Kenya 2010 constitution enshrined citizens’ sovereignty through Public Participation (Uraia, 2010). PP was meant to facilitate them to prioritize their developmental wishes in counties (Omollo, 2015). The performance of County Governments (CG) waspegged on the efficacy ofPP. As a sign of acceptance, PP was to facilitate the inclusivity of the citizens in governance (Ronoh et al, 2018). It would double up as an oversight strategy to limit unnecessary dissonance challenges (Hongo, 2022). PP wasalso to speed up development support and sustain citizens’ livelihood and happiness (Chitere&Ngundo 2015). The devolution provided the institution of County Government-led by the governor, executive management team and support staff. County Assembly and Senate were meant to ensure the smooth running of County governance (KLR, 2010).

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