Influence of Project Planning on Economic Development Projects in Kajiado West Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

Lack of or poor public participation in politics, policy discussions, and the ability to demand accountability of the government is a major deficit of democracy in Kenya. The general objective of the study was to analyse the influence of community participation on economic development projects in the Kajiado West sub-county, Kenya. The variables of interest were to examine the influence of community participation in project planning, project implementation, project monitoring and evaluation, and project coordination on economic development projects. The research methodology was mixed triangulation research which involved the use of both qualitative and quantitative approaches in data collection, analysis, and data interpretation. The study adopted a descriptive research design to allow the collection of comprehensive data. The target population was 1500 participants out of the entire population of the Kajiado West sub-county, which was approximately 104,376 people as per the 2009 population census. The sample size was 150 respondents from five wards. The collection of data was carried out using questionnaires and interview schedules. Questionnaires were circulated to traders, village elders, religious leaders, and farmers, while structured interviews were conducted with MCAs, chiefs, and assistant chiefs. The qualitative data was analysed using content analysis, while the quantitative data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics entailed mean, standard deviation, and frequencies, while the inferential statistics entailed the person correlation and regression analysis. The study found that community participation in project planning, project implementation, project monitoring and evaluation, and project coordination on economic development projects were positively and significantly associated.