Role of Citizen Engagement on the Sustainability of County Development Projects in Chuka Municipality, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

Lacton Munene Mugambi, Urbanus Mwinzi Ndolo & Joram Kiarie Njuguna
Tharaka University, P.O. Box 193 – 60215, Marimanti, Kenya
Email: lacton.mugambi@tharaka.ac.ke/ lactonmugambi@rocketmail.com

Abstract: Inclusive governance is founded on the participation of citizens and is critical in maintaining county development projects. This paper has explored the role of citizen engagement in the sustainability of development projects within the Chuka Municipality, Tharaka Nithi County. A mixed-methods approach was employed guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Ladder of Participation created by Arnstein. Stratified and random sampling were used to select a sample of 394 respondents comprising of the representatives of households, traders, county officials and community leaders in a population of 27,598. The data were gathered through questionnaire, interviews, and focus group discussion and analysed through descriptive statistics, Spearman Rank Correlation and thematic analysis. Results showed a high positive correlation with statistical significance between the citizen engagement and project sustainability (ρ = 0.623, p < 0.01). Citizens who were actively engaged in designing, implementation, and monitoring of the project played their role in ownership, accountability, and mobilization of local resources to maintain the project. The early inclusion enhanced relevance of projects, whereas the participatory monitoring provided timely repair and functionality. The paper concludes that meaningful citizen engagement is a democratic practice and a realistic facilitator of sustainable outcomes. It suggests the incorporation of participation throughout the project cycle with the assistance of participatory budgeting, community forums, systems of citizen feedback, and online platforms that will lead to greater transparency and accountability.