Influence of Public Accountability on Implementation of Infrastructure Projects in Public Secondary Schools in Kakamega County, Kenya
George King Nabibya, Herbert Dimo & Joshua Ketter
School of Education, University of Eldoret, Kenya
Email: geonaki@yahoo.com
Abstract: Despite public accountability being a key governance requirement in public sector management, infrastructure projects in public secondary schools in Kenya continue to experience inefficiencies, delays, and instances of resource mismanagement, prompting the need to examine its influence on project implementation. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the influence of public accountability on the implementation of infrastructure projects in public secondary schools in Kakamega County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population comprised 1249 respondents, including 412 principals, 412 Board of Management chairpersons, 412 Parents Association chairpersons, and 13 Sub-County Education Officers. A sample size of 316 respondents was selected using stratified and purposive sampling techniques. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedules. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (linear regression analysis). The study findings revealed that public accountability significantly influences implementation of infrastructure projects (R² = 0.310, β = 0.542, p < 0.05), indicating that improved accountability enhances project performance. Qualitative findings further confirmed that auditing, stakeholder participation, and monitoring and evaluation improve transparency and reduce resource mismanagement. Qualitative findings further indicated that monitoring systems were moderately effective but constrained by budget limitations, bureaucratic procedures, and coordination challenges among stakeholders, which contributed to delays. The study concluded that strong public accountability systems are essential for effective implementation of school infrastructure projects. The study recommended strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems, enhancing transparency in financial management, increasing stakeholder involvement, and enforcing accountability regulations to improve infrastructure project outcomes in public secondary schools.
