Improving public participation in the preparation of Siaya County Integrated Development Plan in Kenya

Abstract

In accordance with the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, Kenya’s devolved system of governance provides for public participation in county planning and in the implementation of those plans. In Siaya County, this process is skewed towards county government budget scrutiny. Other sectors only apply the same framework for their sector’s public participation processes which often leads to unsatisfactory outcomes for citizens. This action research study uses a Yala Community Participation Framework to prepare the Siaya County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2018– 2022. Results show that the implementation was done with remarkable degree of success. The five framework’s steps and its base of Community Facilitator and Information Resources Hub were applied with very minimal adaptations. The application has addressed new planning issues, facilitated the creation of public participation directorate, and ensured substantial adoption of participatory methodologies for county planning framework. However, successful deployment requires a mindset shift among the county citizens and government staff which remained a major challenge. The study recommends the use of Yala Hub Framework for the development and revisions of county management plans. Finally, the need for and value of a Community Facilitator and Information Resources Hub in county integrated development planning to strengthen Kenya’s devolved system of governance.