Engaging Communities on Social Accountability Activities for Sustainable Development: A Study of Transparency International Kenya’s Citizen Demand Programme in Kisumu County

Abstract

Social Accountability is essential for any country to develop. Participation and accountability are enshrined in several articles of the Constitution of Kenya (2010). It is on this premise that various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have embarked on civic education to mobilize citizens to participate in devolved governments therefore ensuring social accountability, that is the wide range of citizen and CSOs’ actions to hold the state accountable, as well as actions on the part of government, media, and other societal actors aimed at promoting or facilitating these efforts. Despite these efforts, studies show that most Kenyans still do not participate in social accountability mechanisms. This paper discusses the findings preliminary findings of a study conducted to assess the communication frameworks used by TI-K to mobilize communities to engage in social accountability processes. Specifically, the study analysed the TI-K’s Citizen Demand Programme and how it contributes in mobilizing communities to participate in social accountability mechanisms at the county level. The study adopted a hybrid model combining the PRECEDE-PROCEED model and Paulo Freire’s concept of dialogue as its theoretical framework. The study used a mixed method approach and Explanatory sequential design; structured random sampling and purposive sampling to come up with a sample of 250 for the quantitative phase and 16 for the qualitative phase respectively. Questionnaires, participant observations and interviews were used to generate data for this study. Findings indicate that the TI-K Citizen Demand Programme generally influenced participants to participant in social accountability processes. However only half of them participate frequently in the social accountability processes. Those who haven’t participated so far sight economic shortcomings, gender roles, illiteracy among others as reasons not to participate in social accountability processes. Findings also point to the importance of local participation in making a programme a success.