Influence Of Community Participation On Implementation Of Housing Renewal Programme In Kibera Informal Settlement, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Kenya, like other developing countries, has witnessed an unprecedented increase in urban population over the past fifty years. This has posed a great challenge to urban economies which have been unable to cope with the increasing demand for essential services such as housing, health and education. As a result, more urban dwellers in Kenya live in poverty and reside in overcrowded slums that lack basic amenities to sustain a minimum level of living. From the study area, there has been beneficiary apathy to take possession of completed housing units, some targeted beneficiaries rent houses or are not willing to be relocated. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of community participation on the implementation of housing renewal programme in Kibera informal settlement. The study was guided by the theory of community action plan model. The research adopted evaluation research design. The study objectives were: to examine community participation in project identification and its influence on housing renewal programme in Kibera informal settlement; to analyse community participation in project planning and its influence on housing renewal programme in Kibera informal settlement; to determine community participation in project execution and its influence on housing renewal programme in Kibera informal settlement; to analyse community participation in project monitoring and evaluation and its influence on housing renewal programme in Kibera informal settlement. The target population of this study was 60,095 households of Kibera with a selected sample size of 350. Systematic random sampling technique was employed. The researcher used mixed approach. The research used correlation test and Chi-test for data analysis. The study established that most respondents were not involved in identifying project deliverables as indicated by 95.7 % of responses and that locals were rarely involved in project implementation activities as indicated by 85.7% of the respondents. The study concludes that, failure to effectively involve community in various stages of projects, affects housing renewal programme for kibera informal settlement. This study recommends that strategies for monitoring and evaluation for good quality and feedback should be devised. The study further recommended that strict scrutinisation of project teams is done to ensure that members of the community are represented and a criterion for selecting project activity teams be clearly outlined. The study finally recommends that project managers and their team should hold frequent meetings with project beneficiaries. This will open an avenue for people to share their views and opinions regarding the projects at hand. The researcher recommends that the study be carried out on the influence of political power and cultural factors on community participation in the implementation of housing renewal programme in the informal settlements.