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.