Abstract: Public awareness is one of the cardinal requirements for public participation. Under the County Governments Act, 2011, counties are required to use effective communication tools to create awareness on devolution and governance, promote citizens understanding for purposes of peace and national cohesion, and undertake advocacy on core development issues such as agriculture, education, health, security, economics, and sustainable environment among others. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of public awareness strategies on public participation in the implementation of devolved projects in Kakamega County. The specific objective was to investigate how governance administrative structure administration influences citizens’ participation in the implementation of devolved projects in Kakamega County. The study used Descriptive method, which enabled collection of quantitative data. The study population comprised residents of Kakamega County, with a representative sample broken down into 600 participants from six sub counties. Validity of the instrument was measured using factor analysis while test-retest was used to measure reliability. SPSS version 22 was used to analyze quantitative data. The study results indicated that participants felt that there was no proper governance structures put in place to help them participate in devolved government projects. To ensure effective public participation in devolved projects, Kakamega County should set up a desk at every sub county, ward, and village offices with people who can engage the public and keep them informed of all the planned projects. Therefore, the ineffectiveness of the current public awareness strategies calls for the adoption of strategic public awareness techniques to increase public participation in devolved projects.
Keywords: Public Awareness Strategies, Public Participation, Implementation of Devolved Projects, governance administrative structure, Kakamega County.
Title: Effectiveness of Public Awareness Strategies on Public Participation in Implementation of Devolved Projects in Kakamega County
Author: Joseph Juma Sumba, Dr. Julius Miroga, Joyce Amuhaya
International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations
ISSN 2348-7585 (Online)
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