Citizen’s Participation Effectiveness and Community Policing Scenario at Ongata Rongai in Kajiado County, Kenya.

Abstract

Crime affects the lives of all Kenyans and makes it difficult to achieve the security and safety aspirations of the Political Pillar in the Vision 2030. As Kenya moves into a middle-level income country status, more needs to be done to improve on the security of life and property through community policing. The general objective of the study was to establish the citizens’ participation effectiveness and community policing scenario at Ongata Rongai in Kajiado County, Kenya. The three specific objectives of the study were to: establish police-community partnership effectiveness; identify crime prevention strategies effectiveness; and, analyse problem-solving approaches effectiveness in community policing at Ongata Rongai. The study analysed existing literature in accordance with the objectives of the study. The conceptual model consisted of independent variable, moderating variable and dependent variables. The study adopted exploratory research design. Systematic sampling was done to select the sample for the study. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection from 353 community members living in an area of 16.50 square kilometers at Ongata Rongai. Snowballing method was used to sample ten police officers who participated in an interview process. The quantitative data derived from questionnaires were analysed with the assistance of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences. The qualitative data originating from interview guides were analysed by contentanalysis. The key results were on the three components of community policing namely: policecommunity partnership effectiveness in community policing; crime prevention strategies effectiveness in community policing; and, problem-solving approaches effectiveness in community policing. The study expects that citizens’ participation effectiveness in community policing contributes to the protection of life and property at Ongata Rongai. The study makes a contribution in knowledge of security management and police studies in Kenya generally and in Kajiado specifically. The study recommends that the two stakeholders, police and community, should vigorously work together to protect life and property