Influence of Community Participation on Budgeting Process in Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya
Loading...
Date
2025-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Low levels of community involvement, inadequate feedback systems, and poor communication frequently plague public budgeting in devolved entities such as Elgeyo Marakwet County, impeding inclusive and responsive governance. This study looked at how community involvement affected the budgeting process in Kenya's Elgeyo Marakwet County. The study aimed to examine the influence of community participation on the budgeting process in Elgeyo Marakwet County by focusing on four areas: communication channels, feedback mechanisms, guided participation, and community-based program decisions. It was grounded in the Community Action Planning (CAP) model, which emphasizes inclusive stakeholder involvement in development planning. A descriptive survey design was used to conduct the research, allowing for a structured investigation into how community participation influences budget formulation and decision-making processes. The study's target population consisted of 301 participants, five employees of the budget office, twenty-nine members of the general public, twenty-six ward administrators, 196 members of the ward development committee, fifteen members of the Elgeyo Marakwet County Assembly's budget and appropriation committee, seven members of the public participation office, twenty-four chief officers and directors, five communication officers, four controller of the budget, and three fiscal analysts. The respondents were sampled for the study using stratified sampling. The sample size for this study was 172 respondents, proportionally distributed. Data were collected using questionnaires and an interview guide. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was sought from all participants. A pilot study was carried out in Uasin Gishu County to determine the validity and reliability of the research instruments. Qualitative data collected were organized into themes which assisted the researcher in thematically analyzing data based on objectives. The analyzed qualitative data were presented in written reports. The questionnaire data were coded, arranged, and analyzed. The SPSS programme version 25 was used to analyze obtained data using descriptive and inferential statistics. Frequency, means, mode, minimum, maximum, and standard deviation are examples of descriptive statistics. Correlation and regression were used as inferential statistics. Tables were used to present the data that has been analyzed. The study findings indicated that there was a positive linear effect of channel of communication on budgeting process (β₁ = .171, p = 0.000). Community participation feedback has a positive and significant effect on budgeting process (β₂ = .259, p = 0.003). Guided community participation was found to have a positive and significant effect on budgeting process (β₃ = .315, p = 0.000). Program decisions were found to have a positive and significant effect on budgeting process (β₄ = .287, p = 0.000). The study concluded that effective budgetary process is enhanced by a continuous flow of communication. Ensuring community interaction brings together an informed society on matters of public participation and improves the budgetary process. Effective budgetary process is enhanced through good community interaction, continuous communication, and government feedback on project implementation. Increased budgetary process requires that government officials and leaders prioritize community needs, take control of the process, and ensure the community is guided by priorities. The budgetary process has been enhanced through community commitment to the laid-down programs. The study recommends strengthened capacity building, continuous communication, and active community interaction to enhance public awareness and participation. Government feedback on project implementation should be prioritized to improve transparency and effectiveness in the budgetary process.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration of Kenyatta University, June, 2025
Supervisor;
1.Moses M. Muthinja