Community Participation on the Sustainability of Socio-Economic Empowerment Projects in Mukuru Informal Settlements: A Case Study of Starehe Sub-County in Nairobi

The conception of community participation gained prominence in development discourse in the seventies and since then literature on the subject has grown dramatically. The purpose of the study was to assess the role of community participation on the sustainability of socioeconomic empowerment projects operating in Mukuru informal settlements.  The objectives of the study included: To establish the role of community participation in the design of socioeconomic empowerment projects in Mukuru informal settlements, to examine the community participation in the implementation of the socioeconomic empowerment projects in Mukuru informal settlements, to analyze the community participation in monitoring and evaluation of the socioeconomic empowerment projects in Mukuru informal settlements. The study was anchored on the Participatory development theory that aims to increase the involvement of socially and economically marginalized peoples in decision-making over their own lives. The study used a descriptive research design. The target population for this study was staff members working in projects operating in Mukuru informal settlements, local authorities of Mukuru informal settlements, stakeholders of projects in Mukuru and residents from Kayaba, Fuata Nyayo, Mariguine, Commercial slums and Kisii village. The sample size for this study was 80 respondents. Purposive sampling was used to select the representatives of the population being studied. A semi-structured questionnaire used to collect primary data from respondents. Information was sorted, coded and put into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for production of tables, graphs and descriptive statistics. The findings indicated that the community participation in the creation, content and conduct of the project designed to change their lives, is crucial and requires recognition and use of local capacities. There were consultations, involvement of the community in meetings, preparations and formulation of goals before establishment of socioeconomic empowerment projects in Mukuru informal settlements. That community participation influenced the direction of the projects, decision making and their implementation. The involvement of the community in the management of development projects makes people own, sustain, sponsor and protect the empowerment projects. That monitoring and evaluation improves the implemented projects and highlight the best practices leading to replication. The study concludes that it is crucial to involve the community in the creation, content and conduct of the project designed to change their lives. It was concluded that communities that are well empowered and involved in the implementation stage get a chance to identify their need and prioritize the projects that should be implemented in the area. Monitoring and evaluation creates confidence and improves the quality delivery of the projects, and fosters transparency and accountability. It boosts the effectiveness and efficiency of the projects. The study recommends that the stakeholders as well as development projects educate the beneficiaries of projects to break the dependency mentality, encourage good leadership, and monitor the use and misuse of funds.