Public participation in Kenya: A fact Or façade?
by admin on | 2024-12-06 03:47:22 Last Updated by admin on 2024-12-22 02:04:31
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Public participation refers to the process by which citizens, as individuals, groups or communities (also known as stakeholders), take part in the conduct of public affairs, interact with the state and other non-state actors to influence decisions, policies, programs, legislation and provide oversight in service delivery, development and other matters concerning their governance and public interest, either directly or through freely chosen representatives.1 Public participation can also be construed as a process in which stakeholders undertake to both inform the public and obtain input from them, on their individual interests, group or community interests and give them an opportunity to influence the decisions.2 According to Arnstein, public or citizen participation in governance, as a cornerstone of democracy, is “the strategy by which the have-nots join in determining how information is shared, goals and policies are set, tax resources are allocated, programs are operated, and benefits like contracts and patronage are parceled out.’’3 Restated in Kenyan terms, it is the means by which ‘Wanjiku’ can directly contribute significantly to the reengineering of structures and models of governance in order to share in the benefits enjoyed almost inherently and exclusively by the political class.
