THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON DEVELOPMENT AT THECOUNTY LEVEL.

Abstract

One golden thread that runs through the fabric of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 is the sovereign will of
the people. Participation of the people in governance is a logical consequence of the sovereignty
of the people under the Constitution which proclaims and asserts that all sovereign power belongs
to the people of Kenya and that the people can exercise that power either directly or indirectly
through their democratically elected representatives.1 Public participation is also one of the
objectives and guiding principles of thedevolved system of governance under the constitution.
Kenya has faced a unique challenge in its governance system since independence; the
participation of the people and its impact on development.2 This paper therefore seeks to critically
analyse the impact of public participation on development at the county level in Kenya.
For clarity, the paper is organised into four parts. The first part contains an overview of public
participation and its historical underpinnings in Kenya. The second part analyses the broad legal
framework on public participation particularly at the county level. The third part analyses a case
study on public participation. The final part makes conclusions on the preceding parts of the paper
and makes a case for the improvement of public participation through a raft of proposals and
recommendations.