Influence Of Community Participation On Sustainable Rural Water Access By Households: Case Of Bungoma County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Access to clean and safe water is a global concern. Besides socio-economic development, adequate access to water is a key ingredient in both health and wellbeing of humans. In Kenya, 70% of the population reside in the rural areas where only 49% of this population access safe drinking water. Bungoma Sub-County falls within the Lake Victoria North Water Services Board region with a rural water supply coverage of 44% (LVNWSB, 2012). This low coverage underscores the inadequate access to water for most households in the region. This study assessed the influence of community participation in sustainable access to water in rural areas. It focuses on how community participation in decision-making, resource contribution, water tariff charges and management factors influence sustainable rural access to water. Using a Cross-sectional survey study design combining mixed method approaches, the study covered 98% of the targeted 398 households with structured questionnaires. Key Informant Interviews were conducted among 32 WUA members and 2 County Government officials in the Water department. Systematic random sampling was used to identify targeted households while purposive sampling was used in identifying respondents for the KIIs. Data was entered and cleaned in MS Excel and exported to SPSS version 20 for univariate and bivariate analyses at 5% significance level. The study established high level of involvement of community in water supply management decisions (84%). No statistical relationship was established between level of involvement of community members in decision-making and level of sustainable rural water access (p=0.106) and community participation in water supply management processes (p=0.424). However, community members initiate most of the water projects with 66% contributing resources towards construction of water projects. There was no significant relationship between resource contribution for community water projects by the community members and level of sustainable rural water access (p=0.234). Seventy-four percent of the water supply projects are mainly operated, maintained and managed by the community water supply management committees. A significant association was established between responsibility for operation and maintenance of community water projects and level of sustainable rural water access (p=0.000). Community members in the study area mainly access drinking water through protected springs (50%). No significant relationship was established between payment of water tariffs charged and level of sustainable water access (p=0.188). This study establishes that involvement of community members in decisionmaking, resource contribution; operations, maintenance and payment of water tariffs have high potential to improve level of sustainable access to rural water. The study established that level of responsibility in the operations and management of rural water resources significantly influenced the level of sustainable access to rural water access. The study recommends that water sector stakeholders at the County and at National level should prioritize capacitybuilding initiatives for community members to help in the institutionalization of the operation and maintenance of community water projects and for sustainable access to rural water.