Community Engagement in Development Assistance Interventions: The Case of Nawiri USAID’s Funded Project in Samburu and Turkana Counties

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of community engagement in development assistance interventions with a focus on projects funded and implemented by USAID in Kenya. It was guided by the following specific objectives: to analyse the role of community engagement in development assistance interventions specifically in Samburu and Turkana counties; to analyse the role of foreign aid programs in development assistance interventions with a focus on the USAID’s Nawiri project in Samburu and Turkana counties; to evaluate the extent by which cultural barriers affect Nawiri development project in Samburu and Turkana counties. Rational Choice theory was also the guiding principle with an adoption of a case study design. This was conducted in Kenya with special focus on Turkana and Samburu Counties where the Nawiri project is implemented with USAID’s funding. A target of 80 population was chosen as the sample for response to the structured questionnaire. This included 30 USAID Staff and Implementing Partners, 20 Ministry of Planning and Devolution and 30 County Beneficiaries. Purposive sampling was utilized in this study, and content analysis utilized in the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data collected. It was found out that processes of community engagement influenced positively the development assistance, cultural barriers had a negative effect on community engagement and the extended development assistance, while foreign aid actors influenced positively in development assistance and engagements with the community. The study concluded that community engagements in providing Development Assistance Interventions (DAI) is one way to enhance development, generate ownership of interventions and empower local people. Contribution of foreign aid to the communities engaged was realized to have a huge influence. From the findings, there is a need for a clear idea of ‘county ownership’ to be passed into an operational definition that measures the amount of the involvement of certain stakeholders in problems, resource management, program design, execution and management. The findings are informed by the rigidity of traditional bureaucratic silos (regulatory and organizational) that tend to dominate the public sector in every policy arena is a challenge for more participative approaches to governance. The study is significant to the Government of Kenya, community beneficiaries supported by donors, stakeholders working with donors, scholars and researchers involved in International Relations and development assistance issues, as well as policy makers.