Community Involvement and the Performance of Community Water Projects in Nakuru County, Kenya

Access to safe water remains a basic human right, yet many communities in Nakuru County lack it, making community-based water projects essential for survival and development. The research assessed the contribution of community involvement to the water project outcomes. Anchored on Participatory Development and Systems Theory, the study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. A sample of 370 beneficiaries and 5 key informants was selected. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and interview guides. The tools were tested for reliability (Cronbach’s alpha ≥ 0.7). The data was analyzed through SPSS for descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages, mean, and standard deviation. Further, inferential statistics, correlation, and linear regressions were used to explore the relationships between the independent and dependent variables. The study adhered to ethical considerations. The study achieved an 85.9% response rate. Correlation analysis revealed a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between community involvement and the performance of community water projects (r = .718, p < .01), indicating that greater participation in activities such as goal setting, needs assessment, and decision-making enhances outcomes like water availability, timely completion, and community satisfaction. Regression results further confirmed this influence (β = 0.450, p = .000), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis (H₀₁) and affirming that community involvement significantly and positively impacts project performance (Ha1). The study concludes that community involvement is the most critical factor influencing the performance of community water projects. Active participation in goal setting, needs assessment, and planning significantly enhances project success. The findings revealed a strong and statistically significant relationship between community involvement and project performance, indicating that communities that are engaged meaningfully in project processes experience higher satisfaction, improved water access, and timely project completion.