Community Workshops and Implementation of Road Maintenance Projects by Kenya National Highways Authority in South Rift Region, Kenya

Effective engagement of the community in road maintenance projects promotes local needs and preferences, leading to more relevant and responsive initiatives.In particular, the community workshopscultivates a sense of ownership and collaboration among community members. This fosters trust between stakeholders and contributes significantly to the success and sustainability of road maintenance efforts. However, road maintenance projects in Kenya have continually demonstrated inadequate implementationwith delays in repairs leading to extended road deterioration and increased safety risks. The present study examinedthe effect of community workshops, as a strategy of community engagementon the implementationof road maintenance projects in South Rift Region, Kenya. The study was grounded onstakeholder theory. Adescriptive research design wasadopted. The target population consistedof 28road maintenance projectsbyKeNHA,South Rift Region.Both descriptive and inferential methods wereapplied in the analysis. In the descriptive analysis, means, percentages and standard deviations wereemployed. On the other hand, correlation and regression analysis were usedin inferential analysis. The Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) aideddata analysis, and the findings werepresented through tables.The descriptive findings indicatedthat community workshopsplay a vital role in the implementation of road maintenance projects by Kenya National Highways Authority. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships between community workshops (r = 0.744**, p = 0.000) and implementation of road maintenance projects.Regression analysis further demonstrated a strong overall relationship between community workshops and implementation of road maintenance projects. The coefficientof determination R² value of 0.554indicated that 55.4% of the variation in road maintenance project implementation is explained by community workshops. The study concludes that community workshopsenhance collaboration and coordination. Theyimprove communication, accountability, and sustained involvement, ultimately strengthening the implementation of road maintenance projects. The study recommends Kenya National Highways Authority embed community workshops into operational framework to boost stakeholder alignment, and improve implementation of road maintenance projects.