Stakeholder Participation and Sustainability of projects under the Operation Wealth Creation Program: A case of OWC projects in Namutumba District

This article examines the relationship between stakeholder participation and the sustainability of projects implemented under Uganda's Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) programme in Namutumba District. Guided by Arnstein's Ladder of Citizen Participation, the study employed a documentary review to examine how passive, interactive, and functional participation relate to project sustainability. The findings indicate that passive participation, primarily involving information sharing, may provide limited opportunities for beneficiaries to influence programme decisions. Interactive participation offers opportunities to incorporate community needs into planning, while functional participation can support collective responsibility through farmer groups, committees, and shared goal-setting. However, the documentary evidence also identifies concerns about limited community involvement and ownership. The review concludes that meaningful participation requires more than beneficiary attendance or agricultural input distribution. Sustainable outcomes also depend on appropriate inputs, technical support, market access, and enabling institutional conditions. Strengthening community influence over decisions and supporting local structures are therefore important considerations for improving OWC implementation and sustainability.