Assessing The Role of Communication Management for Public Participation in Vihiga County, Kenya.

Abstract

The need to establish if corporate communication can provide the public a platform for participation in County government governance affairs beyond the electoral period, prompted this research / study. Vihiga County is unique as it is densely populated, has high literacy levels and is made-up of both rural and urban population and therefore an area of interest regarding how all persons can be included in governance. The role of communication management is therefore analyzed with the aim of establishing how public participation for posterity can be achieved at the county. Communication Management is the overall planning, execution and ultimate evaluation of an organization’s communication with its public's. The study objectives included; to explore the place of communication management in governance in order to relay information to the public on Vihiga County Government’s operations, to establish communication barriers faced by the county government of Vihiga in sharing information with her external publics and to assess how communication management channels can influence public participation. An inclusive governance approach was advanced as important for the County and how communication would enhance this, was the area under study. Establishing if a mutually beneficial relationship through a corporate communication process could help the county government deliver better to its publics and build its image was extensively researched. This research was justified since it sought to address the public participation phenomenon in county affairs from a communication management perspective, as this is one of the most critical issues that has been a source of intense debate on county governance failures and successes. The study used a descriptive design since it aided in a fact-finding enquiry concerning the publics’ involvement in county affairs. The mixed methods approach was anchored on both a quantitative and qualitative data pedestal with the sample being drawn from Vihiga constituency of Vihiga County as this is where the County headquarters are based. The findings advanced the need for effective Communication management channels to aid in public participation in Vihiga County. Despite the utilization of various channels like radio stations, county websites, and newspaper advertisements, their effectiveness in fostering public participation varies. This highlights the necessity for not just the existence of channels but also their functionality and responsiveness in order to effectively engage the public in governance processes.