The Impact of Public Participation on Climate Change Mitigation Initiatives at The Community Level in Thika Constituency, Kenya

Abstract

Climate change threatens livelihoods, ecosystems, and sustainable development in several communities in Kenya. While global and national climate policies are in place, their success often hinges on meaningful public participation at the local level. Community involvement enables inclusive decision-making, effective implementation of mitigation initiatives, and improved monitoring of environmental outcomes. Despite its importance, it remains underexplored. This study aims to address this gap by investigating how community involvement shapes and sustains climate change mitigation efforts in Thika Constituency, Kenya, with the aim of informing more effective and inclusive climate governance strategies. The objectives that guide the study are; to examine nature and extent of public participation in community-based climate change mitigation initiatives in Thika Constituency, and to assess the impact of public participation on the effectiveness and sustainability of these initiatives. The study is anchored on participatory approach theory which emphasizes inclusive decision-making and the role of citizens in shaping and implementing public policies and how it influences the uptake and impact on mitigation initiatives. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the research draws on both qualitative and quantitative data collected from community members, local leaders, and environmental officers through surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews within four residential areas: Kamenu ward, Hospital ward, Ngoliba ward, and Gatuanyaga ward. The study will utilize stratified random sampling to select the citizens from the four residential areas and purposive sampling to select participants actively or passively involved in environmental initiatives. Data analysis will involve thematic coding for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative inputs. This paper aims to guide local policy development by emphasizing the value of inclusive climate governance, with the goal of fostering more equitable and sustainable environmental solutions in Kenya.