Determinants of Participation of Disabled Persons in Public Decision-Making Processes: A Case of Turkana County, Kenya
Pages : 517-531, DOI: https://doi.org/10.14741/ijmcr/v.10.6.4Download PDF
Inclusivity of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the process of selecting, correcting, and effecting the decision-making input in the policymaking process is key to achieving sustainable development goals. However, statistic reveals that Kenya has more than 60% of its population excluded from participation in decision-making in the governance processes where persons with disabilities top the list of the most underrepresented. Thus, human rights mean little if they are not operationalized in the real world. The study sought to; assess the determinants of participation by disabled persons in public decision-making processes in the Turkana County Government. Explanatory research approach was used with a target population of 212 state and non-state actors from Turkana County. The sample size was 139 respondents derived from a population of 212 persons through Yamanes’ formula. Research data was collected using self-administered structured questionnaires. Consequently, data was analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential methods by SPSS version 25.0 software. The data was presented using tables. From the study findings correlations between demography and infrastructure were significant where r=.331, r= .552and positively correlated to public participation in public decision-making processes by disabled persons where P<0.01. All the four determinants (demography, and infrastructure) jointly explained 39.2 per cent variation on public participation in decision making processes. Therefore, there is need for bundling the determinants under study as demography and infrastructure through mutually consistent policies to enhance their synergy in achieving high public participation in decision making processes by disabled persons. The findings would bolster the enhancement of public participation in decision-making processes by persons with disability through various stakeholders in public and private domains.
Key words: Demography, Infrastructure, and Technology and Disability awareness