Participatory Budgeting and Implementation of Urban Upgrading Projects in Kenya

In Kenya, Urban planning processes including budgeting is characterized by citizen non-engagement especially in low income communities since the city elites prefer top-down approach and this has led to a series of project failures. The purpose of the study is to establish the influence of Participatory Budgeting on Implementation of Urban Upgrading Projects in Kisumu City, Kenya. The study will be grounded on Arnstein’s ladder of participation. The study adopted desk review. The study found that projects resulting from participatory budgeting are cheaper and sustainable due to community control and oversight and transformation into a more open, deliberative and collaborative process. However, in spite of the Kenya’s 2010 Constitution and succeeding enactment of the County Governments Act and the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 requiring open involvement on issues of public fund to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, participation has been consumed as a formality. Governments use participatory rhetoric and limited gestures toward increased budget transparency and community budget consultations to assuage donors and reduce tensions with civil society, but they do not meaningfully engage with the process. Even if Public Budgeting processes contribute positively to the delivery of basic services, they are still limited in their capacity to meet the scale of the needs and the depth of citizens’ aspirations. To achieve the Millennium Development Goals, local governments should be involved, for stronger promotion of public participation in budgeting for urban upgrading projects.