Project Planning and Sustainability of Borehole Water Projects in Baringo North Sub-County, Baringo County, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t4419Abstract
The sustainability of borehole water projects is a critical challenge in dry areas, where inadequate project planning undermines water service reliability and safety. Despite investment in borehole water projects, accessibility in parts of Baringo North Sub-County remains below 50% while about 25 of the 74 boreholes in the area are partially operational or non-operational, raising concerns about their sustainability. This study examined the influence of project planning on the sustainability of borehole water projects in Baringo North by examining the community needs assessment, financial planning, technical planning, risk management, and environmental and climate resilience planning. Guided by Systems Theory the study employed a descriptive correlational design. A census of 74 borehole projects across the five wards was undertaken, with the population of 1303 selected from project management committees and sub-committees, chiefs, ward administrators, county water officials, and liaison officials from various partners. Using Yamane’s formula, stratified proportionate, and purposive sampling, a sample of 307 was drawn. Ethical approval was obtained from the KUREC, with research authorization granted by NACOSTI before data collection. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires from 249 respondents comprising central project management committees and subcommittees, while qualitative data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires from 11 key informants including chiefs, ward administrators, county water officials, and partner liaison officials. Diagnostic tests confirmed that regression assumptions were satisfied. Project planning recorded a mean of 3.613, indicating a high implementation level; however, environmental considerations (M=3.380), climate-resilient planning (M=3.410), and risk mitigation strategies (M=3.480) recorded moderate means. The findings indicated a positive and statistically significant relationship between project planning and sustainability (r = 0.761, p < .001) with project planning explaining 57.9% of the variation in sustainability (R² = 0.579, p < .001). The study concludes that comprehensive project planning is essential for enhancing the sustainability of borehole water projects in Baringo North Sub-County. It recommends strengthening planning processes through rigorous community needs assessment, realistic operation and maintenance cost planning, technical feasibility assessment, risk management, environmental protection measures, and climate-resilient project design.
Keywords: Project planning, Sustainability, Borehole water projects, Community needs, Financial planning, Environment and climate planning.
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