By Staff Reporter | Wajir Today | Friday, 6 February 2026
Poor public participation in Wajir County is hampering governance and accountability, participants were told during a forum in Wajir town on Thursday.
The discussion highlighted widespread frustration over low levels of awareness and engagement among local residents in county affairs.
Organized by a local non-governmental organisation, the forum drew a cross-section of the community, including civil society representatives and ordinary residents.
During the meeting, a county government employee from the Department of Public Participation was pressed to explain what steps the county leadership was taking to involve residents in decision-making. The official struggled to provide a satisfactory response.
Participants said the lack of political goodwill continued to undermine residents’ rights to information and meaningful public engagement.
“Poor public participation is absolutely a big issue,” said one participant who requested anonymity. “The county government operates like a private entity. Many residents are not engaged, and we keep asking why.”
The forum heard that when public participation is minimal, county projects often fail to address community priorities. Several attendees said many initiatives had little tangible impact because residents were not consulted.
“When the County Government or the assembly has an important issue to discuss, announcements are made very late. As a result, many people are left out and cannot take part in key forums,” one participant said.
Public engagement forums are typically held in a poorly constructed ICT hall near the county headquarters. Participants said the location, coupled with limited promotion, discouraged attendance.
“Public participation, which is held in the ICT hall, is failing,” one attendee said.
The county government representative acknowledged that limited resources had hampered efforts to expand public engagement across the county.
“Turnout is usually low. Many times, we do not have adequate resources to reach all residents or every part of the county,” he said.
Some forum participants also pointed to high illiteracy rates and negative community perceptions as barriers to participation.
“I am not blaming the government. I am blaming our situation,” said Mrs Habiba Madey, a prominent educationist in Wajir. “We need to do something about public participation. We want our people to contribute to debates about governance.”
Participants called for urgent reforms to strengthen devolution and improve the status of public engagement in the county.
“Many of our people cannot read or write, and so we are very far from achieving what devolution is supposed to deliver,” Mrs Madey added.
Concerns were also raised about the lack of needs assessments before key county projects are implemented, which residents said undermines both the viability and sustainability of initiatives.
“I think many public participation forums are just for formality. When do they conduct needs assessments? Who does it? Because we have never seen one,” asked Safi Abdullahi, a local human rights defender.
The forum concluded with calls for greater transparency, better planning, and more inclusive engagement strategies to ensure residents are fully involved in decisions that affect their lives.
