The Value of Rural Access Roads: The Case Study of Chepyuk and Mitira Wards in Bungoma and Kirinyaga Counties

In this paper we assess the impact of road network on rural regions development using a case study of Chepyuk and Mitira wards. The two case study areas were selected owing to their comparable agro ecological conditions but different political orientation. The wards have identical agro economic activities due to their similarity in climatic and ecological conditions. Household incomes earned from agricultural enterprises and bid rent per unit area of land are used as indicators of development. The condition of road network is used as an indicator of accessing the rural regions in various seasons of the year. The study provides evidence of the economic advantages associated with better market access, primarily due to the good road infrastructure in Mitira compared to Chepyuk. The good road condition is advantageous to Mitira ward residents allowing them to access other markets hence improving the farm gate value of their products. On the other hand, the prices for Chepyuk products are cheap due to constrained market access necessitated by the poor road condition. For instance, the average price of a liter of milk in Chepyuk ward is Kshs.36.65 compared to Mitira where it goes at Kh.55.08. It therefore implies in Chepyuk milk has to be sold at lower price since access to alternative markets is constrained by poor road condition. The disparity in the road network quality has been occasioned by investment policy by both colonial and consecutive post-independence governments which have given preference to the region where Mitira region is located. This is against the constitutional requirement which proposes an equalization fund for infrastructure development to regions lagging behind in terms of development.

The Impact of Governance Regime on Land Cover and Use Change and Forest Structure: Insights from Kakamega and Loita Forests, Kenya

Forests in Kenya are managed under different management regimes, including traditional community based forest management, command and control, participatory forest management, leasehold, concessions, and private. Assessment of these regimes’ impact (positively or negatively) on forest conservation has not been done. The study was done to determine the impact on forest conservation of three management regimes traditional community based forest management, command and control, and participatory forest management. The survey was done through secondary data, focus group discussion, key informant interview, household survey, ecological survey, and land cover and land use analysis through GIS. The results indicate that the forest site under participatory forest management witnessed better forest management. In this site, the forest zone witnessing best management was the one near the forest station where the rangers are located and adjacent to the community that has been involved in forest management and benefited most from project intervention, an incentive for their participation in forest management. The forests under traditional community based forest management faced a high forest degradation rate. Forest under command and control regime witnessed the best forest condition improvement attributed to the management regime not allowing consumptive forest resource utilization. Each regime was best under its’ legislative framework and would facilitate better forest management and contribute to improved livelihoods without compromising forest quality. Participatory forest management was the most preferred management regime contributing to better forest management, improved community livelihoods, and formally involved communities and other stakeholders. Each regime’s appropriateness would be enhanced through stakeholder capacity building, institutional reform, adequate financial facilitation, and appropriate implementation. Therefore, adopting participatory forest management attributes to the other two management regimes would enhance their appropriateness, while appreciating that the management objective determines the regime being implemented in each forest.