Voicing participation in large-scale infrastructural projects: A contextualization of participatory communication in Lamu Port, Kenya

In large-scale infrastructural projects, the quality and voicing strategies of participation are more critical than its quantity for safeguarding community and individual interests. This insight emerges from a study examining the Lamu Port project in Kenya, part of the ambitious Lamu Port - South Sudan - Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) initiative. The research reveals that while public participation aims to connect and empower communities, its effectiveness hinges on genuine communication that reflects community interests—a challenge often unmet by project implementers. Through a mixed-method approach involving 385 residents and key informants, the study highlights the need for empowered mechanisms, such as legislation, to recognize and support those advocating for community rights. Participation, when authentic, grants communities surveillance power over issues affecting them, acting as both a tool for social reform and an encounter process.

Kamau, M. M., & Khsiebi, A. K. (2022). Voicing participation in large-scale infrastructural projects: A contextualization of participatory communication in Lamu Port, Kenya. Journal of Media and Communication Studies, 14(2), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.5897/jmcs2022.0765