Rural Roads Maintenance and Households’ Wellbeing

Abstract

Infrastructure development is a key ingredient not only in economic growth of a country but the general well-being of the local communities in Kenya. However, with the numerous benefits associated with infrastructural development, many rural roads in the country in general and Kericho County in particular are still impassible, especially during the rainy season and dusty during dry periods. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine the rural road maintenance and well-being in Kericho County. The study was guided by the pragmatism philosophical paradigm and mixed research design. The study was undertaken in Kericho County whose target population is 206,036 households from which a sample of 382 were selected. Descriptive statistics was employed to analyze quantitative data. This included the measure of central tendency and the measure of dispersion. Statistical inferences were drawn using correlation analysis. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis based on analysis of meanings and integrated with quantitative data. The findings revealed that rural road maintenance had a positive effect on household well-being (R=0.829, P<0.05). The County Government's performance was above average in repaving, pothole maintenance, and road reconstruction initiatives. The study concluded that rural road maintenance positively and significantly influences household well-being. The study recommended that the County Government adds resources for the maintenance of roads to improve accessibility