PARTICIPATION IN SUSTAINABLE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS AND ITS EFFECTS ON YOUTH EMPOWERMENT IN KISUMU CITY, KENYA

Abstract

Participation in sustainable solid waste management (SWM) projects is increasingly recognized as a catalyst for youth empowerment in urban Africa. This study examined Participation in Sustainable Solid Waste Management Projects and Its Effects on Youth Empowerment in Kisumu City, Kenya, focusing on how youth involvement in waste collection, disposal, and recycling contributes to social, economic, and innovative empowerment outcomes. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, and Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory, the study analyzed how youth engagement in waste collection, disposal, and recycling influences empowerment outcomes. A cross-sectional design was adopted, targeting 320 youth, with 175 respondents selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS Version 26. Descriptive statistics summarized the data, while ordinal regression assessed relationships among variables. Findings revealed a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between youth participation in SWM activities and empowerment outcomes. Waste collection (β = 1.719, p < .05), waste disposal (β = 2.188, p < .05), and recycling (β = 4.625, p < .05) significantly influenced empowerment, accounting for 59.3 percent of its variation. The study concludes that youth participation enhances environmental awareness, leadership, social inclusion, and economic independence. It recommends that policymakers, NGOs, and local governments strengthen youth engagement through capacity building, financial support, and improved waste infrastructure.