Rophus Kinusa Mwakideu

ABSTRACT

Examining the social and economic effects of benefit sharing in the extractive mining sector in Taita Taveta County, Kenya, is the main goal of this study. The research aims to achieve the following specific objectives: Analyze the extent to which the local community participates in extractive mining; look into the ways in which extractive mining advances social and economic development; evaluate the Taita-Taveta County benefits sharing mechanism; Examine issues pertaining to mining and analyze the structure of government policies regarding mining. Three theories—the community-based resource sharing theory, livelihood theory, and institutional theory—will be used to direct this investigation. A descriptive survey Mixed Method research design will be used for the study. It entails methodically combining quantitative and qualitative approaches into a single inquiry. A more thorough and balanced understanding of a research issue can be obtained by combining qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in a single study, which is known as the mixed methods approach. Using this method, data will be gathered and analyzed from both qualitative (from observations, interviews, or open-ended surveys) and quantitative (from surveys with structured questions or numerical measures) sources. This study will explore the intricacies of benefit sharing, including things like income distribution, employment prospects, and community development projects. The study will also examine how current laws and regulations pertaining to the mining industry affect how benefits are distributed. In order to conduct a quantitative analysis, socioeconomic data from mining and non-mining villages in Tata-Taveta County will be gathered and examined. This information will be useful in evaluating the concrete effects of benefit sharing on things like income levels, access to healthcare and education, and general quality of life. The Taro Yamane algorithm will be used to determine the sample size, which will be stratified and comprise 415 respondents. Stratified techniques for sampling and purposive sampling will be used. Interview guides, focus group discussions, and document inspection will all be used as data collection strategies. Quantitative data analysis will be conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23, utilizing descriptive statistics such as frequencies and tables, which will be visually represented through charts and tables. Narratives will be arranged thematically in accordance with the research aims, and qualitative data will be descriptively examined. The study’s final goal is to shed light on how well benefit-sharing schemes work to further Taita-Taveta County’s social and economic development. In order to promote sustainable development in the area, the research also aims to provide evidence-based suggestions to communities, mining firms, and policymakers regarding how to improve the fair distribution of benefits from small-scale extractive mining. This study adds significant viewpoints to the global discourse on how resource extraction affects economic growth and improves living standards in resource-rich countries.