Short Biography
Mr. Tobias Ouma Mboya is an Environment Officer at Homa Bay County Government. Born in 1989, Mboya graduated from the University of Eldoret with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies – Science (Environmental Biology and Health) degree in 2013. In 2020, he graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Project Planning and Management from the University of Nairobi. In 2019, he successfully completed a Basic Enforcement Course organized by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) at Kenya Commercial Bank Leadership Training Center in Nairobi. He is an ardent environmentalist with a keen interest in the planning and management of environmental projects. He is also a NEMA registered Environmental Impact Assessment and Audit expert.
Thesis / Project Title
SUSTAINABILITY OF REFORESTATION PROJECTS IN KODERA AND WIRE FORESTS IN RACHUONYO SOUTH SUB-COUNTY, HOMA BAY COUNTY – KENYA
Thesis / Project Abstract
Despite substantial financial investment on reforestation projects, they fail to realize their fundamental goal of biodiversity conservation, carbon emission reduction, and support to livelihoods, leading to wastage of funds. The research sought to determine the factors influencing the sustainability of reforestation projects in Kodera and Wire forests in Rachuonyo South Sub-County, Homa Bay County - Kenya. The objectives were to assess the influence of public participation, economic benefits, government policy, and community awareness on the sustainability of reforestation projects in Kodera and Wire forests. The theories of participation and conservation guided the study. It adopted a descriptive design. Through stratified and simple random sampling, 92 respondents were selected from a target population of 920. The quantitative data was collected using closed-ended questionnaires. Validity was enhanced through piloting, while reliability was enhanced through the split-half method. Data was measured in an interval scale, coded, and fed into the SPSS and analyzed using inferential and descriptive statistics. Tables were used to present the data. There was a statistically significant relationship between public participation, economic benefits, government policy, and community awareness and the sustainability of reforestation projects (P-value < 0.05 = 0.001843785, 0.009802, 0.040775, and 0.000692 at 95% confidence level respectively). Project implementers should enhance public participation, community awareness, and provide economic benefits to local communities. Government policies on projects should focus on the community and promote equality. Further research should assess the influence of politics, income levels, literacy levels, and tree species on the sustainability of reforestation projects
