THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS: A CASE OF KAKUMA REFUGEE CAMP, TURKANA WEST SUB COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The private sector has been engaged in humanitarian activities, yet its influence is not easily quantifiable and has not been recognized much. Of late, this has been changing, with many players appreciating the roles played by the private sector in humanitarian services. This study examined the role of the private sector in humanitarian activities and its influence on their implementation. The study objectives were to examine the influence of resource mobilization and to explore the influence of technology on the involvement of the private sector in the implementation of humanitarian projects in the Kakuma refugee camp. A convergent parallel design was adopted for the study. Simple random sampling, census, and stratified random sampling methods were used to select samples for the study. The study sampling frame was 280, whereas the actual sample size computed was 170 (61% of the sampling frame). The participants that responded to the study were 136, translating to 80% % of the sample. A key informant interview schedule was used to collect data from private sector organizations and UN employees, and a semi structured questionnaire was used to collect data from service beneficiaries. Quantitative data was analyzed using the SPSS computer program, while thematic analysis, content analysis, triangulation, and discussion were used to analyze qualitative data. The study found that, indeed, the private sector has been involved in the implementation of humanitarian projects, a factor that has led to the improvement of humanitarian services delivery. The private sector has efficient resource mobilization strategies that it employs during the implementation of humanitarian projects. The study concluded that the involvement of the private sector in humanitarian services delivery has had a great influence on their implementation. The study recommends that humanitarian organizations should always incorporate private sector players to help them implement humanitarian projects since they bring a wide range of expertise and resources to the delivery of projects.