ID: 1995
Presenting Author: Alexander Masika
Session: 688 - Fair Resettlement: Managing Stakeholder Expectations and Misinformation
Status: pending
Strategic stakeholder engagement reduced speculation, political interference, and misinformation thereby building trust, promoting transparency, enabling inclusive, adaptive implementation.
Effective stakeholder expectation management is pivotal to successful land acquisition and resettlement programs, particularly within complex socio-political scenarios.
This paper discusses challenges in resettling persons displaced by the Mombasa Special Economic Zone project in Kenya, especially on handling speculation, political interference, and misinformation. Mishandling these dynamics risked eroding public trust, delaying implementation, and escalating grievances.
Based on lessons from the field and best institutional practices, the paper discusses communication strategies used in promoting transparency, trust, and informed access and participation. It identifies both positive and negative experiences across three critical dimensions:
Political: opinion leaders influence both at local and national levels had significant influence on project outcomes.
Economic: the reassurance of livelihood restoration was essential to reduce the adverse effects of land displacement.
Social: consideration of the socio-cultural fabric of communities was vital to maintaining cohesion and acceptance.
Sustained consultations with stakeholders allowed for strategic planning and adaptation. This allowed continuous assessment of stakeholder attitudes and receptiveness at pre or during implementation phases embracing inclusivity and accountability alongside timely resolution of grievances.
These approaches bring into light what social safeguards can borrow to manage stakeholder dynamics in land-based development projects.
A Senior Economist and Resettlement/Livelihoods Expert specializing in social safeguards, stakeholder engagement, and project management for infrastructure development in Kenya.
Coauthor 1: Michael Mwangi
Coauthor 2: Kenneth Mosop
Coauthor 3: Mathew Wambugu
Coauthor 4: Hayato Kobayashi