Water scarcity is a common phenomenon in sub-Saharan Africa, and Kenya is one of the hardest-hit countries. Estimates show that up to 41% of the population lacks access to clean and safe drinking water, and ten million people collect their daily drinking water from polluted sources. The situation is particularly critical in Machakos County, which has the country's lowest level of developed water resources, such as piped infrastructure. This study aims to understand which characteristics affect water users' participation in collaborative environmental management and whether resource users' involvement in managing water resources affects their perceptions of the performance of water services. The study shows a low level of participation among domestic water users in Machakos County. The low level of participation is mainly due to the lack of social interaction between the resource users and the governing institutions. At the same time, the study cannot link the outcome of water management to the level of participation among resource users.

This study was an exploration of how language is managed in the subordinate courts of Machakos County in Kenya. It was an investigation into the language policy used in the courts, and whether the languages serve the needs, uses and preferences of the people. Language use in Kenya is constitutional (The Constitution of Kenya, 2010).The national language of the Republic of Kenya is Kiswahili and its official languages are English and Kiswahili. The constitution shall protect and promote indigenous languages of the people of Kenya. The constitution further indicates that there shall be general provisions to the Bill of Rights, fundamental freedoms, and that the authority of courts shall uphold and enforce the Bill of Rights. (The Kenya Constitution, 2010, (Cap 4, entitled “The Bill of Rights” has subcategories ranging from Part 1 to Part 5. Part 1 elaborates on general provisions relating to the Bill of Rights, Part 2 on Rights and fundamental freedoms, Part 3 on specific application of Rights, Part 4 on state of emergency and Part 5 on Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission). The study attempts to establish whether or not the subordinate courts adhere to these provisions, which policy makers need to adhere to. This research further explores solutions to the problem of communication during court proceedings. Its aim was to advance scientific information that would inform the formulation of a more accommodating language policy in Subordinate Courts. The background information and the history of the courts language gave an overview of how language in subordinate courts is used according to various scholars. The evaluation of how language is used during court proceedings shed light on the people‟s language needs, uses and preferences. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt et Phil. (Linguistics)