Community Participation and Rural Development in Buhanika Sub County, Hoima District, Uganda

This study was set to examine the relationship between community participation and rural development in Buhanika Sub County, Hoima District, Uganda. The specific objectives were to examine the relationship between community involvement in decision making and rural development in Hoima District, to assess the relationship between community communication and rural development in Hoima District and to establish the relationship between community resource mobilization and rural development in Hoima District. A descriptive comparative, correlational, and cross-sectional survey design was employed to collect primary data from 350 household heads in Buhanika Sub County, selected using purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The data collection instruments included questionnaires with sections on demographic characteristics, community participation variables, and rural development outcomes. Data analysis involved Univariate analysis, Pearson's Correlation, and Multiple Regression to explore relationships and predictive factors between community participation and rural development. The correlation between community involvement in decision making and rural development was(r=0.463). This indicates a moderate positive correlation between these two variables. With a positive correlation, it suggests that as community involvement in decision making increases, rural development also tends to increase, and vice versa. The correlation between communications and rural development was (r=0.651). This shows a significant positive relationship between communication and rural development in Hoima City. The correlation was (r= 0.708) between community resource mobilization and rural development. This indicates a strong positive correlation between these variables in Hoima District. This suggests that as community resource mobilization efforts increase, there is a corresponding increase in rural development outcomes within the district. Recommendations were made to strengthen community engagement, enhance communication channels, foster resource mobilization initiatives, build capacity, promote collaborative partnerships, implement sustainable development practices, monitor progress, and advocate for policy changes that support community-driven rural development efforts.