Effects of business partnership facilities on resilience of climate vulnerable communities in Turkana County, Kenya – moderated by culture

Abstract

Climate vulnerability populations now sit at the very top of discussion points because their capacity to face all climate event impacts receives maximum attention. Targeted climate change relief actions deliver the most impacts to global poor communities and vulnerable groups unless locally led solutions for climate change are effectively promoted. This research determined how business partnership facilities affect climate vulnerable community resilience in Kenya while considering specific cultural factors of these communities. Consequently, the study was based on objectives below: to evaluate the impact of shared type of business partnership facilities, to assess the role of cross-sectoral type of business partnership; to determine the role of multifaceted approach type of business partnership facilities, strategic partnership type of business facilities and how culture affects the vulnerability of climate sensitive populations in Turkana County. The sustainability development theory, resilience theory and stakeholder theory underpin the research. The research adopted descriptive design as its basis. The research focused on individual participants who were split into four groups: business partnership facilities beneficiaries (588), local development organizations directors (10), local development organizations monitoring and evaluation officials (10), Turkana department of climate change officials local administration officials (asst. chiefs) (60). A total of 200 participants representing 30% of the target public were chosen via stratified simple random sampling. The research utilized questionnaires and interview guides to gather data. An analysis of gathered data was performed using the widely preferred Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer Programme for data analysis. For quantitative data analysis, descriptive and inferential analysis was used while thematic analysis was the method for analyzing qualitative information. Analyses performed on interview responses identified recurring patterns alongside main concepts. The data analysis findings were presented using tables and figures, accompanied by explanations. The regression analysis conducted without including culture as a moderating factor showed that the model strongly predicted community resilience based on the types of Business Partnership Facilities (BPFs). Among the most influential predictors were Multi-Stakeholder BPFs, Shared Resources, Strategic Partnerships, and Cross-Sectoral BPFs, all of which positively contributed to strengthening community resilience. When culture was introduced as a moderating factor, the model’s predictive power improved, demonstrating the enhanced role of cultural context in the relationship between BPFs and community resilience. In this moderated model, Shared Resources, Cross-Sectoral BPFs, Multi-Stakeholder BPFs, and Culture itself all emerged as significant contributors. The research concluded that business partnership facilities in Turkana County moderately integrated cultural elements such as traditions, values, indigenous knowledge, livelihood choices and settlement patterns, but inconsistent application across organizations hampers their effectiveness in building climate resilience. The study recommended that business partnership facilities in Turkana County should strengthen strategic partnerships by prioritizing inclusive, cross-sectoral collaboration to address shared climate challenges effectively. The research further recommended for expansion of the geographic scope to broaden the geographical area of the study and incorporate different counties in Kenya such as Marsabit, Mandera and Garissa. Keywords: Business Partnership Facilities, Climate Vulnerable Communities, Resilience, Turkana County, Culture.