Stakeholder Engagement and Sustainability of Dairy Projects in Githunguri Dairy Cooperative Society, Kiambu County, Kenya

Globally, stakeholder engagement in dairy production through communication, inclusivity, and collaboration among farmers, cooperatives, government agencies, private organisations sustain project coordination and continuity. Despite public–private interventions and an established cooperative and processing system in Githunguri, challenges related to milk production, input costs, market absorption, stakeholder engagement, and dairy projects continue to affect sustainability dairy projects. This study examined the influence of stakeholder engagement on the sustainability of dairy projects in Githunguri Dairy Cooperative Society, Kiambu County, Kenya. The study adopted a convergent mixed-methods design, targeting 12,000 active smallholder dairy farmers and six key informants representing cooperative leadership, the processor, county government, partner organisations, and input/value-chain suppliers. A sample of 387 farmers was selected using simple random sampling, while six key informants were purposively selected. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interview guides and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple regression analysis in SPSS version 30.0, complemented by thematic analysis of qualitative data. The study achieved an 82% questionnaire response rate, with five of the six key informants participating. Stakeholder engagement recorded a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.881 and a composite mean of 3.89 (SD = 0.540), indicating positive perceptions of communication efficiency, inclusivity, and partner collaboration. Correlation analysis revealed a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between stakeholder engagement and sustainability of dairy projects (r = 0.768, p < 0.001). Regression analysis further showed that stakeholder engagement significantly predicted sustainability of dairy projects (B = 0.677, β = 0.496, p < 0.001), leading to rejection of the null hypothesis. The study concludes that, stakeholder engagement has a positive and statistically significant influence on the sustainability of dairy projects in Githunguri Dairy Cooperative Society, with communication, inclusivity, and partner collaboration contributing to project sustainability. The study recommendations that, Githunguri Dairy Cooperative Society should strengthen transparent communication, inclusive participation in decision-making, and structured coordination among stakeholders. Regular meetings and feedback mechanisms should also be reinforced to improve information sharing, reduce duplication of efforts, and strengthen joint decision-making. Keywords: Stakeholder Engagement; Communication Efficiency; Partner Collaboration; Sustainability of Dairy Projects; Dairy Cooperatives