Abstract:
Member participation is an active process in which people take initiatives and actions
stimulated by their thinking and deliberation, which affect co-operative performance.
Nevertheless, low member participation in housing co-operative is the biggest
challenge facing housing co-operatives. This paper examined the following objectives;
to determine the social-economic characteristics affecting member participation in a
housing co-operative, to analyze housing affordability indicators, to describe the level
of member participation in the housing co-operatives, and to examine the influence of
members' participation on housing affordability in housing co-operatives in Nairobi
County, Kenya. Data was collected from 35 housing co-operatives societies registered
under the state department of co-operatives in Nairobi County. The paper collected
both primary and secondary data and was analyzed both descriptively and
inferentially. Hypothesis testing was analyzed by mixed-effects model and correlation
analysis. The result reveals that socioeconomic characteristics influence member
participation in housing co-operative also, there was a significant relationship between
member participation and housing affordability. Therefore, the paper recommends
continuous provision of education and training for existing and incoming members to
enlighten them about their democratic rights entrenched in co-operative principles and
bylaws. Also the State Department of Co-operatives should sensitize co-operative
members on the importance of active participation in the co-operative organization
