Multi-Level Participatory GIS Framework to Assess Mobility Needs and Transport Barriers in Rural Areas: A Case Study of Rural Mumias East, a Sub-County of Kakamega, Kenya

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in the application of GIS to community empowerment or new policy development through participatory design, information gathering and implementation. This study, therefore, aims apply multi-level (PGIS) framework assess mobility needs barriers rural areas from different available transport modes. assessment was applied three sub-locations (Lusheya, Khaunga Mahola) located sub-county Mumias East, Kakamega, Kenya. The study brings two main contributions: (1) an overview Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (2) introduction PGIS that integrates in-depth local knowledge barriers. issues based on dimensions: context, process content. context focuses identifying right stakeholders putting suitable structures for their training as well collection data. considers collection, analysis visualization content data collected are validated accuracy form maps evaluated relevance by stakeholders. Local youths with digital tools were mobilized along people having solid understanding geographical contexts collect geographically referenced related resources, networks, brought mainstream daily challenges faced communities Africa. Community members, even those remote areas, also have access decision making, reversing previous structure strongly relied often-irrelevant, top-down making.