The provision of sustainable water supply has been a central issue in Kenya with priority on low-income rural communities and underdeveloped areas with poor water resources. This has forced many rural communities to embrace community management model in rural water systems. Community participation in rural water management is purportedly a key element for community water projects to be sustainable. This paper aims to establish socio-economic constraints to community participation in rural water management in Ndarugu-Thiririka sub-catchment in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study was carried out in four community managed rural water supply projects. Namely; Kinyathena, Juja Farm, Munyu and Kamunyaka. Different types of data were collected using household questionnaires, in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to summarize the data while inferential statistics such as chi-square (χ²⁾ and ANOVA were used to reach conclusions and make generalizations of the population. ANOVA test results (F= 1.67, p= 0.018, p <0.05) reveal that there is a significant difference in the level of community participation on the basis of monthly income while ANOVA test results (F= 1.02, p= 0.45, p >0.05) and (F= 1.22, p= 0.21, p >0.05) reveal that there is no significant difference in the level of community participation on the basis of the level of education and economic activity respectively. In addition, chi-square test value (χ²=23.88,df=8, p= 0.002, p<0.05) reveals a significant relationship between age and the level of community participation while Chi-square test value (χ²=1.72,df=2, p= 0.42, p>0.05) reveals no significant relationship between gender and the level of community participation. The study recommends the government, Non-Governmental Organizations and donors to provide programmes for intensifying agricultural production, credit and rural financial support to the communities involved in rural water management. This will form the basis for ensuring water availability for rural development.

socio-economic constraints, community participation, rural water management, Ndarugu-Thirika sub-catchment