Visions, promises and understandings of development around Kenya’s Masinga reservoir

Motivation Utilitarian visions of societal transformation often drive decisions about large infrastructure projects. However, such visions mask the heterogeneity of encounters with the projects and fail to consider lasting impacts on communities whose lives they can disrupt. Further, it is seldom considered that such communities need to anticipate the future to manage the changes they will experience. Purpose This article considers how the trajectories of change experienced by people living in the vicinity of a major infrastructure project have shaped their visions of development. In addition, it examines how interested parties (or stakeholders) can work together to look beyond the project and stimulate further development opportunities. Approach and Methods Drawing on fieldwork at Masinga dam and reservoir in Kenya, the research privileged local experiences and longer‐term views of this hydropower development, 40 years after construction work began. A mixed‐methods research design was used to understand how Masinga reservoir and the associated development discourse have been assimilated locally. Findings Although the water associated with Masinga reservoir has been accepted by a nearby community, inequitable access and poor stakeholder relations resulted in the project failing to act as a catalyst for subsequent inclusive development. Past and present conflicts over access to water and land have generated a chronic environment of distrust and short‐term, individualistic visions of development. However, when people consider how things could be then visions of community‐driven development can emerge. Policy Implications For infrastructure projects to stimulate lasting community development, the heterogeneity of encounters and longer‐term impact on both the environment and social relations must be considered. Moreover, development authorities should explicitly raise the visibility of issues faced by the full range of stakeholders. With a resurgence of interest in large hydropower schemes, policies that encourage stakeholders to develop a common vision of what lies beyond a project is critical to achieving equitable and sustainable change.