Community development (CD) involves a community coming together and working collectively towards finding solutions to the problems that affect them. This could be addressing physical improvements, such as roads, housing, sanitation, drainage, system and farming; functional activities like health, education, protection and recreation; and social activities such as entrepreneurship and self-reliance projects. There is a close alignment between the outcomes envisaged in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the outcomes of almost all community development efforts whether they are focusing on issues of poverty, exclusion, inequality, lack of power or discrimination
Community development is also recognised as a critical element in Kenya’s development path. The social pillar of Vision 2030 for instance speaks to community development by seeking to ‘create just, cohesive and equitable social development’. In order to realize the greatest development results for communities, ILEG will focus on stimulating, encouraging, aiding and assisting local communities in improving their standards of living by promoting education; civic engagement; entrepreneurship and youth development; and information and communication (ICT). The objective of the Community Development Programme is to enhance the standard of living of local communities in Kenya by promoting education, entrepreneurship, civic engagement and information and communication technology (ICT).