Effectiveness of youth empowerment funds in Rachuonyo District of Homabay County
Abstract
According to the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (2012)
youth in Kenya face serious challenges, including high rates of unemployment and
underemployment. The Government of Kenya continues to support the Youth
empowerment Funds in providing youth with access to finance for self-employment
activities and entrepreneurial skills development. This study set out to establish the
effectiveness of youth empowerment funds in Rachuonyo District of Homabay
County. The study used descriptive survey research design. The design is also suitable
since it helped to describe the state of affairs as they exist without manipulation of
variables which was the aim of the study. The location of the study was Rachuonyo
District of Homabay County. The study had a target population of 1200 youths
registered under the youth empowerment funds in Rachuonyo District. The study used
cluster sampling technique and simple random sampling technique in obtaining its
sample. The questionnaires were used to collect data from youths while an interview
guide was used to obtain data from the key informants who consisted of four district
officers from each of the four divisions constituting Rachuonyo District, YEF
coordinator, one district commissioner, and four government officials from the
ministry of devolution and planning. The study was based on primary data which was
both quantitative and qualitative data. In analysing the quantitative data, the study
used descriptive statistics where frequencies, percentage, measures of central
tendency (mean) and measures of dispersion (standard deviation) were applied. This
was with the help of SPSS (Version 20). On the other hand, qualitative data from
open ended questions was analysed using content analysis, through developing a
thematic framework from the key issues, concepts and themes emanating from the
open ended questions. From the study findings, the study concludes that there exist
different kinds of youth empowerment funds in Rachuonyo District namely; Youth
Entreprise Development Fund, Uwezo Fund, NGO related funds and County
Development Fund. However, the YEFs were largely inadequate and unreliable, the
youths had a negative perception towards the YEFs. The study further concludes that
although youth empowerment funds play a critical role in helping the youths, they
were not effectively managed to achieve optimal youth empowerment as envisaged.
The study recommends that the government and other stakeholders should increase
the budgetary allocations to the YEFs in order to enhance the availability, adequacy
and reliability of the funds. The funds be managed in a more transparent manner,
youths be trained on entrepreneurial skills and on the requirements for access to the
YEFs. The government and other stakeholders should scale up the YEFs and ensure
ease access to the funds by the bonafide youth groups. In addition, the government
should take efforts to eliminate unnecessary long bureaucratic procedures for the
application of the funds.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Description
Thesis Master of Arts in Sociology