Influence of cash transfer programming on food security in Lapur and lake zone wards of Turkana north sub-county, Kenya

Abstract

Turkana County is regarded as one of the poorest County in the country with 94% poverty index compared to the country’s 45.9%. There has been interventions of social protection, particularly cash transfer programming through both government and non-governmental organizations. Cash grants intervention under Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP) is being funded by DfID and implemented by a consortium of NGOs including Oxfam and Help Age. For several years, the national government’s department of social services had a long term cash transfer programme through the Older Persons, Orphans and Vulnerable Children and the People living with severe disabilities. NGOs have undertaken Cash transfer programming including Oxfam, and Help Age in the past emergencies response projects, mainly involving households facing the effects of recurrent droughts. The study therefore examined influence of cash transfer programming on food security in Lapur and Lake Zone wards of Turkana North Sub-County with the aim of determining the influence cash transfer, cash grants, cash for work and voucher system to food security. The study was carried out in Lapur and Lake Zone wards of Turkana North Sub County. Questionnaires and focused group discussions were used to collect data. Descriptive survey design aid in the identification of sampling techniques, Stratified, Cluster, Purposive and Random sampling were used to draw the population of study. Data analysis was done with the aid of the SPSS tool. Correlation and regression techniques was used in data analysis and based on the results of the data analysis, the study revealed that cash transfer programming enable the community members gain ability to meet basic needs, alleviate hunger and poverty and alleviates social inequality influencing food security. Regression results indicated that voucher system contribute to food security (β4=0.435, p= 0.000<0.05). The results was supported by regression results that revealed that there existed a significant relationship between cash for work and food security (β3==.086, p = 0.020<0.05). The regression results revealed that cash grants has a significance positive influence on food security (β2=0.147, p= 0.025<0.05). This study concluded that there existed a significant relationship between cash for work and food security. Cash grants was a major influential factor on improvement of food security demonstrating that cash grant contribute significantly to food security in the area. The study concluded that cash transfer programme influence food security as regularly disbursed of the beneficiary households makes longer-term plans about consumption, saving and investments in cash transfer programmes influence food security in Lapur and Lake Zone wards of Turkana North SubCounty to a less extent. The study concluded that voucher system was a cash transfer program that was adopted in cash transfer services to beneficiaries in Lapur and Lake Zone wards of Turkana North Sub-County as influential factor to achieve food security. The study recommends that government and other stakeholder should enhance cash transfer programme so as to achieve food security. CHAPTER ONE IN