dc.description.abstract | Livelihood diversification by agricultural households in sub-Saharan Africa contributes
significantly to household income. Over the last three decades there has been increased interest
in literature on the subject. However, little has been done on the determinants of choice of
alternative sets of strategies by households as well as the livelihood strategies chosen by resettled
households. This study fills this gap in knowledge. This is important because it will guide policy
makers in coming up with policies, programs and projects, that enable resettled households to
easily reconstruct their livelihoods.
The study addressed two objectives; first, it described the livelihood activities carried out by
households in Solio, a resettlement scheme in central Kenya. Secondly, it evaluated the factors
that influence the choice of alternative sets of livelihood strategies in the study area. To achieve
the first objective, descriptive statistics were used to characterize the resettlement scheme using
data collected through a semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussions. The second
objective was achieved by running a negative binomial regression model using data collected
through a semi-structured questionnaire involving 196 respondents.
The study found that households had diversified livelihoods from agriculture, where off-farm
activities contribute over 67.4% of total household income. Age of the household head and
possession of a technical skill were found to positively influence the number of livelihood
strategies a household was involved in. Time taken to a water source was found to negatively
influence the number of livelihood strategies a household was involved in.
The study recommended, first, the improvement of access to water for domestic purposes as well
as irrigation for crop production to supplement the low rainfall in the study area. Secondly, improvement of access to technical skills and training, and increased funding to village
vocational training centers, for them to be better equipped to offer technical skills training which
positively influence livelihood diversification. Such programs will positively influence
livelihood diversification in rural areas and therefore curb the problems of food insecurity and
youth unemployment. | en_US |