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The study presents the analysis of the effect of savings and credit facilities to migrants’ and non- migrants’ gendered livelihood options and development of Ilula Emerging Urban Centre (EUC). Specifically, the study aimed at establishing rural-urban migration determinants, identifying and analysing migrants’ and non-migrants livelihood options across different gender groups, and assessing factors influencing household access to savings and credit services and investment decisions. A cross-sectional research design was employed, whereby both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were used to obtain the data. Data was processed using SPSS for descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The findings indicated that rural-urban migration was mainly influenced by family issues (26.3%), existing opportunities in EUC for business undertakings (18.5%) and employment (13.8%). Agriculture was an important livelihood option in EUC, whereas 50.3% of interviewed households were engaged in tomato production. Migrants especially male headed households engaged in tomato production. Only 27.6% of interviewed heads of households in Ilula EUC accessed credit from financial institutions including MBF, FINCA, SACCOS, SIDO, PRIDE, VICOBA and Commercial Banks. Based on the results from binary logistic model, age, education, value of livestock owned and migration duration had significant influence on household heads’ access to savings and credit services. Credit was mainly used for financing livelihood activities, largely business enterprises (47.9%). However, with regards to investment decisions, male household heads were more likely to invest in assets/ businesses than female household heads. This thesis concludes that social capital related decisions (marriages and family re-union) for migration exceeded economic values. Nonetheless, the young men were less risk-averse than old aged people in pursuing migration decisions. The study concludes further that variables like age, education level, livestock ownership and migration duration of respective individuals, best explained their accessibility to savings and credit services, whereas the migrants were the dominants. Likewise, the education level and sex identity of household head had positive influence on investment decisions. Yet this study calls for special financial support to the agricultural sector and promotion of gender specific interventions to reduce practical and strategic gender gaps in accessing and control of credits, including other productive resources. |
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