Accessibility of the Women Enterprise Fund and Household Food Security in Embu County, Kenya
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2026-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stratford Peer Reviewed Journals and Book Publishing
Abstract
Microfinance has increasingly been recognized as a mechanism for enhancing women’s economic
empowerment and improving household welfare outcomes, particularly food security. Women are
disproportionately affected by poverty and food insecurity, and improved access to financial
resources has been shown to enhance their ability to secure adequate food for their households.
The Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) was established by the Government of Kenya in 2007 to
improve women’s access to affordable credit for enterprise development. This study sought to
determine whether accessibility of the Women Enterprise Fund enhances household food security
in Embu County, Kenya. Guided by the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework and Capability
Theory, the study adopted a descriptive survey research design integrating quantitative and
qualitative approaches. The target population comprised 1,740 active WEF beneficiaries in Mbeere
South and Runyenjes Constituencies, from which a sample of 323 respondents was selected using
Yamane’s formula through proportionate and simple random sampling. Data were collected using
questionnaires, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions and analyzed using SPSS
and thematic analysis. The findings established that improved accessibility of WEF—particularly
frequency of loan access, adequacy of loan amounts, and engagement in income-generating
activities—enhanced women’s purchasing power, improved household food access, and
contributed to more stable food consumption patterns. However, the study found that increased
income alone did not automatically translate into food security due to environmental factors,
knowledge gaps, and household circumstances. The study concludes that while WEF plays a
meaningful role in enhancing household food security, its effectiveness is moderated by social and
structural factors such as education level, marital status, household composition, and the design of
WEF interventions. The study recommends that WEF should implement tailored capacity-building
programs, strengthen post-loan mentorship and follow-up mechanisms, establish robust
monitoring and evaluation systems, and collaborate with agricultural value-chain actors, while
national and county governments should support women’s empowerment through policy and
agricultural extension services to maximize household food security outcomes.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Citation
Mukami, M. P., Wangaruro, J., & Ngugi, D. (2026). Accessibility of the Women Enterprise Fund and Household Food Security in Embu County, Kenya. Journal of Sociology, Psychology & Religious Studies, 8 (1), 20-40. https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t5413