Financial Inclusion and the Financial Performance of Self-Help Groups in Kenya

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Date
2023
Authors
Mutungi, Janet
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Self-help groups contribute to society through economic empowerment and social participation of the underprivileged. However, the lack of financial inclusion hinders them from achieving their objectives. The general objective of the study was to establish the influence of financial inclusion on the performance of self-help groups in Kenya. The specific objectives were: to investigate the influence of access to savings products on the performance of self-help groups in Kenya; to determine the influence of access to credit facilities on the performance of self-help groups in Kenya; to establish the influence of access to money transfer services on the performance of self-help groups in Kenya and to evaluate the influence of financial education services on the performance of self-help groups in Kenya. Descriptive research design was used. The population were all self-help groups in Kenya while the sample frame was one hundred and six self-help groups. A sample size of eighty-four self-help groups was used. A stratified sampling technique was used to select the self-help groups to be included in the sample. Data was collected from group chairpersons using a structured questionnaire. Inferential analysis techniques such as correlation analysis and regression modeling were used to establish the relationships between the study variables and to test the hypotheses. The theory framework used in the study utilized the three theories of the theory of financial intermediation, the actor-network theory, and the social learning theory. Results evidenced positive contribution of financial inclusion on performance of self-help groups in Kenya. Firstly, it emerged that financial education was the most significant component of financial inclusion, followed by access to savings, then access to credit and least contributing factor was access to money transfer services. The study revealed that 46.2 % of variations in performance of self-help groups was influenced by changes in access to savings products, access to credit facilities, access to money transfer services and access to financial education services. Accordingly, the study recommends self-help groups to engage in educating members as this has potential of improving their financial literary levels that positively enhances the performance of the self helps groups. More surveys can be done in all counties in Kenya in order to gather more information on self-help group’s performance as a function of financial inclusion components.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement of the Award of Degree of Master of Business Administration (Finance Option) of Kenyatta University
Keywords
Financial Inclusion, Financial Performance, Self-Help Groups, Kenya
Citation