Impact of conditional cash transfer program on household consumption in Kitui County
Loading...
Date
2017-11
Authors
Oduor, Wilson Onyango
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Conditional cash transfer programs have turned out to be an important element of social policy in
developing countries. Conditional cash transfers are noncontributory programs that focus on the
poor and vulnerable households. Such programs are aimed at reducing poverty and inequality,
enable enhanced human capital investments, improving social risks management, and offering
social protection. Although the impacts of these programs have well been researched in regard to
their usefulness to achieve intended outcomes, the dilemma is whether conditional cash transfer
programs have been successful or not in bearing significant fruits in the fight against poverty and
general welfare of the targeted households within Kitui County. This study therefore, intended to
assess the impact of conditional cash transfer program on household consumption in Kitui
County by using secondary cross sectional survey data from Kenya Food Security and Outcome
Monitoring comprehensive study on household post distribution monitoring for the period 2013
and 2014. Conducting the study in Kitui County was driven by the fact that the region has high
poverty level (63.5 percent) relative to Kenya’s average level of 45.9 percent. More so the
county benefits from conditional cash transfer program. The study focused on a number of
variables that affect consumption. Evidence on consumption expenditure was the first step to test
whether the outcome of this study is attained. The results established from household
consumption expenditure were compared with the results of project objective outcome so as to
test out their consistency. Checking components of consumption based coping strategies allowed
for checking indirectly whether the program reached its stated aim of reducing the impact of
shock among beneficiary households. Non-experimental research design using propensity score
matching estimation approach was used to evaluate the program impact on conditional cash
transfer program on consumption expenditure and consumption based coping strategies among
beneficiaries. The results showed that conditional cash transfer program, through cash transfer
have a significant effect on improving household consumption by impacting positively on
household consumption expenditure and protecting the household from adverse coping
mechanisms.
Description
A research project submitted to the school of economics, department of economic theory in partial fulfilment for the award of masters in economics (policy and management) of Kenyatta University, November 2017.