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Seeking Opportunities: Migration as an Income Diversification Strategy of Households in Kakamega District in Kenya

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  • Giesbert, Lena

Abstract

Migration and remittances are widely seen as major components of diversification strategies aimed at coping with risky environments in developing countries. The debate in the literature mainly concentrates on effects of and access to the strategy of migration. Against this background, the paper investigates patterns, determinants and the impact of internal migration on households based on data from a densely populated rural area in Western Kenya. The motivation behind migration is largely economic in kind. Accordingly, remittances account for a substantial share of household incomes. Results derived from a probit model estimation indicate that the likelihood of migration is independent from the wealth position of households. Instead, demographic household factors, education-related variables and migrant networks are of central importance. Migration and remittances are obviously more easily accessible than other opportunities of income diversification beyond farming for households across all levels of wealth, including the poorest households.

Suggested Citation

  • Giesbert, Lena, 2007. "Seeking Opportunities: Migration as an Income Diversification Strategy of Households in Kakamega District in Kenya," GIGA Working Papers 58, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:gigawp:58
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    Cited by:

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    2. Tshikala, Sam Kaninda & Fonsah, Esendugue Greg, 2018. "Analysis Of The Impact Of Migrations And Remittances On Income Diversification In Rural Africa: A Case Study Of Kenya," 2018 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2018, Jacksonville, Florida 266703, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    3. Michael A. Clemens & Hannah M. Postel, 2018. "Deterring Emigration with Foreign Aid: An Overview of Evidence from Low‐Income Countries," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 44(4), pages 667-693, December.
    4. Michael A. Clemens & Timothy N. Ogden, 2020. "Migration and household finances: How a different framing can improve thinking about migration," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 38(1), pages 3-27, January.
    5. Michael Clemens and Timothy N. Ogden, 2014. "Migration as a Strategy for Household Finance: A Research Agenda on Remittances, Payments, and Development- Working Paper 354," Working Papers 354, Center for Global Development.
    6. Umar Mukhtar & Zhangbao Zhong & Beihai Tian & Amar Razzaq & Muhammad Asad ur Rehman Naseer & Tayyaba Hina, 2018. "Does Rural–Urban Migration Improve Employment Quality and Household Welfare? Evidence from Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-14, November.
    7. A. K. M. Kanak Pervez & Akira Ishida & Md Shahriar Kabir & Lixia Tang, 2024. "Migration Intention of Rural Farmers to Urban Areas in Bangladesh and Its Determinants: A Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling Approach," Societies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-14, June.
    8. Hien, Nguyen Thi Thu, 2019. "Consequences of urban migration of adult children for the elderly left-behind in rural Vietnam," OSF Preprints zxyf8, Center for Open Science.
    9. Lay, Jann & Mahmoud, Toman Omar & M'Mukaria, George Michuki, 2008. "Few Opportunities, Much Desperation: The Dichotomy of Non-Agricultural Activities and Inequality in Western Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 2713-2732, December.
    10. Nguyen, Loc Duc & Raabe, Katharina & Grote, Ulrike, 2015. "Rural–Urban Migration, Household Vulnerability, and Welfare in Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 79-93.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    migration; remittances; income diversification; coping strategies; sub-Saharan Africa; Kenya;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation

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