FACTORS INFLUENCING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUTH ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT FUND IN KAPSERET CONSTITUENCY, UASIN GISHU COUNTY, KENYA
Klaus Ntabo Mabururu - Masters Student, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Dr. Susy Wekesa - Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
ABSTRACT
It is definitively significant to empower the youth in order to impart in them a sense of participation in initiatives aimed at developmental progress and individual progression. Within this focus, the Kenyan government in the year 2006 initiated the Youth Enterprise Development Fund which was positioned to impart into youth the development tenet as well as to inject fiscal support. The purpose of this study was to determine factors affecting effectiveness of the youth enterprise development fund in Kapseret Constituency, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to determine the influence of group involvement on the effectiveness of youth enterprise development fund in Kapseret Constituency, to determine the influence of training on the effectiveness of youth enterprise development fund in Kapseret Constituency, to examine the influence of motivation on the effectiveness of youth enterprise development fund in Kapseret Constituency, and to examine the influence of loaning procedures on the effectiveness of youth enterprise development fund in Kapseret Constituency. The research was conducted in Kapsaret Constituency where there are 41 youth groups funded by YEDF between 2013 to 2018. The study used descriptive survey design and random sampling to select 100 youth from 41 sampled youth groups. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the respondents. Data was analyzed by use of SPSS and presented in form of tables and graphs. Inferential tests including Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient and regression analysis were used to analyze collected data. The study also used use one-way ANOVA to test the level of significance of the variables at 95% significance level. Chi Square for group involvement to effectiveness of youth enterprise development fund was indicated as 7.522 with a p value of 0.011. The p value was < 0.05, which gave the conclusion that statistically, there is significance between group involvement and effectiveness of youth enterprise development fund. Chi Square statistic showed that there is a statistical significance between training and effectiveness of youth enterprise development fund, provided by 7.890 and a p value of 0.0134. Subsequently, the p value was < 0.05. Chi Square statistic was presented as 7.111, and showed a p value of 0.0185. The p value was < 0.05, which hence indicated a statistical significance between motivation and effectiveness of youth enterprise development fund. The findings further indicated by Chi Square statistic for loaning procedures to be 7.951 with a p value of 0.0165 which was < 0.05. The p value thus gave the conclusion that there is a statistical significance between loaning procedures and effectiveness of youth enterprise development fund. The study recommended that the necessity of group involvement should be emphasized by the YEDF to youth groups whose participation gives the fund the pathway to avail finance which can help the youth groups and their members to initiate and sustain their income generation activities, that training should also be intensified to groups and group members, particularly, in areas concerning management, marketing and financial literacy and that the economic environment should be an enabler to the youth and group businesses, such that there is an urge or a nudge for expansion.