Effectiveness of poverty reduction strategies in Makueni District: a case study of Nguu Division

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify effectiveness of poverty reduction strategies in Nguu Division, Makueni District. Nguu Division is one of the areas that are hard hit by poverty in the district. The study looked at the various strategies which the Kenya government has put in place since independence, causes of poverty in the district, Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, approaches to poverty reduction, a public management strategy and the different theories of poverty. To accomplish this data was collected by the use of a questionnaire which was administered to the respondents. Analysis involved measures of central tendency. Percentages and proportions were widely used. The study found that there are no adequate health centres in the area and that, the main source of energy is fire wood. It was also found that there is not enough safe drinking water, and that rain water is not harvested for small scale irrigation. The study found that the following could be used to solve the poverty problem: - education and training, access to income and economic assets, access to social services and, networks to others. The study recommends that: - Development processes should assume bottom up approach, implying that the poor should always be consulted and involved in poverty reduction programmes. Further, Parliament should make the necessary legislation to create the legal structures to allow the rural poor have organizations to make proposals on both budgetary and development needs of their areas, and a consortium of government, the private sector and the rural poor is formed to run poverty reduction projects.