Diversification as a Socio- economic Strategy among the Keiyo in Kenya
Chang’ach, John Koskey;
asia pacific journal of multidisciplinary research2016Vol. 4pp. 100-110
254
changach2016diversificationasia
Abstract
This paper discusses the efforts and actions by the Kenyan government to address
challenges of agrarian change and rural transformation in Keiyo. The paper demonstrates that state
employs the mechanisms of co-opting the forces of rural commercialization through the strategies of land
consolidation. The paper explains that these strategies widen the scope of engagement in the Keiyo
households in Kenya today. Keiyo households have demonstrated their capacity to respond positively and
spontaneously to agrarian changes and innovations which proves vital to the enhancement of their
economic well-being. The paper employs data collected from the three ecological zones, in order to
examine the characteristics of households in Keiyo. It is demonstrated that the characteristics of these
households reflect the different economic opportunity structures of the three areas. It is suggested that
while the distribution of resources within any of the three ecological zones is to varying degrees unequal,
there is nevertheless a pronounced pattern of inequality across eco-zones: most households in the highland
are better endowed with resources than most households either on the escarpment or in the valley.