DETERMINANTS OF EFFECTIVE WELFARE CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMMES IN WAJIR COUNTY, KENYA
Main Article Content
Abstract
Cash transfer programmes are an important social protection intervention for improving household welfare, reducing poverty, and strengthening the resilience of vulnerable populations. In Kenya, welfare cash transfer programmes have been implemented to support low-income and vulnerable households; however, persistent poverty, food insecurity, and limited access to essential services remain concerns in arid and semi-arid counties such as Wajir. This study examined the determinants of welfare cash transfer programme effectiveness in Wajir County, Kenya, focusing on eligibility criteria, transfer amounts, payment regularity, and delivery mechanisms. The study was guided by Dependency Theory and Modernization Theory and employed an explanatory research design. The target population comprised 203,011 beneficiaries of the Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC), Older Persons Cash Transfer (OPCT), and Persons with Severe Disabilities Cash Transfer (PWSD-CT) programmes. A sample of 100 respondents was selected using Yamane’s formula, of whom 76 provided valid responses. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 27 through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. The findings revealed positive and statistically significant relationships between all four predictors and programme effectiveness. Cash transfer regularity had the strongest correlation with programme effectiveness (r = .63, p < .01), followed by transfer amounts (r = .60, p < .01), eligibility criteria (r = .58, p < .01), and delivery mechanisms (r = .55, p < .01). The regression model was statistically significant and explained 61% of the variance in programme effectiveness (R² = .61, p < .001). Cash transfer regularity emerged as the strongest predictor (β = .31, p < .001), followed by transfer amounts (β = .25, p = .002), eligibility criteria (β = .21, p = .003), and delivery mechanisms (β = .18, p = .012). The study concludes that improving the adequacy, predictability, targeting, and accessibility of cash transfers can significantly enhance programme effectiveness. It recommends strengthening beneficiary targeting, periodically reviewing transfer values, ensuring timely and predictable payments, and improving accessible and secure delivery systems, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.
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References
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