http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/107035 2026-05-18T20:50:59Z 2026-05-18T20:50:59Z Abigail, Glory A. N http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/167846 2025-05-23T07:33:13Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Effect of Microfinance Access on the Financial Performance of Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Ghana Abigail, Glory A. N This study assessed the effect of microfinance access on ingenious Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana. The general purpose of this study looked at how the operations of Micro Finance Institutions influenced the financial performance of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), either positively or negatively. Its specific objectives also examined how access to credit, which is a key operation of the MFIs, affected the monetary performance of these SMEs and gave policy recommendations which could help policymakers in their decision making. It employed data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) portal for the case of Ghana which was conducted on 713 firms and spanned from February 2023 to February 2024. The research utilized a purely quantitative method, implementing the multiple linear regression model and the ordinary least squares approach (OLS) as its appropriate estimation technique. Diagnostic tests such as Ramsey RESET tests, VIF tests, and Breusch-Pagan tests were also performed to evaluate the validity and robustness of the models and assumptions that were used in the analysis. The results showed that truly, access to credit had a positive and significant influence on the financial performance of SMEs. However, it was found that the percentage of SMEs that utilized MFI services was approximately twenty percent, which was below average, and this was largely as a result of high interests on loans as well as complex application procedures. It was then recommended that structured policies such as MFIs offering better lending rates, and introduction of digitized means of application procedures must be put in place. It was also recommended that there should be targeted financial support for women-led SMEs due to their difficulty in accessing funds.

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Abdullahi, Mohamud U http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/167840 2025-05-23T07:20:57Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Impact of Dividend Policy on Long-term Investment Performance of Firms Listed With Nairobi Securities Exchange Investment Sector Abdullahi, Mohamud U The purpose of the study was to determien the effect of dividend policy on long term perfromance of finance and investment companies listed at the Nairobi Securities Company. To determine the amount to distribute to shareholders, companies use dividend policies. A company's dividend policy lays out the steps used by management to decide how much of a dividend to pay out. Also investing for the long term often produces superior returns since money has more time to develop and expand. Given their importance to the company's financial function, managers put a premium on investment decisions. The study is guided by four theories; dividend irrelevance theory, bird-in-hand theory, agency theory and residual dividend theory. The population of the stduy are the ten listed finance and investmet comapnies. The study revealed a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.190, suggesting that consistent payment practices are linked to favorable long-term investment outcomes. Consequently, it can be inferred that within the context of businesses in the NSE investment sector, there exists a weak yet positive correlation between the frequency of payments and the performance of investments over an extended period. Regression analysis was utilized to assess the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable of the study. The analysis found an average link between dividend yield and long-term investment success of 0.432, as shown in Table 4.3. Companies included in the investment sector of the NSE had a statistically significant effect of dividend yield on their long-term investment success (p=0.041, less than 0.05). The proximity of R2 to R2, with an adjusted R2 value of 0.401, indicates that the observed R2 of 0.478 is likely not a mere coincidence. Furthermore, the analysis reveals no significant correlation between dividend policy and future changes in investment performance, as evidenced by a significance level of 0.263 (P>0.05). This suggests that dividend policy does not exert a statistically significant influence on the long-term investment performance of firms within the investment sector of the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The research indicated that dividend payment ratio was positively correlated with long-term investment performance among businesses listed at the NSE investment sector, albeit the association was modest. Findings indicate a small but favorable correlation between dividend payment ratio and long-term investment success for companies listed on the NSE investment sector. Firms listed in the NSE investment sector do not show a statistically significant effect on long-term investment success based on dividend payment ratio. Firms listed in the NSE investment sector had a statistically significant effect on their long-term investment success from the average association between dividend yield and investment performance.

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Ichwara, Jared M http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/167719 2025-05-21T05:30:32Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Gender Differences in Household Poverty and in the Impact of Cash Transfers on Human Capital Development in Kenya Ichwara, Jared M Addressing gender inequality and poverty in households will enhance people’s choices to achieve equal rights and opportunities, and the capacity to make independnent decisions and contribute to social and economic development of a country. To achieve these important milestones in a country’s development agenda, adresssing gender poverty differences in households, investing in human capital through schooling and provision of quality health care becomes imperative. The study used two household-level surveys conducted in Kenya by the Kenya National Bureau of Statstics in 2005/06 and 2015/16 to answer the research objectives. The first objective of the study was to examine the evolution of the gender poverty rate gap and identify the factors that underlie differences in poverty rates between female headed households (FHHs) and male headed households (MHHs). An extended Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition analysis with nonlinear regression was performed. Though, the findings indicate that FHHs (1.12) have a higher risk of falling into poverty than MHHs (0.95), the decline in poverty rate was higher for FHHs (8.33%) than for MHHs (6.69%). Therefore, the results do not support the feminization of poverty hypothesis in Kenya. The decomposition results indicate that the factors that have bridged the gender poverty gap between 2005/06 and 2015/16 include cash transfers (CTs) that explains 11.02 percent of the gaps, literacy level (53.97%), university education (10.39%), secondary education (40.84%), employment in the public and private sectors (26.66%) and business employment (10.58%). The second objective of the study investigated the impact of government CTs on school enrolment and attendance using the Propensity Score Matching and nonlinear regression approaches. The results show that CTs have an impact on human capital development (HCD) through improvement in children school enrolment and attendance in Kenya. Cash Transfers are important in addressing gender disparities in school enrolment and attendance with significant effects in both girls and boys, though the magnitude is higher for boys. The third objective of the study investigated the impact of government CTs on the nutritional status and incidences of diarrhoea among children under five years. The findings show that CTs are capable of reducing incidences of diarrhoea but does not have any significant impact on nutritional status of children under five years. Policy considerations to bridge the gender poverty gap between FHHs and MHHs, and between boys and girls include a robust social protection safety net; and bridging secondary and university education, and employment differences between FHHs and MHHs

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z Maina, Florence W http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/167669 2025-05-19T08:45:43Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Effect of Digital Agricultural Marketing Platforms on Extent of Commercialization and Food Security Among Potato Farmers in Nakuru County, Kenya Maina, Florence W Agricultural commercialization in Sub-Saharan Africa has been identified as a potential solution for reducing food insecurity among farmers by increasing their income. The advancement of commercialization through digitalization, particularly through the development of digital marketing platforms, offers opportunities by facilitating market access and linkages. In Kenya, the agricultural sector has seen a proliferation of these marketing platforms in recent years. However, there remains a noticeable reluctance among farmers to utilize these platforms, and there is limited information on the effect of digital agricultural marketing platforms (DAMPs), especially from the perspective of quantities sold via the platforms, on household food security. Moreover, extension service providers play a major role in the uptake of the DAMPs. However, a lack of awareness among these providers about the current and available platforms contributes to their poor uptake. The first objective of this study is to highlight the awareness of digital marketing platforms among the extension service providers and their relevance in the uptake of digital marketing platforms. It then identifies the factors influencing access to and utilization of agricultural marketing platforms, with a specific focus on M-shamba, a local DAMP in Kenya. Additionally, the study evaluated the extent of commercialization via M-shamba and its effects on food security. The study was conducted in Nakuru County, one of Kenya's leading counties in potato production and digital agriculture advancement. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected in 2022. Qualitative data were collected from in-depth interviews with agricultural officers and potato cooperative officials, while the quantitative data were gathered using a cross-sectional survey of 375 potato farmers, of whom 23 percent were M-shamba users and 77 percent were non-users. A deductive analysis using the framework approach was employed to understand the penetration of digital marketing platforms among extension officers. The Heckprobit model was used to identify the factors influencing access to and utilization of M-shamba, while the probit and Tobit models, through the conditional mixed process, helped to evaluate the drivers of commercialization in potato farming via M-shamba. The Generalized Propensity Score (GPS) model assessed the effect of commercialization via DAMPs on food security among potato farmers using M-shamba. The results showed that extension service providers were generally unaware of existing digital marketing platforms, but platforms that involved them in their rollout achieved greater success. xvi The findings revealed that age, off-farm income, farm income, years of experience in potato farming, and access to extension services significantly increased the likelihood of accessing M-shamba. Utilization was further influenced by age, gender of the marketing decision-maker, household size, farm income, ranking of potato farming as the primary enterprise, and years of experience in potato farming. The extent of commercialization through M-shamba was significantly determined by total livestock units, marketing decision-maker, having potato farming as the primary enterprise, farm income, access to credit, membership in agricultural groups, and age of the household head. The dose-response function from the GPS model indicated that lower levels of commercialization initially increased food insecurity, but higher commercialization levels led to reduced food insecurity. The study recommends that development partners and policy makers, including the government, NGOs, and private investors, create digital marketing platforms that cater to older farmers and invest in extension services to disseminate and train farmers on using digital platforms, thereby promoting ICT literacy. Furthermore, encouraging farmers in groups to participate in collective marketing via digital platforms is essential, as these platforms offer better prices and can lead to higher incomes. Digital platform developers should incorporate aspects of traditional markets to attract farmers with extensive farming experience. The government and relevant stakeholders, such as NGOs and private investors, should implement income support programs and working business models, including subsidies, grants, and incentives, aimed at increasing farm incomes. Policymakers should also implement policies that support sustainable agricultural commercialization via digital platforms to ensure that increased income translates to improved household food security. If implemented, these policies will support the broader development agenda such as SDGs and BETA.

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z