Factors influencing growth of Entrepreneurial activity among the youth In Mombasa county, Kenya

Abstract

Mombasa County like the rest of the country has experienced high unemployment among the youth being the most hit. This has resulted to separatist movements like :MRC, drug abuse, robberies and many more crimes. Despite these negatives, Mombasa County is strategically placed to terms of opportunities in tourism sector, transport sector with the presence of a harbor. Despite the opportunities the county has, there are few entrepreneurial activities going on, therefore this research study did analyze the factors influencing growth of entrepreneurial activity among the youth in Mombasa County. The study objectives included to determine the effect of family background on entrepreneurial activity among the youth in Mombasa, determine the extent to which level of academic education influences entrepreneurial activity among the youth in Mombasa, to assess the extent to which past experience on entrepreneurship determines entrepreneurial activity amongst the youth in Mombasa, to assess whether access to capital has effect on entrepreneurial activity among the youth in Mombasa and to analyze the extent to which physical infrastructure influence entrepreneurial activity among the youth in Mombasa county. The research shall be useful at policy making level in initiating projects which promote enterprise creation and formulating policies which offer enabling environment for hatching and executing entrepreneurial activities among the youth in Mombasa and the country at large. Research design used was descriptive survey which was conducted among entrepreneurs who have running enterprises within Mombasa County. Questionnaire and interview schedules were used to collect data from a sample size of 322 enterprises drawn across the four constituencies through stratified random sampling method. The study concludes that family background influence entrepreneurship through parental support such as financial support and any other support and also deduced that academic qualifications were in relation to their business activity and this contributed to establishment of business. The study recommends that in order to deal with unemployment issue interest free or low interest financial support to be extended to the unemployed who cannot afford a saving due to joblessness in the first place enabling them to start more entrepreneurial activities.