The circular migration of smallholders in Kenya
Bigsten, A.
Journal of African Economies 5(1): 1-20
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0963-8024 PMID: 12320851 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jae.a020893Document Number: 305829
An analysis is made of migration patterns of 763 farm households in Kenya during 1982. It is argued that many migration decisions should be regarded, not as individual decisions but rather as household decisions, in which, within the constraints given, the household decides to allocate its labour force among activities in such a way as to maximize household utility. The resulting migration tends to be circular. A probit model is used which incorporates this feature, and also takes into account contacts and information, as well as indivisibilities. The empirical evidence suggests that the pull of high urban wages is much more important for migration decisions than the push of land scarcity. A buoyant local non-agricultural economy does not seem to restrict migration. It was found that networks of personal contacts are highly significant determinants of migration. One important policy implication is that rural development, is unlikely to have the effect of stemming the flow of migration.