Population change in Kericho District, Kenya: an example of fertility increase in Africa
Lura, R.
African Studies Review 28(1): 45-56
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-0206 PMID: 11620312 DOI: 10.2307/524566Document Number: 419546
The paper examines population and fertility change for one area within Kenya, Kericho District, which has undergone considerable demographic, social, and economic change. Its demographic history is considered a good model of the beginnings of the fertility increases occurring elsewhere in Kenya and Africa, and which contribute substantially to the Third World's population increase. Kericho District is located in the highlands of the Rift Valley, northwest of Nairobi. Its rich volcanic soil, moderate year-round temperature, and abundant rainfall provide some of the most bountiful agricultural lands in Kenya. The Kipsigis are the overwhelmingly predominant ethnic group. The historical evidence and recent censuses indicate the Kipsigis' demographic path. Spurred by social, cultural, and economic change, they have experienced substantial population growth. Although mortality decline may account for part of the change in rate of natural increase, fertility changes have also been instrumental. The initial rise in fertility can be explained through the reduction in the age of circumcision and age at marriage and the decline in the incidence of polygyny. By the 1960s, the evidence pointed to a slowdown in the rate of fertility increase with a possible fertility decline. The major identifiable reason for the decline was an increase in the educational level of the female population.