Settlers’ satisfaction with infrastructure provision in Molo Kivulini settlement schemes, Kenya

Abstract

Settlement schemes in Kenya were established to promote agricultural development, redistribute land, and improve settlers' quality of life. Their success depends on adequate infrastructure and services. This paper assessed infrastructure provision and factors influencing its satisfaction in Kivulini settlement schemes in Molo Sub-County, Kenya. A mixed method design was adopted, with sampling of 181 households based on stratified random sampling. Data was collected through household questionnaires and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25. An ordinal regression model was used to determine if demographic characteristics, reliability and availability of infrastructure affect satisfaction. The findings reveal that infrastructure provision in Kivulini settlement schemes was inadequate: essential facilities such as health facilities, markets, and secondary school were lacking, while a primary school, an administration office, and a nursery school were available. The schemes require three primary schools, one secondary school, 4 markets, and 2 health centres. Settlers reported high satisfaction with religious facilities, with a mean of 4.24, and low satisfaction with market and health facilities, with a mean of 2.53 and 2.55, respectively. Ordinal regression results indicate that socioeconomic factors, age, marital status, education level, land tenure, and farming engagement significantly influence satisfaction with infrastructure. Availability of health and religious facilities and the reliability of road infrastructure were significant predictors of overall infrastructure satisfaction. Despite the long-standing role of settlement schemes in rural development, persistent infrastructure deficits continue to undermine their success. Planners and policy makers should go beyond land redistribution to support sustainable rural livelihoods when establishing settlement schemes by ensuring the schemes have adequate infrastructure.