Effect of Land Tenure Security on Household Food Security and Women Empowerment among Small-Holder Maize Farmers in Narok County, Kenya

Abstract

Land tenure security is key to the development of any country since it incentivizes land investments, increases maize productivity and household food security and improves women's empowerment. Despite these potential benefits of land tenure security, there is inadequate literature in Kenya, especially in areas experiencing land-related conflicts and cultural bias against women's rights, such as Narok County. This research, therefore, provides empirical evidence on (i) determinants of land tenure security, the effect of land tenure security on (ii) maize productivity, (iii) household food security, and (iv) women empowerment among small-holder maize farmers in Narok County, Kenya. A multistage sampling technique was used to obtain a sample size of 366 small-holder maize farmers. Cross-sectional primary data were then collected using semi-structured questionnaires and analysed using STATA computer software. For analysis of the four objectives, the Ordered probit model, conditional mixed process method (CMP), endogenous switching probit regression (ESR), and two-stage least square method (2SLS) were used. The findings of the study indicate that age, marital status, education level of the household head, number of years the household had stayed on the land, land fertility and size, land purchase, distance from the household to the parcel, and household size were the main determinants of land tenure security. Results also show that the sex, marital status, and education level of the household head, as well as the presence of land disputes, soil fertility, and land purchase, significantly influenced land tenure security. Findings further confirmed the relationship among land tenure security, credit access and maize productivity. Land tenure security significantly and positively influenced credit access, and the farmers with access to credit increased maize productivity by 2001.902 Kg/Ha. Furthermore, land tenure security positively and significantly affected household food security. Land tenure insecure households would have increased their food security by 38% if they were land tenure secure. In comparison, land tenure-secure households would have decreased their food security by 4% if they were land tenure insecure. Findings further suggest that possession of land rights increased women empowerment by about 0.25%. Other factors affecting women empowerment were marital status, education level gap, oxen ownership, polygamous marriage, off-farm income, group membership, and credit access. The findings of this study underscore the need for governments and other stakeholders to develop additional policies that would facilitate access to secure land rights by the rural population to increase maize productivity and food security. Further, additional policies that facilitate women's access to land rights to improve their economic, social and political power should be prioritized.