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SOURCE (OR PART OF THE FOLLOWING SOURCE):
Type Dissertation
Title Bridging the urban-rural divide : multi-spatial livelihoods in Nakuru town, Kenya
Author S.O. Owuor
Faculty Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Year 2006
Pages 274
ISBN 9054480661 ; 9789054480662
FULL BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
http://dare.uva.nl/record/187303
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Bridging the urban-rural divide

Multi-spatial livelihoods in Nakuru town, Kenya

ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT

ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor
aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam
op gezag van de Rector Magnificus
prof. Mr. P.F. van der Heijden
ten overstaan van een door het College voor Promoties ingestelde
commissie, in het openbaar te verdedigen in de Aula der Universiteit
op 26 april 2006, te 11.00 uur door

Samuel Ouma Owuor
geboren te Nakuru, Kenya
Promoter: Prof. dr. A.J. Dietz
Co-promoters: Dr. D.W.J. Foeken
Prof. R.A. Obudho

FACULTEIT DER MAATSCHAPPIJ- EN GEDRAGSWETENSCHAPPEN
African Studies Centre
Research Report 81 / 2006

Bridging the urban-rural divide

Multi-spatial livelihoods in Nakuru town, Kenya

Samuel Ouma Owuor
This project was part of the Nakuru Urban Agriculture (Research) Project (NUAP) of the
African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands. As also a PhD undertaking, the study fell
within the Research School for Resource Studies for Development (CERES) and the
Amsterdam Institute for Metropolitan and International Development Studies (AMIDSt).
The Netherlands Foundation for the Advancement of Tropical Research (WOTRO) funded
this project (WB 53-316) while the African Studies Centre provided the institutional
support.

Samuel Ouma Owuor
Department of Geography
University of Nairobi
P.O. Box 30197 – 00100
Nairobi, KENYA
[email protected]

Published by
African Studies Centre
P.O. Box 9555
2300 RB Leiden
The Netherlands
[email protected]
http//www.ascleiden.nl

Photographs: Sam Owuor (except Photo 1: Dick Foeken)

Printed by: PrintPartners Ipskamp BV, Enschede

ISBN-10: 90-5448-066-1
ISBN-13: 978-90-5448-066-2

© African Studies Centre, 2006
This book is dedicated
to my parents, Dismas & Florence Ouma RIP
to my wife, Dorothy
and daughters, Cobby & Kiky

for their support, love and encouragement

Contents

List of boxes x
List of figures x
List of maps xi
List of tables xi
List of photos xii
Glossary xiii
Acknowledgements xiv
1 THE ISSUE: URBAN POVERTY, LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES
AND URBAN-RURAL LINKAGES 1
Introduction 1
The concept of poverty 3
Urbanization, economic crisis and urban poverty 7
The concept of livelihood and the livelihood framework 11
Urban livelihood strategies 16
Urban rural linkages 21
Conceptual framework 33
The present study and its objectives 35
Organization of the book 36
2 THE SETTING: KENYA AND NAKURU TOWN 37
Kenya: Background information 37
Nakuru town 44
3 METHODOLOGY 55
The study set-up 55
The household as a unit of research and analysis 56
General approach and sampling procedures 61
Methods of data collection 66
Data analysis: Some considerations 72
Characteristics of the sampled households 75
vii
4 MULTIPLE SOURCES OF LIVELIHOOD:
MANAGING THE HOUSEHOLD TO SURVIVE IN TOWN 81
Regular gainful occupation 83
Farming and non-farming income-generating activities 85
Income and expenditure 95
Survival of the poorest: The case of Sofia Lela 98
Living “beyond” full-time employment: The case of Reuben & Rita 103
Diversification as “life becomes expensive in town”:
The case of Alfred & Alice 108
Managing the household to survive in town: Some observations 111
5 RURAL FARMING BY URBAN HOUSEHOLDS: THE PRACTICE 115
Rural plots 115
Rural crop cultivation 125
Rural livestock keeping 138
6 RURAL FARMING: SOURCE OF FOOD AND INCOME 145
The importance of rural farming as perceived by the respondents 145
The “fungible income” earner 149
Livestock as “reserve wealth” for the household 151
Multi and mono-spatial livelihoods: Two livelihood profiles compared 152
Three examples 157
7 URBAN-RURAL LINKAGES: NATURE, EXTENT AND DIRECTION 167
The “urban house” and the “rural home” 168
Social reciprocity between urban and rural areas 172
Economic interactions: Flows of goods and money between urban
and rural areas 180
Return migration 184
Three examples 186
Emerging trends or changing nature? 192
8 COMPARING “THE POOR” AND “THE NON-POOR” 195
Some basic characteristics 196
Economic activities and expenditures 199
Rural plots 201
Rural farming: Practices 203
Rural farming: Source of food and income 206
Urban-rural links 210
viii
9 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 213
Introduction 213
Summary of findings and conclusions 214
Recommendations 223

Appendices 227
References 257
Summary 267
Samenvatting 271

ix