Authors: Jeniphar A. Amukoya, Melvine C. Lilechi & Kennedy M. Moindi
The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, P. O. BOX 62157-00200 Nairobi
Author Email: lilechim@yahoo.com
Abstract: Sugarcane production has played an important role in influencing farmers social and economic status over the years. This study interrogated the Socio-Economic Impact of Sugarcane Production from 1900 to 2020 in Bungoma County, Kenya. The study adopts a case study design to assess the social and economic impacts of sugarcane farming in Bungoma County. The target population included farmers and their dependents/beneficiaries, labourers in the sugarcane industry, that is, skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled; stakeholder representatives from the key agencies involved in sugarcane farming in the area; factory officials and field extension officers. A total of twenty respondents were sampled by the study through purposive sampling technique.Data collection instruments included observation protocol, interview guides and focused group discussion guides.Data was analyzed using standard descriptive methods and presented in the form of narrations and direct quotes where necessary. The findings of the study revealed that the sugar cane economy has had several social and economic impacts on Africans. Some of these impacts included, among others, the introduction of wage labour, the growth of urbanization and migrant labour. The recommendations included the restriction of the importation of cheap sugar and giving subsidies and incentives to sugar cane farmers to deflate the high cost of locally produced sugar.
Keywords: Sugarcane Production Impacts, sugarcane economy, sugarcane industry, sugarcane productionsocio-economic changes, sugarcane productioncolonial era, sugarcane farmers’ livelihoods
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Suggested Citation
Amukoya, A., Lilechi, M. & Moindi, K. (2023). Socio-Economic Impacts of Sugarcane Production from 1900 to 2020 in Bungoma County, Kenya. African Research Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 10(3), 25-40. Available online at http://arjess.org/social-sciences-research/socio-economic-impacts-of-sugarcane-production-from-1900-to-2020-in-bungoma-county-kenya.pdf
