DETERMINANTS OF ACCESS TO CREDIT FACILITIES AMONG WOMEN OWNED ENTERPRISES IN KISERIAN MARKET, KAJIADO COUNTY (KENYA)

CITATION: Nderi, P. & Juma, D. Determinants of Access To Credit Facilities Among Women Owned Enterprises in Kiserian Market, Kajiado County (Kenya). International Journal of Human Resource and Procurement 4 (11), 1-19.

ABSTRACT

There are significant development gains to be made in ensuring women’s equitable access to and control over economic and financial resources, including in relation to economic growth, poverty eradication and the well-being of families and communities. The growth and success of women-owned businesses is one of the most profound changes in the business world today. There is no doubt that women are an emerging market force. Female entrepreneurship represents a vast untapped source of innovation, job creation and economic growth in the developing world. Women entrepreneurs are playing an increasingly important role in the Kenya economy. In growing numbers, they are committing their talents, energies, and personal financial resources to start their own businesses. Even though women in Kenya have been known to engage in small scale retail enterprises there has been a need to grow the business beyond the current levels. However hindering factors such as lack of collateral, lower academic standards, high interest rates, low income from these business and social cultural constraints have contributed to poor growth and management of these businesses. Access to finance has also been hampered by these factors. This study investigated the determinants of access to credit facilities by women owned enterprises in Kiserian market, Kajiado County. The study was guided by the overall objective of identifying the determinants of access to credit facilities by women owned enterprises. Use of questionnaires to collect primary data was preferred in this study. The study adopted a descriptive research design. It targeted a sample of 139 women owned enterprises in Kiserian market, Kajiado County. Purposive sampling was utilized in selecting the respondents of the study. SPSS was used to code and enter data for analysis. Data was presented in percentages,correlation and regression analysis was also undertaken to determine the degree and extent of the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable. The study established that interest rates, lending procedures indeed affect accessibility to credit facilities. . On the influence of entrepreneurial skills on accessibility to credit facilities the entrepreneurial Skills were found to have a positive impact on accessibility to credit facilities. The findings also confirm that financial information affects credit accessibility.

Keywords: Credit access, Entrepreneurial skills, Market access, SME growth , financial institutions

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