Gender Dynamics Affecting Bamboo Adoption and Commercialization in Busia and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties, Kenya

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate gender dynamics affecting Bamboo adoption and commercialization in Busia and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties in Kenya. The study was guided by Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (SRL) frameworks and utilized mixed methods research design. The target population was 59,242 households living in Butula and Keiyo South. Yamane (1967) sample size formula was used to obtain a sample size of 398 households from both study areas. Data was collected using structured questionnaire for households and interview schedules for key informants. Households were sampled using Simple random sampling while key infomants were sampled using purposive sampling method. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages and means, were calculated to summarize demographic and utilization patterns. The study found that gender dynamics significantly shape bamboo adoption and commercialization in Busia and Elgeyo Marakwet. Decision-making is largely dominated by male household heads, with 51.3% of decisions made solely by men and only 8.3% by female heads. Joint decision-making accounted for 40.5%, though women’s influence remained limited. Despite an average of 56.2% of respondents reporting that both genders participated in bamboo-related activities such as training, planting, harvesting and marketing men were more involved across all tasks. Women’s participation was affected by limited access to land and finance, with land access being the primary barrier in both counties. In Elgeyo Marakwet, women also faced limited technical knowledge and decision-making power. For men, barriers included lack of access to finance, limited training, and competing responsibilities. Most respondents (83.9%) reported minimal government support for gender parity in bamboo adoption. Support needs identified included access to land, finance, and gender-sensitive training, with targeted financial support for women emerging as the top policy recommendation. The study recommends that gendersensitive training courses need to be carried out to empower every household member to efficiently use bamboo in addition to supporting the activities where women can ead bamboo processing or marketing operations. Involving men and women in activities connected to bamboo will help to guarantee fair access