Thesis:

Influence of road infrastructure on agricultural development in Lamu county, Kenya

Roads are essential to the world's economic and transportation systems. In addition to promoting economic growth and development in the impacted areas, well-established road infrastructures allow for market integration and the creation of job possibilities. For Kenya to advance economically, ensure food security, and combat poverty, agricultural development is essential. As one of Kenya's neglected regions, Lamu County frequently faces issues related to high rates of poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity. In order to open Lamu County to investments and unite the County with other regions, the administration has emphasized the construction of road infrastructure through the implementation of the social and economic programs outlined in the Vision 2030 economic strategy. Low agricultural development in the county, however, exacerbates food security issues and slows commerce expansion and rural development. The purpose of this study was to examine how road infrastructure, which makes it easier to obtain agricultural inputs, provide agricultural extension services, and market agricultural goods, affects agricultural development in Lamu County. The high payoff input model, which used a mixed-method research technique to create a comprehensive knowledge of the relationship between study variables, served as the foundation for the study. In order to collect quantitative data, a descriptive survey approach was employed, employing questionnaires from 391 agricultural households in Lamu County. Eleven road infrastructure and agriculture specialists participated in Key Informant Interviews, which were guided by the findings. The quantitative results were triangulated with the theme analysis of the qualitative data. The quantitative data was statistically analysed using SPSS 25.0, and descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages were used to show the findings. By ensuring that participants signed informed consent, volunteered voluntarily, and had their identities safeguarded, the study complied with ethical standards. The study had 333 participants who completed it, yielding an 85% response rate. A reliability analysis was conducted to verify the reliability of the research instruments. The results showed that the study tools were reliable, with a Cronbach's Alpha value of 0.864 across 45 items. According to the study, every independent variable that was looked at showed a positive and statistically significant link with the dependent variable. According to an analysis of correlations between study variables, road infrastructure and agricultural development are strongly positively correlated, particularly when it comes to marketing agricultural produce (r=.73**), providing agricultural extension services (r=.194), and facilitating access to agricultural inputs (r=.75**). Agricultural development was not significantly impacted by the moderating variable. The results of the study demonstrated that road infrastructure has a major impact on agricultural growth in Lamu County by making it easier to access produce marketing, extension services, and agricultural inputs. On the other hand, it was discovered that water transportation had no discernible impact on the region's agricultural development. In light of these findings, the study recommends enhancing road infrastructure to facilitate farmers' access to market possibilities, extension services, and agricultural inputs, thus fostering agricultural development in Lamu County.