Factors Influencing Household Decisions on Access to Primary School Education in Kenya: Case Study of Uasin Gishu West District

The world today is aiming at achieving universal primary school education and has stated this endeavor through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Dakar Framework. Nations have been compelled to provide free and compulsory education to all and ensure that gender parity is attained by 2015. This target seems not to be achieved as anticipated by the world leaders and policy makers. Countries in Sub- Saharan Africa face an uphill task towards access to primary school education as envisaged by the MDGs (UNESCO (2011). The main objective of this study was to establish the factors that influence household decisions on access to primary school education in Kenya. The target population of this study comprised of 120 head teachers of public primary schools in Uasin Gishu west district in Kenya. The study sample comprised of 50 head teachers of public primary schools in Uasin Gishu west district. Questionnaires were used to collect data. The data obtained was analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented using percentages so as to enable the researcher to interpret the findings. The study established that household related factors can deter many households not to have their children in schooling and school related factors can encourage positively households to send their children and have them continuously in school. The study recommended that the government should develop policies geared towards poverty eradication to enable households to be economically empowered and be able to have children in school. Further the study recommended the improvement of quality in public primary schools to make households make decisions of having their children in school especially within the context of free primary education.