Exploring Challenges in Government Youth Financing: Lessons from Uwezo Fund in Suba North Constituency, Kenya

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@article{1710279,
      author = {John M. Onsongo},
      title = {Exploring Challenges in Government Youth Financing: Lessons from Uwezo Fund in Suba North Constituency, Kenya},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2025},
      volume = {9},
      number = {2},
      pages = {888-900},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1710279.pdf},
      abstract = {Youth unemployment and poverty remain persistent challenges in Kenya, despite government initiatives such as the Uwezo Fund?a Vision 2030 flagship program aimed at improving financial access for youth, women, and persons with disabilities. In Suba North Constituency, only 74 out of 198 registered youth groups had accessed the fund by December 2022, raising concerns over its effectiveness. This study investigates the factors influencing Uwezo Fund uptake among youth groups in the constituency, focusing on the roles of capacity building, group dynamics, and lending requirements. A descriptive research design was employed, sampling 159 respondents from 53 youth groups, alongside interviews with fund officials. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including regression analysis. Findings revealed that inadequate training, unstable group dynamics, and restrictive loan conditions significantly hindered fund uptake. Regression results indicated that the three factors explained 78.5% of the variance in fund uptake. The study concludes that while capacity building and lending requirements significantly impact fund uptake, group dynamics have a lesser effect. Policy recommendations include increasing training frequency, streamlining loan disbursement processes, enhancing public awareness, and revising fund policies to improve accessibility and impact.},
      keywords = {Challenges, Government Youth Financing, Uwezo Fund.},
      month = {August},
  }