Credit Access in Self-Help Groups and Community-Based Organizations in Makueni County, Kenya: Challenges and Opportunities

Christine Wavinya Mwangangi
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Christine Wavinya Mwangangi: School of Business and Economics, Daystar University

East African Finance Journal, 2026, vol. 5, issue 2

Abstract: Access to credit remained a critical factor influencing the growth and sustainability of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in Makueni County, Kenya. Despite their important role in promoting social cohesion and local development, many faced persistent challenges in obtaining adequate and affordable credit to support income-generating activities. This study investigated credit access in SHGs and CBOs in Makueni County, examining both the challenges and opportunities influencing their financial inclusion and development outcomes. The study was guided by four objectives: to examine institutional factors influencing credit access; to determine the effect of group governance on credit access; to assess the influence of financial literacy on credit access; and to explore opportunities for improving credit access. A descriptive research design was adopted, targeting 180 registered SHGs and CBOs, from which 120 respondents were selected through stratified and purposive sampling. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis via SPSS. Correlation results revealed that institutional governance had a strong positive relationship with credit access (r = 0.63, p

Keywords: Credit Access; Self-Help Groups; Community Based Organizations; Financial Literacy; Institutional Governance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G21 O16 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cwk:eafjke:2026-17

DOI: 10.59413/eafj/v5.i2.3

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