Determinants of Fertility in Arid Regions of Kenya: A Case of Westpokot County

The world's population has continued to increase and is expected to reach 10.8 billion by 2025. Population growth has negative consequences, including unemployment, food insecurity, and poor quality of life. The Kenyan government has implemented programs over the years aimed at reducing fertility, leading to a reduction in total fertility from 8.2 in the 1970s to 3.9 in 2014. However, counties in the arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya have recorded instances of a rise in fertility, derailing the government's efforts to reduce population and improve quality of life. This study, therefore, investigated the determinants of fertility in West Pokot County and the sociodemographic drivers of fertility. The study used a Poisson regression to analyze the estimates and found that a woman's education had a significant impact on the fertility rate in West Pokot. Women with secondary and tertiary education were more likely to have fewer children than women with no formal education. These findings corroborate previous studies, such as those by Kwame (2002) [35] and Longwe et al. (2012) [37], which also observed that women with higher levels of education tend to have fewer children. The study's recommendations emphasize the continued advocacy for girl-child education as a means of reducing the fertility rate in Kenya. Investing in girls' education, particularly at the secondary and tertiary levels, can empower women, delay marriage and childbearing, and ultimately contribute to the government's efforts to manage population growth and improve the quality of life for its citizens. By addressing the educational disparities and promoting access to higher education for women in the arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya, policymakers can leverage this key determinant of fertility to achieve more sustainable population dynamics and development outcomes.