Rotten Kids or Manipulative Parents: Are Children Old Age Security in Western Kenya?

Abstract

This study of old age assistance is based on a sample of elderly households (>60 years) in Karateng sublocation which is 375 km west northwest of Nairobi Kenya. In the area nonagricultural sources of income predominate. Interviews were conducted at the height of the hungry season. Whether parents can influence the level of assistance their offspring provide by adapting the bargaining model of intergenerational transfers developed by Bernheim et al. (BSS) is examined. This model captures both the conflict and cooperation within a family. There is brief discussion of the BSS model demographic and economic characteristics of the elderly and the nature of assistance from children. An econometric model of the determinants of the levels of assistance is provided. The results of the analysis are that children serve as old age security by providing food money and assistance with household tasks. The most common form of assistance was water (70.3% secured water on at least 1 occasion). >50% had received meals in the previous week. Collection of firewood and house cleaning were also widespread. Frequent assistance was low for washing clothes fetching firewood and going to market. 55.7% of assistance was provided by sons and their wives and children. The most common foodstuffs received were maize and maize flour tea and sugar. Nonfood items were rarely received. The largest single receipt was money and absent sons. More than 60% received assistance in the form of materials or cash for dwelling construction. Wealthier parents are more likely to receive greater transfers. Elderly households with greater numbers of children are better cared for than those with fewer children. In Karateng in contrast to other South Asian studies successful elderly parents had both migrant sons and children resident or adjacent to them. In the econometric analysis the hypothesis that the elderly can manipulate behavior to obtain higher levels of care is supported. Sons provide assistance out of a sense of duty and not for personal gain. Household heads >50 years responded that the land would be divided equally among the sons. In fact land was equally divided in only 40-50% of the cases. The small sample size restricts the applicability of results.