Socio- Cultural and Economic Factors affecting Primary School Enrolment in Baragoi Division of Samburu County, Kenya

The study examined socio-cultural and economic factors affecting primary school enrolment in Baragoi division of Samburu County of Kenya. The Kenyan government has introduced Free Primary Education (FPE) since 2003 with the aim of providing more school opportunities especially to the poor rural communities. Enrolment in absolute terms had gone up by 17.7% in 2003. However, primary school net enrolment ratios (NERs) in North Rift region had an average of 13.4% rise. The study was guided by the Social Learning Theory (SLT) and Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) to explain how primary school enrolment was affected by socio- cultural and economic factors in the division. The study was conducted in Baragoi division. The unit of analysis of the study was the pastoral primary schools while the unit of observation for the study was primary school teachers. The study used the formula for nonrandomised group to get the sample size of ninety four primary school teachers. Particularly, the study used both purposive and convenience sampling technique. Interview schedule was used for data collection. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis were used. The study revealed that socio-cultural and economic factors such as poverty, cattle rustling, ethnic conflicts, banditry, insecurity, drought, famine, early marriages, ‘moranism’, boys and girls circumcision contributed to low primary school enrolment in Baragoi. This study recommends increased efforts of government and local communities in enhancement of general security through peace and conflict management, poverty eradication or minimisation through economic empowerment and sensitisation on education value and effects of cultural practices on education in modern society in order to improve primary school enrolment in the division.