Assessing The Impacts Of Technology Adoption On Rural Livelihood Activities In The Upper Tana Catchment Of Kenya: A Case Study Of Embu And Kirinyaga Counties

The Upper Tana Natural resource management project goal is to ―contribute to reduction of rural poverty in the Upper Tana river catchment. This goal is pursued via two development objectives which reflect the poverty-environment nexus: Increased sustainable food production and incomes for poor rural households living in the project area; and Sustainable management of natural resources for provision of environmental services. The focus of this study was to assess the impacts of technology adoption on rural livelihood activities in Embu and Kirinyaga counties via the following objectives; assess the level of adoption of technologies introduced in the project study area, assess the improvement in livelihood of the people due to project interventions and assess the improvement of acquisition of resources in the study area.
The study was carried out in two (2) of the UTaNRMP six (6) counties, Embu and Kirinyaga; and covered four (4) River Basins: Rupingazi and Thuci (Embu County), Nyamindi and Thiba (Kirinyaga County). This survey utilized quantitative and qualitative research methodologies which includes: individual household (HH) interviews; Focus Group Discussions (FGDs); Key Informant Interviews and observation and informed judgment. A total of 421 Individual Household Interviews were carried out.