PEASANT TRANSFORMATION IN KENYA: A FOCUS ON AGRICULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO IMPROVED FRUIT AND DAIRY FARMING IN MBEERE, EMBU COUNTY BY GEOFFREY RUNJI NJERU NJERU A THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, INSTITUTE FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (IDS), UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI AUGUST 2016 DECLARATION This thesis is my original work and has not been submitted for a degree in any other university. Geoffrey Runji Njeru Njeru Signature……………………………………………. Date …………………………… This thesis was submitted for examination with our approval as university supervisors. Professor Njuguna Ng‟ethe Signature …………………………………….. Date……………………………………. Professor Karuti Kanyinga Signature ……………………………………. Date …………………………………….. Dr. Robinson Mose Ocharo Signature…………………………………….. Date …………………………………….. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION............................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ iii LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... viii ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ........................................................................ ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ xi ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM ............ 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the Research Problem .......................................................................... 5 1.3 Research Questions ................................................................................................... 8 1.4 Hypotheses ................................................................................................................ 9 1.5 Objectives of the Study ........................................................................................... 10 1.6 Justification and Significance of the Study ............................................................. 10 1.7 Definition of Key Concepts .................................................................................... 12 1.7.1 Operationalization of Concepts and Variables .............................................. 13 1.8 Scope and Limitations of the Study ........................................................................ 14 1.9 Organization of the Thesis ...................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................ 16 AGRICULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ASPECTS OF PEASANT TRANSFORMATION: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ................................. 16 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 16 2.2 Peasants and Peasant Societies: Some Conceptual Issues ...................................... 17 2.3 Trends in Agricultural Entrepreneurship in Africa ................................................. 20 2.4 Political Origins of Agricultural Entrepreneurship in Kenya ................................. 22 2.5 Overarching Theories for the Study ........................................................................ 27 2.5.1 Marxism-Leninism and Social Change ......................................................... 27 2.5.2 Neo-Liberalism and Social Change ............................................................... 31 2.5.3 Schumpeterian Entrepreneurship and Social Change ................................... 33 2.6 Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Development: An Overview............................. 35 2.6.1 Role of Agricultural Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Development ...... 37 2.7 Linking Agricultural Entrepreneurship to Poverty Reduction and Peasant Transformation ....................................................................................................... 43 2.7.1 Agricultural Entrepreneurship, Accumulation and Social Differentiation .... 47 iii 2.7.2 Agricultural Entrepreneurship and Social Change: Cultural and Political Reorientation of Peasants .............................................................................. 50 2.8 Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks for the Study ......................................... 53 2.8.1 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................. 53 2.8.2 Conceptual/Analytical Framework ................................................................ 61 2.9 Chapter Summary and Conclusion ......................................................................... 65 CHAPTER THREE ........................................................................................................ 66 METHODOLOGY AND DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................ 66 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 66 3.2 Research Design...................................................................................................... 70 3.2.1 Sampling Procedure for Dynamic Panel Respondents .................................. 71 3.2.2 Sampling of Key Informants ......................................................................... 73 3.2.3 Research Instruments .................................................................................... 75 3.2.4 Why Mbeere Was Chosen for the Study ....................................................... 75 3.3 Study Methodological Approach ............................................................................ 75 3.4 Data Analysis .......................................................................................................... 79 3.4.1 Analysis of Dynamic Panel Quantitative Data .............................................. 79 3.4.2 Analysis of Dynamic Panel and Key Informant Qualitative Data ................ 80 3.5 Chapter Summary and Conclusion ......................................................................... 83 CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................... 84 MBEERE: THE STUDY SETTING ............................................................................. 84 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 84 4.1.1 Mbeere District: Some Background Information .......................................... 85 4.2 Geography and Population ...................................................................................... 86 4.3 Administrative Units ............................................................................................... 87 4.4 Climate and Agro-Ecological Zones ....................................................................... 87 4.5 Physical Infrastructure/Social Overhead Capital .................................................... 88 4.6 A Political Economy of Mbeere ............................................................................. 90 4.6.1 A Brief History of the Mbeere ...................................................................... 90 4.6.2 Peasant Economy and the Colonial Experience ............................................ 92 4.6.3 Local Economy, Agriculture and Poverty ..................................................... 93 4.6.4 Local Level Electoral Politics ....................................................................... 94 4.7 Land Ownership, Tenure and Rights ...................................................................... 96 4.7.1 Land Reform and the Market ........................................................................ 98 4.7.2 Innovation and the Roots of Agricultural Entrepreneurship in Mbeere ...... 100 4.8 Chapter Summary and Conclusion ....................................................................... 102 CHAPTER FIVE .......................................................................................................... 103 THE SEEDS OF PEASANT TRANSFORMATION IN MBEERE: IMPROVED FRUIT AND DAIRY FARMING INNOVATIONS .................................................. 103 5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 103 5.2 Colonial and Post-colonial Agricultural Innovation in Kenya ............................. 104 5.3 Farmer Innovation in Mbeere: The Colonial Origins ........................................... 107 iv 5.3.1 Commodity Production and the Origins of Social Differentiation in Mbeere ..................................................................................................................... 110 5.4 Introduction of Improved Fruit Farming in Mbeere ............................................. 111 5.4.1 Introduction of Improved Mango Varieties in Kenya ................................