Modelling Internal Migration in Kenya: An Econometric Analysis with Limited Data

Abstract

In this paper the determinants of internal migration in Kenya are analyzed on the basis of a human capital model. Explanatory variables included in the specification are both economic (wage rates and employment rates) and noneconomic (for example, population density and educational attainment). Also incorporated are variables which reflect intervening opportunities. These variables are defined as distance-weighted averages of the variables in all of the districts in Kenya except the origin and destination districts. The econometric results show that destination variables are important determinants of internal migration, as is distance between the districts. Further, the variables for the intervening opportunities add significantly to the explanatory power of the model.