Abstract

This paper analysed the relationship between migration process and marital behaviour in Kenya. Data for analysis came from the Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys (KDHS) of 1988/89 and 1993. The hypothesis was that, women who migrate comprise those that act rationally to maximise other lifetime aspirations at the expense of reproductive behaviours. That is, migrants are involved in behaviours that negatively influence fertility determining factor of marriage compared to that of never-migrants. The paper contended that, migration dynamics are important in determining reproductive behaviour of women through time and space. The methods of estimating the association between migration process and marital behaviours were undertaken through several analysis techniques: Singulate mean age at marriage (SMAM); ordinary least squares (OLS) and; logistic regression (LR). Singulate mean age at marriage estimated patterns of marriage by migration status by background variables. Ordinary least square regression was used to identify the impact of migration process on marriage behaviour relative to other factors. Logistic regression determined the probability that a woman will marry early or late among the migrants and never-migrants. Findings confirmed that migration negatively affects age at first marriage. Migrants marry relatively late compared to never-migrants.

Key words: Migration process, marriage behaviour, consequences, Kenya.