Refugee household livelihood strategy choices in Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

Understanding household livelihood strategies is important for designing effective and targeted poverty-reducing strategies among vulnerable populations. This study assessed the livelihood strategy choices of urban refugees in Kampala, Uganda. The study addressed the three specific objectives: to assess the livelihood strategies of refugees in Kampala; determine the factors that influence the choice of livelihood strategies adopted by refugees in Kampala and determine the sensitivity of livelihood strategies to livelihood capital among refugees in Kampala. In order to address these objectives, data was collected through a cross-sectional survey using semi-structured questionnaires among 397 household heads and interview schedule for key informants. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify the livelihood strategies of refugees in Kampala. The choice of livelihood options was determined using multinomial logistic regression. Meanwhile, sensitivity of livelihood strategies to livelihood capitals was determined using ordinal logistic regression approach. Results showed that the most relied on livelihood option by refugees in Kampala was paid/wage employment engaged by 39% followed by remittance (29%) business (26%), while humanitarian aid, living with relatives and others was 6 percent. Multinomial logistic regression results of the factors that influence the choice of livelihood strategies adopted by refugees in Kampala showed that; age, gender, occupation, business, education, monthly income, remittance, service access, income level and savings among the three groups of refugees were statistically significant determinants. Ordinal logistic regression results showed that; livelihood strategies among refugees had different sensitivities to various livelihood measurement indicators. The results further showed that different livelihood capital conditions determine the choice of livelihood strategy for the refugees. According to the regression results, four indicators, i.e., monthly income of refugees, remittances, credit and saving in financial capital, had remarkable influence on the livelihood strategy selection of business sector as compared with the respondent’s income level. The study concluded that the urban refugees in Kampala are not constraint to the host government and the international humanitarian agencies support but are self-supportive and sustaining their livelihood. The study recommended that stakeholders such as NRC, UNHCR and the GoU should work together to provide micro-finance and credit facilities to especially enterprising refugees in Kampala that will encourage trade and this could further reduce dependence of their support while improving the economic status of the refugees and the host communities.