TITLE:
Economic Challenges Compromising Resilience to the War against COVID-19 among Border Communities in Busia County, Kenya
AUTHORS:
Lydiah Wamocha, Joseph Nasongo, Juddy Achoka, Knight Tundo, Pamela Buhere, Angeline Savala
KEYWORDS:
Challenges, Corona Virus, Economic, Pandemic, Resilience, Small Scale Traders
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.10 No.4,
April
22,
2022
ABSTRACT: By March 2020, the pandemic had spread to both developed and third world
countries. These countries reported multiple cases of the virus within their
borders, and deaths related to the virus. This study sought to establish the economic challenges that compromise
the war against COVID-19 among border communities in Busia County. The
study was conducted in the two major border points comprising Busia and Malaba
towns. In Busia town, the study was carried out in the entire Matayos and
Nambale sub counties, while in Malaba town the study was conducted in Teso
South and Teso North Sub Counties. The respondents included motor bike riders
and small scale traders in the identified Sub Counties. Stratified and simple
random sampling methods were used to select a representative sample of the
population with the aid of lists of registered members of the motor bike riders
and small scale traders. The study adopted a descriptive survey research
design. Questionnaires and interview guide were used to collect data from the respondents.
In the analysis done, the respondents to the questionnaires included the small
scale traders and motor bike riders. It was established that the poverty levels
had risen even higher than usual and a number of them could not make ends meet.
Daily income for small scale traders had reduced drastically and some had
closed part of their business due to lack of customers. This is because of
government stringent measures, such
as: curfews ban on cross-border trade and social distancing which affected
business activities. The small scale traders did not receive any support from
the government or well-wishers to revamp their business.