Social capital and access to credit in Kenya

Access to credit remains a mirage to a majority in Kenya. Only 39.6% of Kenya's adult population has access to credit products in Kenya (FSD, 2009). Viewed against a backdrop of growing evidence of rising cost of living, low or no access to credit inhibits both consumption and investment smoothing thus accelerating poverty levels. A bivariate probit model, applied on Fin Access 2009 national survey data revealed that social capital enhances financial inclusion through increased access to informal loans. The study recommends that financial institutions should factor in group affiliation in designing their loan products so as to increase financial outreach.