Abstract: Birth registration is a fundamental human right that provides legal identity and enables access to education, healthcare, social protection, and other essential services. Despite efforts to strengthen civil registration systems, birth registration coverage remains uneven among marginalized and pastoralist populations. In Kenya, disparities persist across counties, with Narok County recording a registration rate of 52.8% compared to the national average of 77.1%. Limited evidence exists on how local cultural practices influence caregivers’ decisions to register children in pastoralist communities. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study examined the influence of local cultural practices on birth registration among children under 18 years in Ololunga Sub-location, Narok South Sub-County, Kenya. Specifically, it assessed the influence of traditional naming and childbirth practices, household and community decision-making norms, and pastoralist lifestyle practices on birth registration. A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted. The study targeted household heads with children under 18 years and key informants from relevant stakeholder groups. A sample of 105 respondents was selected from 150 households using Yamane’s formula. Quantitative data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that local cultural practices significantly influenced birth registration outcomes (p < 0.001). Traditional childbirth practices, community decision-making norms, and pastoralist mobility affected registration timing, access to services, and interaction with formal registration systems. The study recommends culturally responsive interventions, strengthened community engagement, integration of birth registration with maternal and child health services, and expansion of mobile and decentralized registration services to improve coverage among pastoralist populations.
Keywords: Birth registration, socio-cultural determinants, caregivers, pastoralism, legal identity, Narok County, Kenya.
Title: Influence of Local Cultural Practices on Caregivers’ Birth Registration for Children Under 18 Years in Ololunga Sub-Location, Narok South Sub-County, Kenya
Author: Monica Atieno Ondijo, Stephen Okumu Ombere, Fred Ikanda
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
Vol. 14, Issue 3, July 2026 - September 2026
Page No: 292-302
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 04-September-2026
