Intergenerational Support for Retirees: The Role of Adult Children in the Livelihood of their Parents after Retirement in Bumula Constituency, Kenya

Abstract

There is a cultural expectation among the Luhyia and particularly the Bukusu sub-tribe that children's provision of financial support and care to their retired and ageing parents is a guarantee. However, whether this is obligatory or not is still a question of discourse in among researchers and scholars. Despite an array of studies, there is no consensus on the role of children in supporting their elderly parents. This paper therefore entails a study that was conducted in an attempt to elucidate intergenerational support retirees with focus on retired primary teachers in Bumula constituency. Respondents were selected from ten locations including Bumula, Kabula, Kimaeti, Siboti, Mateka, Mayanja, Napara, Mukwa, Mabusi and Khasoko. A total of 28 respondents were obtained through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. In-depth interviews were then conducted and responses tape-recorded for thematic analysis. The Altruism Theory by Auguste Comte formed the foundation of the study as presented in this paper, the study found out that despite the high level of unemployment among youths, retired primary school teachers in Bumula received substantial economic, social and psychological support from their children. It was established that adult children's support, though on the decline, is a critical component in the life of ageing parents because it affects the quality of life after retirement and thus, requires holistic and continuous approach. Adult children's support to the elderly and more so to parents in modern society is perceived as voluntary and/ or discretional as opposed to the traditional times when it was mandatory. The study support recommends a need for concerted efforts to strengthen the agents of socialization and enhance stakeholder participation to address economic and policy factors militating against adult children's support to ensure dignified lives to the elderly.