A MODEL OF MIGRATION AND REMITTANCES APPLIED TO WESTERN KENYA

Existing models treat migration as either an individual or household d ecision. In this paper, migration is modeled as the outcome of joint u tility maximisation by the prospective migrant and other household mem bers. This approach encompasses the Todaro and household models as spe cial cases or a more general model. It provides a theoretical rational e for the inclusion of a richer set of explanatory variables in an eco nometric model of migration. Further. it links the determinants of mig ration with existing work on remittances. Empirical evidence from a ru ral household survey in western Kenya provides support for the model.