Financial Management Strategies and Marital Satisfaction among Married Couples in Peri-Urban Kenya: Evidence from a Convergent Parallel Mixed-Methods Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t70109Abstract
Financial management plays a critical role in shaping marital relationships, yet limited evidence exists on the specific financial practices that strengthen marital satisfaction among couples in peri-urban Kenya. This study examined the financial management strategies employed by married individuals to enhance marital satisfaction in Gitothua Ward, Ruiru Sub-County, Kiambu County. The study adopted a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. Of 353 questionnaires distributed to married individuals, 323 were complete and usable (91.5% response rate), while qualitative data were obtained from 12 purposively selected key informants. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlations, and multiple linear regression; qualitative data were analysed thematically. The two strands were integrated during interpretation. The findings showed a mean Financial Stability score of 3.55 (SD = 1.32) and a mean Marital Satisfaction score of 3.54 (SD = 1.34). Emotional Intimacy and Support was the strongest marital-satisfaction dimension (M = 3.69), whereas Communication Patterns was the weakest (M = 3.40). Income Consistency and Adequacy had the strongest correlation with Marital Satisfaction (r = .968, p < .001), followed by Financial Planning and Literacy (r = .962, p < .001) and Debt Management (r = .951, p < .001). The multiple regression model was significant, R = .980, R² = .960, adjusted R² = .959, F(3, 319) = 2520.286, p < .001. Financial transparency regarding debts and obligations was the most frequently reported financial-management strategy (32.8%), followed by joint pooling of financial resources (31.0%) and participation in Chamas and SACCOs (29.4%). Overall, quantitative and qualitative findings converged to show that collaborative financial management is strongly associated with marital satisfaction, particularly through transparency, shared planning, financial communication, and community-based savings mechanisms. Given the cross-sectional design, the findings support association and predictive contribution rather than causal inference. The study concludes that financial management should be viewed not merely as an economic practice but as a relational process with implications for trust, communication, cooperation, and marital wellbeing.
Keywords: Financial management, marital satisfaction, financial transparency, mixed-methods, family counselling, Kenya.
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