Retirement lived challenges experienced by Retirees, the Case of Retired Teachers in Makueni County, Kenya

Abstract

Retirement is a transition from paid occupation to other life ventures. Retirees face many challenges ranging from physical, psychological to socio-economic ones. Many studies on retirement in Kenya have focused on retirees from different professions and other regions while this study focuses on teacher retirees in Makueni County. This study, therefore, sought to analyze the challenges faced by retired teachers in Makueni County. The study was guided by the following theories: Social Construction (Berger, 1966), Disengagement (Cumming & Henry, 1961) and Life Cycle Perspective (Elder Jr, 1960). The research used purposive and snow ball sampling techniques to sample 249 respondents of which 173 were males and 76 females. Questionnaires, face to face interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data was thematically coded and analyzed through content narrative analysis while Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyze quantitative data. The study found that retirees have financial, health and social problems. The study therefore, concludes that inability to plan, save and invest for the future leads to suffering in retirement. The study recommends that teachers salaries need to be improved to enable them save and invest for their future. In addition, teacher retirees need to balance their time to avoid fatigue and distress due to community demands.