Spatio-temporal integration of periodicmarkets in Tharaka Nithi County

Periodic markets provide a venue where buyers and sellers meet to buy and sell goods. They play an important role in ensuring availability of commodities in an area. The climatic conditions in Tharaka Nithi County are varied and therefore some areas have surplus commodities while others have deficit. The distribution and integration of periodic markets in the study area have not been established. Therefore, the present study aimed at determining distribution and integration of periodic markets in Tharaka Nithi County and establishing the relationship between periodic markets and population density. The study employed descriptive survey design. The target population was 365,330 and the sample size was 384 respondents. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select the respondents. The number of traders and buyers in each periodic market was determined and a sample of each market proportionately obtained.