This study examines the consumption patterns of four meat types in rural and peri-urban
Central Kenya. The study used cross-sectional data gathered from a household consumption
survey of 447 households conducted between June and August 2012 in three towns of central
Kenya namely Mwea, Njabini and Ol-kalou. The Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS)
model was employed to estimate the demand elasticities. All estimated own-price elasticities
were negative to satisfy the law of demand. The cross-price Hicksian effects for the meats
indicated that beef and chicken, beef and pork, shoats and chicken, as well as chicken and
pork are gross-substitutes to one another. The expenditure elasticities were all positive
implying that all the four meats are normal goods in the country. The expenditure elasticities
characterized three of the meats (beef, shoats and pork) as luxury commodities in the country
where as only chicken turned out to be a necessity. Moreover, socio-economic factors such as
age of the household head, his/her education level, gender, household size and off-farm
income were found to be important factors in explaining perceived variations in the
consumption patterns of meat in the country. Moreover, the estimated demand system
fulfilled all the demand regularity conditions. It could therefore be recommended that any
mechanism that enhances the incomes of the rural Kenyan households, and reduces meat
prices would be desirable since it will boost their relative purchasing power hence increased
meat consumptions.