There is a general consensus that education acts as a catalyst to reduced poverty, improved health and promotion of individual and community development. Although formal education has had great contribution for promotion of literacy, the shortcomings that go with it have led to the drop out in schools, increased literacy and general poverty in Kakamega, Busia and Siaya Districts respectively. It is in this regard that this study identified the role of adult education and Non Formal Education (NFE) as an alternative to addressing issues of poverty, health, illiteracy and development. Out of this, the research set out to assess and document the status of Government policy on NFE programes, the reasons for the attitudes held by the community and learners, the cultural factors, its status, knowledge, skills and values acquired for utilization in health and economic activities in the Lake Victoria region of Kenya. The study was carried out in the larger Kakamega, Busia and Siaya Districts. A descriptive survey design was used. Data was collected from the Provincial Administration (district officers ,chiefs and sub-chiefs).Others were District Adult Education Officers, Managers of adult and NFE programmes, supervisors of adult and NFE programmes, teachers, adult and NFE learners and graduates. The instruments for data collection included questionnaire, interview schedules, observation schedules, attitudinal scales, focus group discussions and document analysis for secondary data.Secondary data included statistics on enrolment for learners, examination results and teacher dynamic. These statistics were collected from the Department of Adult Education, ACCES, and NFE Centres. Data collected was then analyzed descriptively by use of frequency counts, means and percentage.The following findings were established: that the implementation of Kenya Education Sector Support Programme (KESSP) had not reached NFE centres 5 years after its implementation was commended, there are no clear management structures for NFE, enrolment in adult and NFE programmes is still low, learners with Special needs have been neglected, and cultural inhibitions were viewed as a way of life and clearly evident was the confusion in understanding of concepts in adult and Non Formal Education Programme.On the basis of the findings, it was concluded that: Adult and NFE programmes are useful in creation of awareness and promotion of individual and general community development.Consequently, the following recommendations were made on the basis of the underscored findings; that the recommendations of the Sessional paper No. 1 of 2005 should be thoroughly studied, interpreted and implemented since it provides the policy framework ; and that for the success of adult and NFE programmes, the government should employ qualified personnel with education background at all levels of its hierarchy.
