Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting

Women-owned enterprises contribute to local livelihoods, but the availability and affordability of debt financing may be associated with their financial performance. This study examined the relationships between short-term debt, long-term debt, supplier-provided credit and financial performance among registered women-owned enterprises in Eldoret City, Kenya, and assessed the moderating role of access to credit information. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted using proportionate stratified sampling. Of the target sample of 300 enterprises, 169 completed questionnaires were obtained, representing a response rate of 56.33%. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression and hierarchical regression. The baseline model was statistically significant (F = 74.634, p < .001), explaining 57.5% of the variation in reported financial performance (R² = .575). Short-term debt (β = .255, p < .001), long-term debt (β = .131, p = .009) and supplier-provided credit (β = .522, p < .001) each demonstrated positive, statistically significant associations with financial performance. Supplier-provided credit had the largest standardised coefficient. The moderation model explained 71.6% of the variation (R² = .716), with positive reported interaction coefficients for each financing variable and access to credit information. These results suggest that debt–performance relationships vary by financing type and reported access to credit information. Responsible borrowing, transparent financing terms and accessible credit information are therefore relevant practical considerations. Because the study was cross-sectional and relied on self-reported measures, the findings should not be interpreted as causal.