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2. Differentiated Instruction in Multigrade Preprimary Classrooms in Kenya. Occasional Paper. RTI Press Publication OP-0084-2212
- Author
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RTI International, Sitabkhan, Yasmin, Jukes, Matthew C. H., Dombrowski, Eileen, and Munialo, Indrah
- Abstract
There is little evidence of how differentiated instruction is being implemented, if at all, in low- and middle-income contexts, which often have unique challenges such as availability of resources and large class sizes. In this paper, we present the results of a qualitative study in eight multigrade preprimary classrooms in Kenya. We used classroom observations and teacher interviews to understand how teachers approached differentiation during language and mathematics lessons, including understanding why teachers were making the moves we observed. All teachers differentiated instruction to some extent in our findings, and we provide detailed descriptions of the ways that teachers adapted content to fit the needs of their students. We also provide recommendations, including how to support teachers in creating activities that are appropriate for different abilities of students in the same classrooms, and suggest next steps for research in this area.
- Published
- 2022
3. Integrating Mental Health Management into Empowerment Group Sessions for Out-of-School Adolescents in Kenyan Informal Settlements: A Process Paper.
- Author
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Mutahi J, Kangwana B, Khasowa D, Muthoni I, Charo O, Muli A, and Kumar M
- Subjects
- Humans, Adolescent, Kenya, Schools, Public Health, Mental Health, Empowerment
- Abstract
This article presents processes for developing contextualized training procedures to better appreciate partnership, capacity-building experiences, and specific implementation challenges and opportunities for mental and public health teams. The program enrolled 469 out-of-school adolescents to participate in the integration of youth mental health into health and life-skill safe spaces. The teams utilized various methods to achieve process outcomes of restructuring and adapting curricula, training youth mentors, and assessing their self-efficacy before integrating the intervention for 18 months. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic became an additional unique concern in the preliminary and the 18-month implementation period of the program. This necessitated innovation around hybrid training and asynchronous modalities as program teams navigated the two study locations for prompt training, supervision, evaluation, and feedback. In conclusion, out-of-school adolescents face a myriad of challenges, and a safe space program led by youth mentors can help promote mental health. Our study demonstrated how best this can be achieved. We point to lessons such as the importance of adapting the intervention and working cohesively in teams, building strong and trusting partnerships, learning how to carry out multidisciplinary dialogues, and continuous supervision and capacity building. This article aimed to document the processes around the design and implementation of this innovative intervention and present a summary of lessons learned.
- Published
- 2024
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4. Conducting epidemiological studies on snakebite in nomadic populations: A methodological paper.
- Author
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Oluoch, George O., Otundo, Denis, Nyawacha, Seth, Ongeri, Derick, Smith, Monica, Meta, Vivianne, Trelfa, Anna, Ahmed, Sayem, Harrison, Robert A., Lalloo, David G., Stienstra, Ymkje, and Tianyi, Frank-Leonel
- Subjects
- *
SNAKEBITES , *GEOGRAPHIC information systems , *CENSUS , *REMOTE-sensing images , *EPIDEMIOLOGICAL research - Abstract
Introduction: Research on snakebite has mostly been conducted on settled populations and current risk factors and potential interventions are therefore most suited for these populations. There is limited epidemiological data on mobile and nomadic populations, who may have a higher risk of snakebite. Methods and results: We conducted a scoping review to gather evidence on survey methods used in nomadic populations and compared them with contemporary survey methods used for snakebite research. Only 16 (10.5%) of 154 articles reportedly conducted on pastoralist nomadic populations actually involved mobile pastoralists. All articles describing snakebite surveys (n = 18) used multistage cluster designs on population census sampling frames, which would not be appropriate for nomadic populations. We used geospatial techniques and open-source high-resolution satellite images to create a digital sampling frame of 50,707 households and used a multistage sampling strategy to survey nomadic and semi-nomadic populations in Samburu County, Kenya. From a sample of 900 geo-located households, we correctly identified and collected data from 573 (65.4%) households, of which 409 were in their original locations and 164 had moved within 5km of their original locations. We randomly sampled 302 (34.6%) households to replace completely abandoned and untraceable households. Conclusion: Highly mobile populations require specific considerations in selecting or creating sampling frames and sampling units for epidemiological research. Snakebite risk has a strong spatial component and using census-based sampling frames would be inappropriate in nomadic populations. We propose using open-source satellite imaging and geographic information systems to improve the conduct of epidemiological research in these populations. Author summary: Nomadic populations are at increased risk of snakebites, but interventions will not be developed or improved without reliable data on this risk. Highly mobile populations require specific considerations in selecting or creating sampling frames and sampling units for epidemiological research, and using census-based sampling frames would be inappropriate. We conducted scoping reviews to gather evidence on survey methods used in nomadic populations and compared them with contemporary survey methods used for snakebite research, which we used to inform our methodology. We describe the creation of a sampling frame of 50,707 households, the selection and geo-tagging of a sample of 900 households, and the identification and enrolment of participants from 875 households between August 2019 and March 2020. We propose using open-source satellite imaging and geographic information systems to improve the conduct of epidemiological research in these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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5. The efficacy of appropriate paper-based technology for Kenyan children with cerebral palsy.
- Author
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Barton C, Buckley J, Samia P, Williams F, Taylor SR, and Lindoewood R
- Subjects
- Child, Dimaprit analogs & derivatives, Humans, Kenya, Pilot Projects, Technology, Cerebral Palsy
- Abstract
Purpose: Appropriate paper-based technology (APT) is used to provide postural support for children with cerebral palsy (CP) in low-resourced settings. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the impact of APT on the children's and families' lives., Materials and Methods: A convenience sample of children with CP and their families participated. Inclusion was based on the Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV and V. APT seating or standing frames were provided for six months. A mixed methods impact of APT devices on the children and families included the Family Impact Assistive Technology Scale for Adaptive Seating (FIATS-AS); the Child Engagement in Daily Life (CEDL) questionnaire; and a qualitative assessment from diary/log and semi-structured interviews., Results: Ten children (median 3 years, range 9 months to 7 years). Baseline to follow-up median (IQR) FIATS-AS were: 22.7 (9.3) and 30.3 (10.2), respectively ( p =.002). Similarly mean (SD) CEDL scores for "frequency" changed from 30.5 (13.2) to 42.08 (5.96) ( p =.021) and children's enjoyment scores from 2.23 (0.93) to 2.91 (0.79) ( p =.019). CEDL questionnaire for self-care was not discriminatory; seven families scored zero at both baseline and 6 months. Qualitative interviews revealed three key findings; that APT improved functional ability, involvement/interaction in daily-life situations, and a reduced family burden of care., Conclusions: APT devices used in Kenyan children with non-ambulant CP had a meaningful positive effect on both the children's and their families' lives.Implications for rehabilitationAssistive devices are often unobtainable for children with cerebral palsy (CP) in low-income countries.APT is a low cost and sustainable solution to make seating and standing devices for disabled children in Kenya.The regular use of a postural support device enhanced the children's motor skills, ability to function and participate in everyday activities, reduced the burden of care for the families and promoted the children's social interaction.The postural support devices were highly valued and utilised by the children and families in this study.
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- 2022
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6. Paper Ballots with Digital Transparency: Kenya's Pioneering Election.
- Author
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Crawford, Andrew
- Subjects
BALLOTS ,ELECTIONS ,ELECTRONIC paper ,JUDICIAL elections ,POLLING places ,CORRUPT practices in elections ,POLITICAL science - Published
- 2022
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7. Misinformation Literacy of COVID-19 Digital News in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
- Author
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McIntyre, Karen, Sobel Cohen, Meghan, Semujju, Brian, Ireri, Kioko, and Munyarukumbuzi, Emmanuel
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DIGITAL literacy ,ELECTRONIC paper ,MISINFORMATION ,WESTERN countries ,FALSE testimony ,DIGITAL libraries - Abstract
Amid a rise of misinformation worldwide, this paper examines digital misinformation literacy as it relates to COVID-19 news in East Africa. The study is grounded in inoculation theory and contributes to the body of scholarship examining misinformation literacy beyond the Western world. Data came from a comparative, cross-national survey in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda (N = 3,203), making this the largest known empirical investigation into digital misinformation literacy in the region within the context of a pandemic. Paper surveys were distributed throughout all three countries in 2021. The data revealed differences in actual and perceived misinformation literacy levels. Kenyans and Rwandans were better at detecting false COVID-19 statements in the media, whereas Ugandans were better at detecting true messages. Similarly, Kenyans' and Rwandans' perceived levels of digital misinformation literacy were higher than Ugandans'. Regarding perceived exposure to COVID-19 information, Kenyans felt they were exposed to fake COVID-19 news online more often than Ugandans, who felt more exposed than Rwandans. This research contributes to the growing literature on digital misinformation literacy, an area which isn't significantly studied in many world regions, especially in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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8. Risk associations of submicroscopic malaria infection in lakeshore, plateau and highland areas of Kisumu County in western Kenya.
- Author
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Otambo, Wilfred Ouma, Omondi, Collince J., Ochwedo, Kevin O., Onyango, Patrick O., Atieli, Harrysone, Lee, Ming-Chieh, Wang, Chloe, Zhou, Guofa, Githeko, Andrew K., Githure, John, Ouma, Collins, Yan, Guiyun, and Kazura, James
- Subjects
MALARIA ,UPLANDS ,WATERSHEDS ,SOCIAL surveys ,INFECTION ,FILTER paper - Abstract
Background: Persons with submicroscopic malaria infection are a major reservoir of gametocytes that sustain malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite recent decreases in the national malaria burden in Kenya due to vector control interventions, malaria transmission continues to be high in western regions of the country bordering Lake Victoria. The objective of this study was to advance knowledge of the topographical, demographic and behavioral risk factors associated with submicroscopic malaria infection in the Lake Victoria basin in Kisumu County. Methods: Cross-sectional community surveys for malaria infection were undertaken in three eco-epidemiologically distinct zones in Nyakach sub-County, Kisumu. Adjacent regions were topologically characterized as lakeshore, hillside and highland plateau. Surveys were conducted during the 2019 and 2020 wet and dry seasons. Finger prick blood smears and dry blood spots (DBS) on filter paper were collected from 1,777 healthy volunteers for microscopic inspection and real time-PCR (RT-PCR) diagnosis of Plasmodium infection. Persons who were PCR positive but blood smear negative were considered to harbor submicroscopic infections. Topographical, demographic and behavioral risk factors were correlated with community prevalence of submicroscopic infections. Results: Out of a total of 1,777 blood samples collected, 14.2% (253/1,777) were diagnosed as submicroscopic infections. Blood smear microscopy and RT-PCR, respectively, detected 3.7% (66/1,777) and 18% (319/1,777) infections. Blood smears results were exclusively positive for P. falciparum, whereas RT-PCR also detected P. malariae and P. ovale mono- and co-infections. Submicroscopic infection prevalence was associated with topographical variation (χ
2 = 39.344, df = 2, p<0.0001). The highest prevalence was observed in the lakeshore zone (20.6%, n = 622) followed by the hillside (13.6%, n = 595) and highland plateau zones (7.9%, n = 560). Infection prevalence varied significantly according to season (χ2 = 17.374, df = 3, p<0.0001). The highest prevalence was observed in residents of the lakeshore zone in the 2019 dry season (29.9%, n = 167) and 2020 and 2019 rainy seasons (21.5%, n = 144 and 18.1%, n = 155, respectively). In both the rainy and dry seasons the likelihood of submicroscopic infection was higher in the lakeshore (AOR: 2.71, 95% CI = 1.85–3.95; p<0.0001) and hillside (AOR: 1.74, 95% CI = 1.17–2.61, p = 0.007) than in the highland plateau zones. Residence in the lakeshore zone (p<0.0001), male sex (p = 0.025), school age (p = 0.002), and living in mud houses (p = 0.044) increased the risk of submicroscopic malaria infection. Bed net use (p = 0.112) and occupation (p = 0.116) were not associated with submicroscopic infection prevalence. Conclusion: Topographic features of the local landscape and seasonality are major correlates of submicroscopic malaria infection in the Lake Victoria area of western Kenya. Diagnostic tests more sensitive than blood smear microscopy will allow for monitoring and targeting geographic sites where additional vector interventions are needed to reduce malaria transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2022
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9. How dung paper is helping elephant conservation in Kenya.
- Subjects
MANURES ,ELEPHANTS ,IVORY industry ,CLIMATE change ,TRADE winds ,COASTAL forests ,FARMERS - Abstract
Paper made from elephant dung is set to grow within the next few years', said Benjamin Ndubi, a 30-year-old Nairobi-based entrepreneur who owns a facility in Mombasa that is specially designed to process elephant dung into paper. Most of the country's paper made from dung comes from here', Mwanyongwe said of the product, which is produced from elephant dung recovered from the area's roads. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2023
10. Bagging prevents russeting and decreases postharvest water loss of mango fruit cv. 'Apple'.
- Author
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Athoo, Thomas O., Yegon, Dennis, Owino, Willis O., and Knoche, Moritz
- Subjects
- *
MANGO , *FRUIT skins , *PAPER bags , *FRUIT , *ACRIDINE orange , *VITAMIN C - Abstract
In Kenya, the mango (Mangifera indica L) cultivar 'Apple' is commercially important but it often suffers excessive russeting, which both compromises its appearance and impairs its postharvest performance. Together, these effects seriously reduce its market potential. Exposure to surface moisture is implicated in russeting of cv. 'Apple' mango. The objective was to establish the effect of bagging on russeting. Developing fruit were bagged at the onset of the exponential growth phase, using brown paper bags (Blue star®). Un-bagged fruit served as controls. The brown paper bags were selected because of their high permeance to water vapor. At harvest maturity, bagged fruit were larger, less russeted and had smaller lenticels than un-bagged control fruit. Staining with aqueous acridine orange in conjunction with fluorescence microscopy revealed numerous microcracks and larger lenticels on un-bagged control fruit but these were not evident on bagged fruit. Postharvest mass loss (principally water loss) of bagged fruit was lower than of un-bagged control fruit. In the un-bagged control fruit, the skin's water permeance increased as the russeted surface area increased (r2 = 0.88 **). Fruit skins were less permeable to water vapor than the brown paper bags. The brown paper bags contributed not more than 4.2 to 9.1% of the total in-series diffusion resistance of skin + bag. The masses of isolated cuticular membranes, and of dewaxed cuticular membranes, and of wax per unit surface area were higher for un-bagged control fruit than for bagged fruit. Bagged fruit were also greener and showed less blush. There was little difference in skin carotenoid content between bagged and un-bagged control fruit, but skin anthocyanin content was lower in bagged fruit. The rates of respiration and ethylene evolution of bagged fruit were lower than those of un-bagged control fruit. There were no differences between bagged and un-bagged control fruit in their organoleptic and nutritional properties including titratable acidity, total soluble sugars, sucrose, glucose, fructose, vitamin C and calcium content. In conclusion, bagging decreased russeting and increased postharvest performance of fruit of mango cv. 'Apple'. • Bagging increased fruit size and decreased cuticle thickness. • Bagging did not change background color, soluble solids or total acidity. • Bagging decreased anthocyanin content and blush area of the fruit surface. • Bagging reduced cuticular microcracking, russeting and postharvest water loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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11. Understanding generational differences for financial inclusion in Kenya.
- Author
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Korir, Lilian and Hack-Polay, Dieu
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FINANCIAL inclusion ,AGE groups ,FINANCIAL literacy ,ECONOMIC indicators ,RURAL women - Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to estimate the effect the five different generations and the key financial inclusion indicators of gender, education and location (rural–urban) in exacerbating disparities in financial inclusion in Kenya. This paper considers whether the five generational cohort groups in Kenya differ on the financial inclusion determinants and behaviour as predicted by common generational stereotypes. Design/methodology/approach: The authors applied a multinomial logistic regression approach to nationally representative household survey data from Kenya to estimate the effect that key financial inclusion indicators have on belonging to one of the five generations: Z, Y, X, baby boomers and traditionalists. Findings: The authors found significant links between all tested variables and financial inclusion. The authors found an access gap between Generations X and Y, with the latter being more prone to access and use financial services and products. These differences are compounded by gender and rurality. People in rural locations and women generally were found to have less access to financial services and products, thus causing significant exclusion of a large proportion of the population. Practical implications: The research has important implications for governments, financial institutions and educational providers, notably on targeted policies and programmes that strategically aim to eliminate disparities and promote greater financial inclusion, denoting the value of such variables as generational differences and gender inclusivity. Originality/value: This paper deepens the understanding of differences that can divide generations on financial inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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12. RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY OF PHYSICIANS IN AN AFRICAN MEDICAL SCHOOL: THE CASE FOR PHYSICIAN SCIENTIST TRAINING.
- Author
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Nduati, R., Wamalwa, D., Kiarie, J., Kinuthia, J., Jaoko, W., Ngetich, K., Kareithi, P., and Kibwage, I. O.
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LABOR productivity ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,SERIAL publications ,MANN Whitney U Test ,T-test (Statistics) ,MEDICAL schools ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,CHI-squared test ,PHYSICIANS ,ODDS ratio ,MEDICAL research - Abstract
Introduction: Physician scientists have both advanced medical specialist and research training and are a critical link between research and improved standards of care. Physician scientist training has existed for more than four decades in the USA, and Western European but is almost non-existent elsewhere. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a need to develop a physician scientist training program. Methods -Medical doctor faculty in the faculty of health sciences of the University of Nairobi were categorized into physicians for those with medical specialist qualifications and physician scientists if they had in addition a research degree. The two groups were compared in terms of total number and frequency of peer reviewed publications since graduating with a medical degree, number of first author publications, and productivity before and after their research training. Data on training was extracted from the publicly available curriculum vitae on the institution's website while pubmed was used to verify the number of publications up to December 2013. Results: Of the 235 eligible faculty, 183 [78%] were physicians and 52 [22%] were physician scientists. The median number of publications in peer reviewed journals was 20 for physician scientists and 6 for physicians [p<0.001] which translated into 1.03 and 0.29 published papers per person-years, respectively [Wilcoxon rank test p<0.000]. Among the 28 faculty whose research training followed medical specialization, mean publications per year before and after research training was 0.4 compared with 2.4 [p=0.01]. Conclusion: Physician research training increases scientific productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
13. Evaluating the effectiveness of a mobile application to improve the quality, collection, and usability of forensic documentation of sexual violence.
- Author
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Kidenda, Suzanne, Muchai, Roseline, Green, Lindsey, McHale, Thomas, Mishori, Ranit, and Nelson, Brett D.
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SEXUAL assault ,MEDICAL record personnel ,INFORMATION technology personnel ,MOBILE apps ,LEGAL professions ,FORENSIC genetics - Abstract
Background: Survivors of sexual violence deserve timely and high-quality forensic examination, evidence collection, and documentation as part of comprehensive care. However, in many countries, the quality of medical-legal documentation is severely limited. MediCapt is an innovative digital application that enables clinicians to document forensic medical evidence as well as capture and securely store forensic photographs of injuries. This study evaluated the effectiveness and usability of MediCapt to document forensic medical evidence of sexual violence. Methods: This mixed-methods evaluation involved key-informant interviews, usability questionnaires, and forensic record reviews. Participants included clinicians, medical records personnel, information technology personnel, and health facility administrators, as well as law enforcement and legal professionals in Kenya. Results: The Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) data quality checklist found that using MediCapt led to significantly higher data-quality scores compared to paper-based forms. MediCapt forms scored higher on 23 of 26 checklist items. While a wide difference in quality was seen among paper-based forms, MediCapt appeared to both standardize and improve quality of documentation across sites. MediCapt strengths included data security and confidentiality, accuracy and efficiency, and supplemental documentation with photography. Weaknesses included infrastructure challenges, required technological proficiencies, and time to learn the new system. Although it is early to assess the impact of MediCapt on prosecutions, providers and law and justice sector professionals were optimistic about its usefulness. They identified MediCapt as appropriate for use with survivors of sexual violence and reported MediCapt's legibility and photography features had already been commended by the court. Conclusion: MediCapt was well-received across all sectors, its use was perceived as feasible and sustainable, and it significantly improved the quality of collected forensic data. It is anticipated this improvement in forensic documentation will increase successful prosecutions, strengthen accountability for perpetrators, and improve justice for survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. The power of House + Home: exploring a capabilities approach to housing and prosperity in Kenya.
- Author
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Layseca, Marisol
- Subjects
CAPABILITIES approach (Social sciences) ,HOUSING ,ECOLOGICAL houses ,SOCIAL values ,SOCIAL dynamics ,SOCIAL history - Abstract
This paper explores the role of housing in the achievement of prosperity from a capabilities perspective. Prosperity, according to Jackson (Prosperity without growth: economics for a finite planet, Earthscan, Oxford, 2009), is built on Amartya Sen's notion of capabilities for flourishing. Then, in the pursuit of understanding the role of housing as an enabler of capabilities for the achievement of prosperity, this paper investigates the gaps in the views/concepts of housing through comparisons of the ten central capabilities, the right to adequate housing, and meanings of home. Data from a recent qualitative study in rural and urban Kenya is used for empirical analysis as a way to develop a localised application of the discussion. Looking through the lens of the Capabilities Approach brought a useful framework that made it possible to capture human and social housing values that are many times neglected. In that sense, the paper explores housing both as the physical conditions of the house and as the social and psychological dynamics that construct the meanings of home. The research demonstrated that the extent to which housing enables the enjoyment of capabilities for flourishing increases or diminishes insofar housing acknowledges and incorporates both material and non-material functions. Hopefully, this exercise can serve to inform and enrich future localised housing design, research and policy, where a more comprehensive understanding and conceptualisation of housing seems imperative: Housing, as House + Home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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15. A Conceptual Analysis of an Accused Persons’ Right to Reasonable Access to Victim Impact Statements under Kenya’s Victim Protection Act No. 17 of 2014.
- Author
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Owade, Eugene Otieno
- Subjects
VICTIMS' rights ,CONSTITUTIONAL law ,CRIMINAL justice system ,ACCESS to justice - Abstract
This paper acknowledges the progressive efforts under the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, statutes and jurisprudence on the rights of accused persons vis-àvis victim rights under Kenya’s criminal justice system. It conceptualizes the place, scope, and evidentiary weight of victim impact statements by arguing that VISs have evidentiary value especially during court sentencing. Secondly, the paper evaluates what “reasonable access” means in a criminal justice system and whether the discretion of the Court under section 329C(4) of the Kenyan Criminal Procedure Code is constitutional, equitable and promotes access to justice. Thirdly, whereas discretion is a fundamental element of judicial independence, further conceptual and theoretical studies on access to justice are necessary in understanding the intersectionality of different variables under Kenya’s criminal justice system, the need for progressive development of the law. Lastly, this paper contributes to the body of knowledge on the intersectionalities under criminal justice systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. An analysis of in‐field soil testing and mapping for improving fertilizer decision‐making in vegetable production in Kenya and Ghana.
- Author
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Mallory, Adrian, Golicz, Karolina, and Sakrabani, Ruben
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SOIL mapping ,SOIL testing ,FERTILIZERS ,FERTILIZER application ,SOIL fertility ,SOIL sampling - Abstract
In‐field soil testing and soil mapping can contribute to addressing the challenge of poor soil fertility and limited fertilizer application across sub‐Saharan Africa. Semi‐quantitative colorimetric methods, such as paper test strips, are frequently employed in soil nutrient assessment across developing countries, especially in South‐East Asia. This research investigated the accuracy of nutrient‐sensitive paper strips and smartphone, which was re‐purposed to act as a reflectometer, to assess soil nitrate‐N, and different methods for mapping soil fertility to identify areas of land that are suitable for human waste‐derived fertilizers (HWDF) application. The study entailed testing soil samples across 42 different farms in Kenya and Ghana and compared it to laboratory results in‐country. It was found that paper strips were capable of assessing available nitrate‐N concentration present in the soil within ±20 kg ha−1 of the standard method for 86% of the farms. Paper strips were less effective in Ghana as they had been calibrated for a method that was not used by local laboratories. Paper strips were not effective for HWDF samples, where chemical interferences and concentration of different forms of nitrates were too high, resulting in overestimation of readings and thus negatively affecting any associated nutrient management advice. Soil mapping has the potential to use open‐source data to inform farmers through mobile technology. For soil mapping two methods were deployed which includes targeting organic matter deficient areas and stakeholder led mapping, with the latter shown to be more effective in identifying areas for HWDF application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Legal and regulatory framework for mobile banking in Tanzania.
- Author
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Ally, Abdallah Mrindoko
- Subjects
MOBILE banking industry ,INFORMATION & communication technologies for development ,HIGH technology industries ,CONSUMER protection ,LEGAL instruments ,WEB browsing ,DIGITAL inclusion - Abstract
Purpose: This paper aims to assess the legal and regulatory framework for mobile banking (M-banking) in Tanzania. The technological development in information and communication technologies has converted a mobile phone from a simple communication device to a very complex instrument that allows people to perform various digital transactions and extra operations such as web browsing and email reading. Such tremendous developments have brought in place the regime of M-banking. The birth of M-banking has brought legal and institutional challenges that were not anticipated before. It has complicated the traditional role of the telecommunication regulator and financial regulator in the business and caused legal gaps that need to be bridged. Design/methodology/approach: To disclose the legal gaps and bridge them, the study used doctrinal legal method and comparative study to learn the experience of international legal instruments and policies and laws of other jurisdictions. This paper has evaluated the contribution of international legal instruments and legal frameworks of foreign jurisdictions such as Kenya and the Philippines. Findings: It has been revealed that the prevailing laws regulating M-banking in Tanzania do not adequately address and bridge the existing legal gaps. There is a need to enact a specific law regulating M-banking and confer such powers to a specific institution to deal with regulatory issues. Originality/value: This paper stresses the importance of enacting new laws that will offer room for financial inclusion in the digital economy and protect consumers against financial risk. It also intends to act as a catalyst and change agent in policy and legislative development in the M-banking industry. It would also bring special attention to addressing consumer rights, security and risky issues surrounding the M-banking industry. Although several other authors in Tanzania have written in this area, they have not clearly focused on disclosing the existing legal gaps resulting from the convergence of the financial and communication sectors. This paper is therefore trying to offer an extensive discussion on the legislative development in the M-banking industry in Tanzania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. A decade of maize yield gap studies in sub-Saharan Africa: how are farm-level factors considered?
- Author
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Hall, Ola, Wahab, Ibrahim, Dahlin, Sigrun, Hillbur, Per, Jirström, Magnus, and Öborn, Ingrid
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CORN ,CROP management ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,YIELD strength (Engineering) ,PANEL analysis ,FIELD research ,PRECISION farming - Abstract
The study of yield gaps has become more complex, prompting the use of varied approaches to measure yields and a wider range of factors to explain these gaps. In the Global North, the focus is on precision farming, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a broader perspective is necessary due to pronounced variability in farmland conditions. While biogeophysical and management factors have been traditional focal points in yield gap analyses, socio-economic and institutional factors are increasingly recognized as significant, especially in SSA. This review synthesizes research from the past decade in SSA that integrates biogeophysical, management, farm characteristics, and institutional factors in yield gap discussions. The findings indicate a slow shift in including socio-economic factors, with management, particularly nutrient supply and crop management, remaining predominant. However, there is a growing trend towards methodological diversity, such as the adoption of remote sensing and GIS in recent years. Case studies from Kenya and Ghana, utilizing field surveys, interviews, panel data, and spatial analysis, highlight how a multifaceted approach can enhance our understanding of the various elements influencing maize yield gaps in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Comparative Analysis on Food Security between Kenya and Zambia.
- Author
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Mwelwa, Chisanga, Njeri, Hope, Onchiri, Samwel, Martin, Anamaria Roxana, Bălan, Ioana Mihaela, Imakando, Liane Moosho, Lungu, Dryson, and Kinyua, Lucy
- Subjects
FOOD security ,FOOD chemistry ,COMPARATIVE studies ,AGRICULTURAL productivity ,FACTORS of production ,AGRICULTURAL innovations - Abstract
Food security, a vital determinant of overall health and well-being, hinges on the simultaneous achievement of four dimensions: physical availability of food, economic and physical access to food, utilization of nutrients, and stability over time. This paper explores the complex and multi-faceted food security situations in Kenya and Zambia, emphasizing key factors such as agricultural production, government policies, and socio-economic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
20. CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL CAPITAL IN THE EDUCATION OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING STUDENTS: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF TVET PRACTICES IN AFRICA AND NONAFRICAN COUNTRIES.
- Author
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Matu, Jeffrey B.
- Subjects
CONCEPTUAL models ,VOCATIONAL school students ,CULTURAL pluralism ,VOCATIONAL education ,SOCIAL capital ,TECHNICAL education ,SOCIALIZATION ,SOCIAL classes - Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to develop a systematic review on integrating cultural diversity and social capital dimensions in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) based on regional experience of Africa, Middle East and Northern Africa, and the Northern America, where specific countries from these regions, such as Germany, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, and the United States, were chosen. It analyzes the role of TVET in providing inclusive and equitable quality education and training to a diverse population for social mobility and economic opportunity. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) statement was used as a formal systematic review guideline for data collection. A functional, organizational, and political approaches (FOPA) model and cosmo-uBuntu were applied as a conceptual framework lens to review the literature on the development of cultural diversity and social capital dimensions in TVET. FOPA is a lens for examining how the relationship between TVET institutions, education stakeholders, including the private sector, and the government influences TVETs' ability to address community needs and contribute to economic growth. On the other hand, Cosmo-uBuntu is a humanitarian, theoretical, and solution-oriented approach to integrating cultural diversity and social capital into TVET that addresses issues of social justice in order to meet the needs of the community and contribute to economic development initiatives. Data was obtained from research studies and reports over the period 2000 - 2021. The analysis included a total of 662 documents from ERIC (ProQuest), ProQuest Education Journals, and CONFINTEA databases with resources for adult education and workforce education. The results show that there is a lack of shared understanding of the integration of cultural diversity and social capital dimensions of TVET education. In order to promote an inclusive and equitable education and training, it is essential to address some assumptions about the concept of cultural diversity and social capital - what it means and how it can support the sustainable development of a globally competent workforce. Findings indicate that TVET is aware of the importance of cultural diversity and social capital dimensions in education but lacks clarity on implementing it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
21. Multi-level governance of watersheds in Kenya under devolution framework: a case of Migori river watershed.
- Author
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Opiyo, Stephen Balaka, Opinde, Godwin, and Letema, Sammy
- Subjects
WATERSHED management ,EVIDENCE gaps ,SNOWBALL sampling ,SEMI-structured interviews ,JUDGMENT sampling ,WATERSHEDS - Abstract
A research gap exists in the understanding of multi-level governance for watersheds in Kenya under the current devolved framework. This paper uses the Migori River watershed as a case study to elaborate on the institutional arrangement in the management of the watershed and how it influences the nature and level of coordination among the actors involved. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and content analysis of secondary data. The target institutions were selected based on existing policy and legal frameworks, press releases, and published administrative reports. Respondents for the semi-structured interviews were identified through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The qualitative data was then analysed through content analysis. After analysis of the nature of coordination, a panel of experts rated each coordination dimension based on a comparison between the findings and the baseline indicators. The results on the structure and roles of institutions revealed adequate representation of the river basin management actors, but the associations among actors are weak due to overlapping mandates and gaps in the administration processes of river basin management programs. Coordination exists, but it is not all-encompassing; whereas efforts to collaborate were noted, they were inconsistent and tended to be on a per-need basis due to a lack of a common forum for stakeholder interactions and a common management plan for a clear vision and direction of actors' activities. There is an unclear delineation of roles in the institutional structure and thus causing institutional complexity, which further undermines coordination. To address the coordination gaps, the paper recommends the creation of a management council for the watershed to provide a central forum for the stakeholders' interaction, with a designated lead agency that organizes and facilitates meetings, oversees communications, and manages any emerging challenges, gaps and opportunities in collective actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Psychometric Properties of a Test Anxiety Scale for Use in Computer-Based Testing in Kenya.
- Author
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Wambua, Richard Mbithi, Mwaura, Peter A. M., and Dinga, Jotham N.
- Subjects
TEST anxiety ,PSYCHOMETRICS ,EXPLORATORY factor analysis ,RASCH models - Abstract
Test anxiety is a psychological variable that diversely impacts academic test performance. Test anxiety tools are developed to understand and predict its impact in different test settings. It is important to determine the reliability and validity of these tools to affirm the measures they provide. Additionally, where computers have been used in testing, there is a further need to assess the impact of test anxiety accurately. The purpose of this study was to find out the psychometric properties of the 10-item Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS) that was adapted for use in Kenya. The study also investigated the effect of test mode on test anxiety. The study sample comprised 424 male and female pupils in public primary schools in Nairobi, Kenya. In a between-groups experimental set-up, 208 pupils were assigned randomly to sit a computerbased science test, and 216 pupils were assigned to the paper-based version. The WTAS was thereafter administered to pupils in both groups. An analysis of the test anxiety tool revealed adequate internal consistency and person reliability estimates. The tool also fulfilled the key Rasch model assumptions of local independence. Though all the items fitted the Rasch model, three items had disordered categories. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two additional test anxiety factors. An independent sample t-test showed that test mode had a small and insignificant effect on test anxiety. The study recommended that future studies consider developing localized test anxiety tools rather than adapting from foreign sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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- View/download PDF
23. Democratization in Africa: Case study Kenya and Ethiopia.
- Author
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Osman, Sundus abdirisak, Yousaf, Sadi, and Rasool, Sheikh Waleed
- Subjects
DEMOCRATIZATION ,RESOURCE allocation ,REGIONAL cooperation - Abstract
This study applied the mixed approach on primary data. It is comprative study of democratic system in Kenya and Ethiopia. The developed theoretical framework prism of the two third world African Countries. The study explored the modules of the democracy in these neighboring east African states. Both nations have same colonial legacies and political mindset. It investigated causes behind post elections conflicts in these African nations and its effects. This paper explores the Democratization in Kenya and Ethiopia as third world countries, and provides a better understanding of the practical implementation of democratic principles in both Countries. The continuing wave of, as well as civil agitation carries spillover effects. It carried SWAT analysisThis paper advocates several recommendations Focus on Transparency Increase transparency and accountability in resource allocation to reduce insecurity and rebuild public trust. Both Kenya and Ethiopia need to strengthen their democratic institutions such as the judiciary and the electoral commission. Economic development is important, but it should not come at the expense of democracy. Regional Cooperation Encourage collaboration between Kenya and Ethiopia, along with other African nations, to share best practices in democratic governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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- View/download PDF
24. Localizing the solar value chain in Kenya?
- Author
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Davy, Elder, Hansen, Ulrich E., and Nygaard, Ivan
- Subjects
GLOBAL value chains ,VALUE chains ,SOLAR energy ,ENERGY industries ,CLIMATE change mitigation ,SOLAR houses - Abstract
The debate on the benefits of renewable electrification in late industrializing economies has mostly focused on improved electricity access and climate mitigation arguments. The literature pays less attention to understanding the opportunities for sustainable industrialization. This paper contributes to the latter with insights from a case study of Solinc East Africa, a Kenyan solar module manufacturer that has remained in the market, despite intense competition from imports of low-cost solar panels. Drawing on in-depth fieldwork in the solar energy sector in Kenya, we apply a global value chain framework to explore how and why Solinc has been able to sustain its business. Our findings highlight the challenges of localizing solar manufacturing in Kenya and suggest it may only be possible in rare instances. Specifically, a unique combination of circumstances and factors were revealed that enabled Solinc to gain several advantages including (i) initial access to knowledge and materials from upstream linkages; (ii) downstream integration and partnerships with key distributors and customers; (iii) close proximity to customers; and (iv) provision of complementary and increasingly high value-added services. Our findings present a more positive perspective on the localization of related services, which we argue deserves more attention in the sustainable industrialization debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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- View/download PDF
25. Effects of cash transfers on household resilience to climate shocks in the arid and semi arid counties of northern Kenya.
- Author
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Matata, Michael Joseph, Ngigi, Margaret W., and Bett, Hillary Kiplangat
- Subjects
CLIMATE change ,HOUSEHOLDS ,ARID regions ,POOR people ,TECHNOLOGY transfer ,COUNTIES - Abstract
Climatic events and other natural-related disasters experienced in the arid and semi-arid lands of northern Kenya negatively affect the pastoral livelihoods of the communities. Addressing vulnerability to climate shocks among pastoral communities of Kenya's Arid and Semi-lands presents a persistent challenge. Cash transfer programmes have increasingly grown as one mode of building household resilience. Understanding the role of cash transfer interventions on household resilience to climate shocks is key to policy programming. This paper aimed at determining the effects of cash transfers on household resilience to climate shocks. The paper evaluated the Hunger Safety Net Program, which is one of the largest unconditional cash transfer programs in Kenya. The Hunger Safety Net Program targeted poor people in northern Kenya including the counties of Turkana, Wajir, Marsabit, and Mandera. To establish the impact the paper compares households which received cash transfers with those that did not receive transfers. The panel fixed effects model was used to determine the effects of cash transfers on household resilience. The results indicate that cash transfers have positive significant effects on household resilience to climate shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Understanding democracy and ethnicity as the bane of Africa's political leadership: a case study of Kenya and South Africa.
- Author
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Motswaledi, Thabang R. and Rapanyane, Makhura B.
- Subjects
DEMOCRACY ,ETHNICITY ,POLITICAL leadership - Abstract
The specialty of African politics lies within its historical contents and background. The continent grew from strength to strength to attain its political development stronghold. By doing so over the years, the continent has been reflected in most states' political development stronghold. While in some states, religion and tribal alliances are critical factors in political affiliation, in states such as South Africa and Kenya, democracy and ethnicity have been the leading courses to political development. Democracy and ethnicity have proven to be part of the party identification and evaluation factors and have also become the center point of growth and development in the state's politics. Thus, by focusing on Kenya and South Africa as case studies, the paper adopted a qualitative method of research to understand democracy as well as ethnicity as the bane of these states' political development. Although much has been documented on either state's political development, little is understood about democracy and ethnicity as the bane of their political leadership from 1989 to 2021, which is the complete focus of the paper. The paper relied on qualitative research methodology to collect and analyze the data on democracy and ethnicity as the bane of Kenya and South Africa from 1989 to 2021. Therefore, the study relied on secondary sources such as accredited journal articles, books, and reports to collect and analyze data on the phenomenon at hand. Thus, the paper's main findings suggest that democracy and ethnicity are the strongholds of South Africa and Kenya's political leadership development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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27. Comparing the return on investment of technologies to detect substandard and falsified amoxicillin: A Kenya case study.
- Author
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Higgins, Colleen R., Kobia, Betty, and Ozawa, Sachiko
- Subjects
AMOXICILLIN ,RATE of return ,HIGH performance liquid chromatography ,MEDICAL screening ,NEAR infrared spectroscopy ,PUBLIC health ,TELEMEDICINE - Abstract
The prevalence of substandard and falsified medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is a major global public health concern. Multiple screening technologies for post-market surveillance of medicine quality have been developed but there exists no clear guidance on which technology is optimal for LMICs. This study examined the return on investment (ROI) of implementing a select number of screening technologies for post-market surveillance of amoxicillin quality in a case study of Kenya. An agent-based model, Examining Screening Technologies using Economic Evaluations for Medicines (ESTEEM), was developed to estimate the costs, benefits, and ROI of implementing screening technologies for post-market surveillance of substandard and falsified amoxicillin for treatment of pediatric pneumonia in Kenya. The model simulated sampling, testing, and removal of substandard and falsified amoxicillin from the Kenyan market using five screening technologies: (1) Global Pharma Health Fund's GPHF-Minilab, (2) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), (3) near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), (4) paper analytical devices / antibiotic paper analytical devices (PADs/aPADs), and (5) Raman spectroscopy. The study team analyzed the population impact of utilizing amoxicillin for the treatment of pneumonia in children under age five in Kenya. We found that the GPHF-Minilab, NIR, and PADs/aPADs were similar in their abilities to rapidly screen for and remove substandard and falsified amoxicillin from the Kenyan market resulting in a higher ROI compared to HPLC. NIR and PADs/aPADs yielded the highest ROI at $21 (90% Uncertainty Range (UR) $5-$51) each, followed by GPHF-Minilab ($16, 90%UR $4 - $38), Raman ($9, 90%UR $2 - $21), and HPLC ($3, 90%UR $0 - $7). This study highlights screening technologies that can be used to reduce costs, speed up the removal of poor-quality medicines, and consequently improve health and economic outcomes in LMICs. National medicine regulatory authorities should adopt these fast, reliable, and low-cost screening technologies to better detect substandard and falsified medicines, reserving HPLC for confirmatory tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. The Dynamics of Ethnic Conflicts and Problems of National Cohesion and Integration in Kenya 1963-2018.
- Author
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Nyamweno, Benson and Chepchieng, Mary C.
- Subjects
ETHNIC conflict ,ETHNICITY ,SOCIOECONOMICS ,COHESION - Abstract
Kenya like many of the African states is a multiethnic nation. Conflict always arises as a result of the unequal distribution of national resources among ethnic communities. While ethnicity has featured prominently in most studies on Kenya, the majority of them have used ethnicity to explain conflicts and political trends in the country. Very few studies have, however, focused on the efforts to promote national cohesion and integration in Kenya. The study argued that the challenge of identity in Kenya had been exacerbated by failure in nation-building and the creation of a national identity. This paper seeks to unearth how ethnic conflict in Kenya has impeded national cohesion and integration. In order to adequately answer the above subject under the study, the researcher will be led by this objective; to find out the extent to which dynamics of ethnic conflict have impeded national cohesion and integration in Kenya from 1963 to 2007. In order to adequately answer this objective, the study adopted a qualitative approach by critically analysing the available literature on the subject matter to reach a logical conclusion. The paper found that since its independence in 1963, Ethnic conflicts have been perfected and formed patronage that has been to the detriment of Kenya's nationhood. The paper concludes that unless there is political goodwill to reframe socioeconomic policies that would in turn lead to equitable distribution of national resources among all ethnic groups and tame human nature through instilling national ethos, the initiatives for national cohesion and integration will be in vain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Ethnicized Politics in Kenya.
- Author
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Ndung'u, Robert Maina
- Subjects
RESENTMENT ,COALITION governments ,POLITICAL party leadership ,PRESSURE groups ,STATE power ,PUBLIC demonstrations ,HUMAN rights violations ,POLITICAL violence - Abstract
This paper aimed at examining ethnicized politics in Kenya and their contribution to elections and public governance from independence to date. This paper looks into the historical context of ethnicized politics in Kenya and events that have entrenched this undesirable factor of Kenya political landscape from colonialization to date. The paper demonstrates how political elites take advantages over their ethnic groups to form political parties that enable them to occupy positions of leadership as tribal chiefs, As politicians they purport to advance their ethnic group’s political interest but their aim is to form governments and to consolidate power. The paper shows that ethnicized politics have led to marginalization of small tribes and their subsequent resentments that have resulted to major conflicts like the post elections violence of 2007, the conflicts witnessed in 2017 and the post elections tensions of 2022. Ethnicized politics have led to demonstrations and political violence in Kenya leading to loss of life and property, human rights violation and abuse of the rule of law. The paper recommends de-escalation of ethnicized politics and enhanced national cohesion. It advocates for granting of national jobs to individuals based on meritocracy rather than ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Targeting Cash Transfers on the "Poorest of the Poor" in the Slums: How Well Did the Kenya's Older Persons Cash Transfer Programme Perform?
- Author
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Chepngeno-Langat, Gloria, van der Wielen, Nele, Falkingham, Jane, and Evandrou, Maria
- Subjects
EVALUATION of human services programs ,CLINICAL trials ,ECONOMIC status ,POVERTY areas ,GOVERNMENT programs ,COMPARATIVE studies ,POOR people ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,AGING ,RESEARCH funding ,ENDOWMENTS ,GOVERNMENT aid ,NEEDS assessment ,LOGISTIC regression analysis ,OLD age - Abstract
In resource poor environments, identifying those most in need of limited available resources is challenging. Kenya's older persons cash transfer programme (OPCT) targeted at the most poor used a 2-stage targeting process to identify beneficiaries, combining community-based selection with a proxy means-test. This paper investigates whether the process "correctly" identified targeted vulnerable older people in Nairobi's informal settlements and whether receipt of the OPCT resulted in an improvement in perceived financial wellbeing. Regression results show that individuals with greater need were covered under the OPCT. Using propensity score matching, the paper evidences that the OPCT improved subjective financial wellbeing among beneficiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Proposing a Multi-Stakeholder Lens to Examine Global Community-Based Design Projects.
- Author
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Osgood, Libby (Elizabeth), Landrigan, Nick, and Peters, Wayne
- Subjects
NONPROFIT organizations ,DESIGN services ,ENGINEERING design ,EDUCATIONAL toys ,STUDENT projects ,FOSTER children - Abstract
One implementation of global, community-based engineering-student design projects invites students to engage in remote design practice. While it may not be feasible to physically bring an entire engineering design class to an international location for direct interaction between students and various stakeholders, a meaningful global experience can still be educational and beneficial for all stakeholders involved. Recognizing that the impact of community-based projects extends beyond just the students to numerous stakeholders, this paper proposes a multi-stakeholder lens to examine the roles, interactions, motivations, and responsibilities of stakeholders in a global, community-based design project. The lens was developed, in part, through a case study of a global design project that connected a first-year Canadian engineering design course, a rural Kenyan preschool, a non-profit organization, and additional stakeholders from both Kenya and Canada. The paper, authored by three stakeholders involved in the case study--the course instructor, a Canada-based community partner, and a design student--concludes with recommendations on how to incorporate global projects in a domestic setting. By adopting a multi-stakeholder lens, the focus shifts from being myopically student-centric to an inclusive experience for all stakeholders, fostering partnership in the design process and achieving a broader range of objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Lower extremity injuries secondary to road traffic accidents in East Africa: A systematic review.
- Author
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Ayotte, Steven, Dravid, Avi V., Mahmoud, Mattia A., Baldwin, Keith D., and Sheth, Neil P.
- Subjects
LEG injuries ,INJURY risk factors ,PREVENTION of injury ,ONLINE information services ,MOTOR vehicles ,TRAFFIC accidents ,MEDICAL information storage & retrieval systems ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,EFFECT sizes (Statistics) ,EPIDEMIOLOGY ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,WOUNDS & injuries ,MEDLINE - Abstract
Background: Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in East Africa. Lower extremity (LE) injuries are especially debilitating, negatively impacting quality of life and employment prospects. This systematic review characterizes the proportion of LE injuries due to RTAs in four members of the East African Community: Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Methods: Embase, Medline, Web of Science, and PubMed were queried for studies from 2010 to 2022 providing information on lower extremity injuries caused by RTAs in the countries of interest. Proportions of RTA-related LE injuries were extracted from eligible papers. Study quality and bias were assessed using the framework for systematic reviews established by Zaza et al.1 Results: Seven studies met the eligibility criteria--four for Kenya, two for Uganda, and one for Tanzania; however, no eligible studies were found for Rwanda. The proportion of RTA-related injuries affecting the lower extremities ranged from 0.39 to 0.49. In patients presenting with LE injuries, RTAs were the most frequent cause, representing more than 70% of cases in the examined studies. Motorcycle accidents were not more likely to cause LE injuries, but they were the most significant contributor to the overall LE injury burden due to their prevalence. Conclusions: With urbanization and the increased adoption of low-cost motorcycles, RTAs will continue to pose a public health challenge. Investments in traffic enforcement and physical infrastructure will alleviate the risks to both motorists and pedestrians. In addition to primary prevention, there is a significant need for improvements in emergency care and surgical capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Abusive behaviors: long-term forced quarantine and intimate partner violence during Covid-19 outbreak.
- Author
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Hosain, Md Sajjad and Jakia, Umma
- Subjects
INTIMATE partner violence -- Law & legislation ,DISMISSAL of employees ,HEALTH policy ,MIDDLE-income countries ,INTERVIEWING ,UNCERTAINTY ,MEDICAL care ,INTIMATE partner violence ,RISK assessment ,CRIME victims ,EXPERIENCE ,SPOUSES ,INCOME ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,SOCIAL isolation ,SOCIAL security ,PUBLIC housing ,LOW-income countries ,CASE studies ,FINANCIAL stress ,INTERPERSONAL relations ,STAY-at-home orders ,DEVELOPING countries ,COVID-19 pandemic ,POWER (Social sciences) - Abstract
Purpose: As Covid-19 became a pandemic, numerous people were forced to stay at home, leading to increased intimate partner violence (IPV) in many countries, particularly in developing and least-developed ones. This paper aims to highlight the IPV based on 15 different cases formed from the practical evidence of five developing countries. Design/methodology/approach: The authors interviewed 15 women from five countries who were the victims of IPV during the early periods of Covid-19 outbreak. Due to geographical remoteness, the authors conducted informal telephone interviews to collect the participants' personal experiences. The conversations were recorded with participants' permission; afterwards, the authors summarized participants' experiences into 15 different cases without revealing their original identities (instead, disguised names were used). Findings: It was revealed that the women were the primary victims of such violence, particularly from their intimate partners (husbands). In most cases, such IPV, as reported by the interviewees, originated or increased after the pandemic when they were forced to stay at home, losing their partners' jobs or income sources. Originality/value: The authors summarized the causes of IPV and put forward a few action recommendations based on the interviewees' practical experience and existing literature. This paper will open a new window for research investigations on IPV during emergencies such as Covid-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. From Securing the State Security to Regional Disorder: An Exploration of Instability in North Eastern Kenya.
- Author
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Awiti, Victoria Phildah, Wanyama, Fredrick Ouma, and Owiso, Michael Omondi
- Subjects
COLONIAL administration ,BORDER security ,LAW enforcement ,INSURGENCY ,UPLANDS - Abstract
From the colonial time to date, North Eastern Kenya has witnessed sporadic incidents of instability characterised by conflict and insecurity. Scholarly studies have attributed instability to state capacity that includes structural weaknesses such as inability to monopolize the use of violence, poor border controls and ineffective law enforcement. However, such studies do not explain why the state does not function to its optimal capacity in the region. This paper argues that instability in North Eastern Kenya is a deliberate creation of disorder by the state. Measures taken by both the colonial and post-colonial governments to secure their interests have subsequently rendered the region unstable. It argues that the colonial government in an attempt to secure the white highlands used the Northern Frontier District as a buffer zone with minimal investment. Similarly, the post-colonial government curved it out as a security zone to tame insurgency and denied it the necessary attention required to make it safe and secure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. The development of a smart political moral economy in Africa: discourse, legitimisation, disciplining, and hegemony.
- Author
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Bloom, Peter
- Subjects
IDEOLOGY ,POLITICAL development ,POWER (Social sciences) ,HEGEMONY ,DISCOURSE analysis ,VALUES (Ethics) - Abstract
Copyright of Critical African Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Impact of Computer-Assisted Language Learning on Kenyan Students' Achievement in English Pronunciation.
- Author
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Nyakirario, Isaac Orina and Barasa, Margaret Nasambu
- Subjects
COMPUTER assisted language instruction ,ACADEMIC achievement ,ACHIEVEMENT ,KENYANS ,ENGLISH language ,PRONUNCIATION - Abstract
This paper is part of a larger study examining the effects of Computer- Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on secondary school students' achievement in learning English pronunciation, which was carried out in December 2016 in Kenya. The paper seeks to determine the difference in English language pronunciation achievement between two groups of secondary school students in Gucha subcounty, Kenya: those taught using CALL and those taught using the traditional method. The content taught was the same, and while the experimental group was exposed to CALL method, the control group was taught through the traditional method. The two groups were tested prior to the implementation of CALL treatment. The findings revealed that CALL positively affects students' achievement in English pronunciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
37. Climate Change Adaptation for Food Security and Gendered-Land Rights in Western Kenya.
- Author
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Etale, Linda and Simatele, Mulala Danny
- Subjects
CLIMATE change adaptation ,FOOD security ,STATISTICAL sampling ,PROPERTY rights ,CULTURAL values - Abstract
This paper argues that for any community transformation to be achieved, cultural values and legal frameworks, which influence issues relating to land rights and food security, must form an integral part of any policy intervention efforts. We adopted feminism as both a methodological and an analytical framework. The dominant research paradigm was qualitative. The study sample was 184 people obtained using a systematic sampling method. Data collection was through focus groups and interviews. We challenge contemporary development initiatives, in terms of their intentions and sustainability. Finally, it is important that any development initiatives facilitate the participation and involvement of all genders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. "Will I Be Celebrated at the End of This Training?" Inclusive Research in Kenya.
- Author
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Wanjagua, Rachael W., van Heumen, Lieke, and Parker Harris, Sarah
- Subjects
INCLUSION (Disability rights) ,PEOPLE with intellectual disabilities ,RESEARCH assistants ,ATTITUDE change (Psychology) ,INTELLECTUAL disabilities ,ATTITUDES toward disabilities - Abstract
The development and practice of inclusive research with people with intellectual disabilities is complex, revealing challenges and lessons that inform innovative and novel methodological approaches. In Africa, inclusive research still lags for various reasons. First, due to societal misconceptions that portray people with intellectual disabilities as unable to self-advocate or as lacking agency and self-determination; second, due to a lack of trained researchers and ethics committees on inclusive research practices. This paper critically reflects on and discusses the strategies and methods used to conduct an inclusive research study in Kenya. The focus was on the methodological approach of including people with intellectual disabilities as researchers in Kenya. Two people with intellectual disabilities were trained as research assistants. This paper describes the experiences with Institutional Review Boards, the processes and experiences while training this research assistants using a UK-developed curriculum, and fieldwork experiences while piloting interview guides, conducting interviews, and conducting focus groups with this research assistants. This study findings indicate the need to culturally adapt co-researcher training, the importance of working with support personnel who empower researchers with intellectual disabilities, and the need for greater advocacy to change negative attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities that hinder their participation in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Reform from Within: Efforts by Kadhis' Courts in Kenya to Empower Muslim Women's Access to Matrimonial Property and Divorce Settlements Rights.
- Author
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Hashim, Abdulkadir
- Subjects
DIVORCE ,DIVORCE settlements ,MUSLIM women ,MARITAL property ,MANNERS & customs ,PROPERTY rights - Abstract
When the relationship ends through divorce or separation, Muslim married women risk losing their share of the matrimonial property and other marital rights after divorce. As a result, Muslim widowed women lose the rights to ownership, control, and access to properties they enjoyed during their marriage life. The application of Muslim personal law (MPL) in the Kadhis' courts in Kenya, similar to other jurisdictions, is highly dependent on social customs that to a great extent hinders women's access to their rights after divorce. Previously, Muslim women appearing before the Kadhis' courts in Kenya would persevere their marital sufferings and submit to patriarchal norms of male priority, authority, and power. Current religious underpinnings of MPL in the Kadhis' courts in Kenya demonstrate a continuing change in Muslim religious courts toward expanding Muslim women's access to justice. Neo-Kadhis are influenced by contemporary Muslim legal opinions and conventional legal trends and constitutional instruments such as the Constitution of Kenya 2010 that provides for gender equality, including equality in ownership of property, and prohibits the state from making laws that arbitrarily deprive a person of property or the enjoyment of the rights/interests over property on any discriminatory grounds. The Neo-kadhis are pioneering the reform process that adopts a progressive approach in responding to emerging legal issues related to women litigants' rights to matrimonial property rights and divorce settlements rights in the form of Mata'a (consolatory gift) as opposed to the prevalent Islamic traditional approach in Muslim religious courts. Influenced by conventional court decisions, recent cases decided by the Neo-Kadhis in Kenya consider wives' day-to-day household activities and monetary contributions in assessing matrimonial property rights after divorce. This paper examines the dynamics of the progressive approach adopted by the Neo-Kadhis in Kenya toward enhancing women's access to justice rights and gender relations in Muslim religious courts in Kenya and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Sustainable Human Resource Management and Sustainability: A Survey on Nairobi Securities Exchange Listed Companies, Kenya.
- Author
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Sang, Hellen W.
- Subjects
PERSONNEL management ,SUSTAINABILITY ,STOCK exchanges ,EMPLOYMENT - Abstract
According to IISD (International Institute for Sustainable Development) "sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". However, many organizations focus on short-term profits while the contribution of human resource management towards sustainable development is pushed to the margins. Intensive labour practices, poor working conditions and poor work systems in Kenya are some of the issues that have been found not to contribute towards sustainability in organizations and in keeping with the 8th sustainable development goal of Promoting "sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all". Lack of focus on sustainable human resource management practices will make it difficult for Kenya to achieve Vision 2030 as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-goals). Sustainable Human Resource management focuses on managing the people resources in an organization so as to achieve long-term sustainable goals that not only benefit the organization but also the society and the environment at large. This Paper is a literature review and analysis on sustainable Human Resource Management and its benefits to the employees, their families and society at large by exploring sustainable HR practices, sustainable work systems and sustainable resource management that also provide for the sustainable performance of organizations in keeping with the need for corporate sustainability. The paper also explores reporting on sustainable HRM practices as part of corporate sustainability reporting in Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Post-colonial Counter-memory in The Trial of Dedan Kimathi: (Re)membering the Demonized Hero and Subverting the Colonial Discourse.
- Author
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Khawaldeh, Imad M. and Bani-Khair, Baker M.
- Subjects
ANTI-imperialist movements ,BRITISH colonies ,HISTORY of colonies ,RESEARCH personnel ,FICTIONAL characters - Abstract
This paper examines how Kenyan novelist and playwright Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Zimbabwean playwright Micere Githae-Mugo have embarked on a dramatic counter-discursive project through their play The Trial of Dedan Kimathi (1976). The researchers argue that the play was intended to subvert the many colonial historical accounts about the figure of Kimathi and the Mau Mau revolutionary anticolonial movement. Drawing upon post-colonial criticism, this paper demonstrates how the playwrights use the heroic fictional character of Kimathi to counteract several historical and fictional colonial and contemporary postcolonial accounts about this controversial freedom fighter. Then, the paper goes on to examine the role of Ian Henderson (the British colonial police officer who participated in the manhunt for Kimathi and succeeded in capturing him in 1957) as a fictional character in the play. While many studies have demonstrated that The Trial of Dedan Kimathi rewrites the colonial history about Kimathi and the Mau Mau movement in Kenya, which was maintained by Ian Henderson and many other colonial writers, to the best of the researchers’ knowledge; previous studies have not presented a comparative examination of both figures of Henderson, i.e., the historical figure and the fictional one. Here, the researchers explain how through the inclusion of the character of Henderson as the antagonist of the play, the dramatists subvert Henderson’s actual written accounts about Kimathi and the Kenyan national movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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42. Adolescent perspectives on peripartum mental health prevention and promotion from Kenya: Findings from a design thinking approach.
- Author
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Kathono, Joseph, Nyongesa, Vincent, Mwaniga, Shillah, Obonyo, Georgina, Yator, Obadia, Wambugu, Maryann, Banerjee, Joy, Breuer, Erica, Duffy, Malia, Lai, Joanna, Levy, Marcy, Njuguna, Simon, and Kumar, Manasi
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MENTAL health promotion ,TEENAGE parents ,TEENAGE girls ,MATERNAL health ,TEENAGERS ,DESIGN thinking ,MENTAL health policy ,POSTPARTUM contraception - Abstract
In Kenya, approximately one in five girls aged 15–19 years old are pregnant or already a mother. Adolescent girls and young women experience significant mental health vulnerabilities during the pregnancy and postpartum periods, leading to poor antenatal and postnatal care attendance and inferior infant and maternal health outcomes. Pregnant adolescents often experience stigma and disenfranchisement due to their pregnancy status and at the same time lack access to mental health support within health settings, schools, religious institutions, and communities. This paper presents the results of qualitative interviews embedded within the human-centered design (HCD) process used to adapt the Helping Adolescents Thrive (HAT) program for Kenyan peripartum adolescents including young fathers. This qualitative study used two phases. First, a HAT advisory group participated in a series of four workshops to help identify and articulate mental health promotion needs and deepened the team's understanding of youth-centered thinking. Second, qualitative interviews were conducted with 39 pregnant and parenting adolescents to understand their perspectives on mental health prevention and promotion. Pregnant and parenting adolescents articulated different needs including poor support, stigma, and psychological disturbances. Parenting adolescents reported disturbed relationships, managing motherhood, poor health, and social empowerment. Participants highlighted sources of stress including economic challenges, fear of delivery, strained relationships, rejection, and stigma. Participants described psychological disturbances such as feeling stressed, worthless, withdrawn, and suicidal. Coping mechanisms reported by participants included engaging in domestic activities, hobbies, and social networking. Peers, family and spirituality were identified as important sources of support, as well as school integration, livelihoods, support groups and mentorships. Findings from this study can be used to strengthen and adapt HAT program, policy and practice for mental health prevention and promotion for pregnant and parenting adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
- Full Text
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43. Relationship between Cost of Sugarcane Production and Cost of Maize Production among Farmers in Nyanza Region in Kenya: Application of Structural Equation Modeling.
- Author
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Ochieng, Ben Jack Otieno and Onyuma, Samuel O.
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FOOD security ,STRUCTURAL equation modeling ,INDUSTRIAL costs ,ANIMAL feeds ,CASH crops ,FOOD crops - Abstract
Sugarcane is an essential crop globally due to its many dietary and commercial uses. In spite of the increased demand for sugarcane as an intermediate input for the production of animal feeds, bioethanol and food stuff, its significance on the livelihood of farmers in Kenya is mixed. There are sections of farmers uprooting this cash crop in favour of maize, a staple food, as a means to enhance their food security status. On the other hand, some policy pronouncement encourages the diversification of this cash crop by intercropping it with other staple food crops. The study was anchored on the agricultural production theory. Based on the application of correlation research design, this paper adopted the Structural Equation Modeling to analyze primary data collected from rural households in three Nyanza region counties of Homabay, Kisumu and Migori to establish the relationship between sugarcane and maize production from their corresponding cost of inputs (labor, land and capital). From the findings, as the cost of sugarcane production increases, the cost of maize production also increases significantly, though inelastic. This implies that mechanization of farm activities can act to reduce production costs. Enhancing sugarcane productivity will contribute significantly towards reducing production cost. Therefore, the government must closely monitor the spikes in cost of sugarcane production since this is bound to result in the cost of maize production also spiking exacerbating the problem of food insecurity. This paper therefore empirically contributes to understanding of the intertlinking complexity between the production structure of a cash crop (sugarcane) and food crop (maize), given their importance in food security in a developing economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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- View/download PDF
44. The period of insect research in the tropics: a bibliometric analysis.
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Moshobane, M. C., Khoza, T. T., and Niassy, S.
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BIBLIOMETRICS ,INSECTS ,WESTERN countries ,CITATION analysis ,HOMOPTERA - Abstract
The International Journal of Tropical Insect Science (Int J Trop Insect Sci) is a peer-reviewed journal established in 1980 to promote insect science mainly in the tropics. This study aimed to provide a Bibliometric overview of Int J Trop Insect Sci publications and citations between 2012 and 2020, ending September 2020. A sample of 488 documents extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) was analysed using widely used bioclimatic indicators. The articles were written by 1726 authors. During this period, the most productive authors comprised S Roy, followed by S Ekesi, S Subramanian and M Tamo. The dominant keyword was 'resistance', followed by 'Homoptera'. India took a leading position in Single Country Publications (SCP) while Kenya took the lead in Multiple Country Publications (MCP). Bibliometric analysis reveals vibrant collaboration between African and Western countries and active publication of multi-country authored articles. We conclude that there is an increasing trend for collaboration among different countries on the general topic of insect science. Research in insect science has the potential to impact both academic researchers and practitioners the knowledge use chain. This study will help researchers, journal editors, science policy makers managers, and others working in the biodiversity space and potential research gaps needing for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
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45. Effective climate finance coordination? Stakeholder perceptions, climate change policy implementation and the underlying political economy factors in Kenya.
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Omala, Millicent Apiyo, Kioko, Eric, and Gravesen, Marie
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- *
GOVERNMENT policy on climate change , *POWER (Social sciences) , *POLITICAL science , *THEMATIC analysis , *CLIMATE change ,DEVELOPING countries - Abstract
The last two decades have seen an increase in climate financing channelled to the Global South from multiple sources, putting a spotlight on climate finance coordination challenges in recipient countries. However, the climate finance coordination debate has largely been centred at climate finance provision at the global level. Emerging literature has called on recipient countries to establish effective climate finance coordination mechanisms. Yet, the calls have not clarified what accounts for an effective coordination mechanism. This paper addresses the gap by analyzing stakeholder perceptions of effective climate finance coordination in Kenya. Kenya has instituted a legal and institutional framework to guide climate finance coordination, but challenges of coordination persist. Using the political economy framework, the paper analyzes political economy factors influencing stakeholder perceptions and climate change policy implementation to identify political contestations that need to be reconciled. Data is drawn from relevant literature, 29 key informant interviews and 4 focus group discussions at the national level in Nairobi and at the sub-national level in Turkana County. Deductive thematic analysis is adopted for coding and analyzing data. Results indicate that different ideologies, interests, incentives, politics, power relations and contestation over resources largely influence stakeholder perceptions of an effective climate finance coordination mechanism and climate policy implementation. The operationalization of the National Climate Change Council and the National Climate Change Fund are the most contested. The paper calls on policy actors to reconcile political issues of contention for recipient countries to institute coordination mechanisms that gain ownership and widespread legitimacy from stakeholders. Underlying political economy factors including different ideologies, interests, politics, incentives, power relations and contestation over resources largely influence stakeholder perceptions of effective climate finance coordination as well as climate change policy implementation. The consequential political contestations need to be reconciled; otherwise, the established coordination mechanism is less likely to gain ownership and widespread legitimacy from climate change stakeholders. This calls for meaningful and extensive stakeholder engagements and consensus building to minimize contention, particularly over the operationalization of the National Climate Change Council and the National Climate Change Fund in Kenya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
- Full Text
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46. A gendered assessment of crop traits to improve breeding product design and uptake: the case of potato in Kenya.
- Author
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Mutiso, Janet Mwende, Mayanja, Sarah, Nyaga, John, Sinelle, Sophie, Renou, Camille, Onyango, Charles, Hareau, Guy, Polar, Vivian, Ashby, Jacqueline, and Okello, Julius Juma
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FORAGE ,PRODUCT design ,UNPAID labor ,SOCIAL scientists ,POTATOES ,PRODUCT improvement - Abstract
The study assesses the gender implications of a target product profile for table potato in Kenya. Breeding programs mostly emphasize farmers’ trait requirements and rarely pay attention to other value chain actors’ preferences. This partially contributes to the low uptake of improved varieties. Therefore, efforts are required to assess the gender implications of crop product profile proposals during development, testing, and dissemination. In this paper, we assess the gender implications of traits targeted by a potato breeding program in Kenya using the G+ tools. The study applies the G+ product profile tool to examine the instances the selected traits may exacerbate gender disparity along four domains: unpaid labor, access to employment opportunities, requiring extra inputs and control over benefits. We use mixed methods including a review by social scientists, key informant interviews and a multistakeholder workshop to gather insights from female and male farmers, breeders, and other stakeholders. Findings show that pest, disease resistance, and shelf-life traits benefit women and men in the target customer segments. On the other hand, earliness, dry matter, and yield could increase drudgery for women. The traits increase demand for women’s unpaid labor during harvesting, sorting and food preparation time while also displacing women from profitable nodes. We recommend that gender-responsive strategies accompany the release of the target variety to mitigate inequities and enhance adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
- Full Text
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47. Road Corridors as Real Estate Frontiers: The New Urban Geographies of Rentier Capitalism in Africa.
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Gillespie, Tom and Mwau, Baraka
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- *
URBANIZATION , *URBAN geography , *REAL property , *REAL estate sales , *CAPITALISM , *FARMS - Abstract
This paper draws on research on infrastructure‐led development and urbanisation in Nairobi to explore the new urban geographies of rentier capitalism in Africa. Under the banner of Kenya's Vision 2030 national development strategy, Nairobi's agrarian hinterlands have been transformed by major road building projects. These initiatives have catalysed a peri‐urban property boom characterised by the conversion of agricultural and ranching land into urban real estate and the verticalisation of road corridors. The paper identifies four processes of land transformation driving this real estate market expansion: commodification; speculation; autoconstruction; and assetisation. Adopting a multi‐scalar conjunctural approach, it argues that rentier capitalism in this context is spatialised through the dramatic extension of real estate frontiers along the route of peri‐urban road corridors. Development along these corridors assumes a “grey” character that defies conventional formal–informal distinctions, enabling the extraction of large rentier profits and encouraging the further proliferation of frontier spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Cooperation and Defection in the East African Community: The Role of Political Leadership Style and Regime Type.
- Author
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Mwatela, Raphael Z.
- Subjects
POLITICAL leadership ,POLITICAL systems ,POLITICAL community ,DEFECTION ,INTERNATIONAL economic integration - Abstract
This paper looks at the role of regime types and political leadership in influencing regional integration in the East African Community (EAC). Although the EAC is one of the most highly integrated Regional Economic Communities in Africa, and there are many instances where member states cooperate with decisions made at the EAC level to strengthen integration, in other instances members choose to defect from regional commitments. The study used secondary data sources to determine why this is so and employed game theory to understand the game of cooperation and defection among the players, who are the member states of the EAC. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were selected as case studies because they are the founding members of the EAC and are assumed to be most invested in deeper cooperation within the EAC. The study found that member states make conscious, calculated decisions to cooperate or defect on specific issues after gauging the costs and payouts associated with each action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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49. Sustainability reporting, board diversity, earnings management and financial statements readability: evidence from an emerging economy.
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Ndegwa, James Ndirangu
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SUSTAINABLE development reporting ,DIVERSITY in the workplace ,FINANCIAL management ,ACCOUNTANTS ,FINANCIAL statements ,EARNINGS management ,DUMMY variables - Abstract
Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the moderating effect of sustainability reporting on the relationship between the independent variables of board diversity, and earnings management and the dependent variable of readability of financial statements. Design/methodology/approach: The study panel data regression analysis involved 36 Kenyan-listed companies from 2016 to 2020. Findings: Key findings were that increased board diversity was found to significantly improve the readability of financial statements. Discretionary earnings management was found to significantly reduce the readability of financial statements. Sustainability reporting was found to significantly increase the readability of financial statements, and it moderated the relationship between board diversity, earnings management and financial statements readability in Kenya. Research limitations/implications: The study sample of 36 non-financial listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange was very small and was affected by the problem of thin trading; hence, caution should be adopted when interpreting the findings. Practical implications: The Capital Markets Authorities (CMA) as a policymaker should enforce sustainability reporting by Kenyan listed firms as there is evidence that the reporting enhances the readability of financial statements. The Institute of Certified Public Accountants as a policymaker should closely monitor the published financial statements of firms for earnings management and punish the perpetrators, as there is empirical evidence that the practice reduces the readability of financial statements. Social implications: Sustainability reporting is successful as a moderating variable between readability of financial statements and determinants of readability of financial statements. Originality/value: This study contributes to knowledge by studying sustainability reporting as a moderating variable between the independent variables of board diversity and earnings management and the dependent variable of readability of financial statements and measured sustainability reporting using a dummy variable for the period before and after the enactment and release of CMA code of 2016 on corporate governance that required sustainability reporting by Kenyan listed companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. The US military's malaria research in Kenya and the geopolitics of global health.
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UNITED States armed forces ,WORLD health ,MALARIA ,GEOPOLITICS ,STATE power ,HEALTH care networks - Abstract
The US Army Medical Research Directorate – Africa, also known as the "Walter Reed Project," is at the forefront of the US military's malaria research and surveillance practices. Since its establishment in Kenya in 1970, the Walter Reed Project's research capacity and infrastructure has significantly expanded, now placing it in a civilian‐led global health network. In this paper, I trace the development of the Walter Reed Project's malaria research and surveillance practices in Kenya from 1970 to today. I explore the geopolitical logics driving the Walter Reed Project's development, its growing infrastructure in Kenya, and its changing relationships with civilian institutes and global health networks. In doing so, I demonstrate the intersections between geopolitics and global health the Walter Reed Project reveals. The paper demonstrates how the Walter Reed Project brings geopolitical logics to bear on its collaborative global health research practices; how it reveals an often overlooked position of state power and geopolitics in mainstream global health networks; and how its health intervention sites in Kenya are points in a geopolitical topography of war‐making, connected to geographies of militarism, empire, and violence in disparate spaces. The paper reveals the attachments to war that underpin the military's global health engagement practices and that permeate mainstream global health networks and sites of health intervention. This paper traces the development of the US military's malaria research in Kenya from the establishment of its "Walter Reed Project" in 1970 to today. It explores the geopolitical logics driving its development, its growing infrastructure in Kenya, and its changing relationship with global health networks. In doing so, the paper demonstrates how the Walter Reed Project brings geopolitical logics to bear on global health research agendas; how it reveals an often overlooked position of geopolitical power in mainstream global health networks; and how its health intervention sites in Kenya are connected to geographies of war, empire, and violence across the US military's global footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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