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It was feared that the digital divide would deny citizens in developing countries opportunities for increased participation in politics through internet-enabled communication technologies. However, the divide has been bridged by citizens through the appropriation of Western technologies like internet access through mobile phones and cyber cafes. In fact, the difference between North and South in the use of the internet to participate in politics is quickly becoming unnoticeable, especially regarding the use of social media. This paper describes the unforeseen impact of the rapid adoption of social media in Africa, a continent that has been lethargic to other Western technological advances. The paper uses Anderson's (1991/1983) theory of imagined community and Billig's (1995) banal nationalism thesis to describe the role of social media groups in building banal nationalism, a process that unobtrusively legitimises the otherwise artificial nation-state. Through analysis of the activities of social media groups, the paper describes how, besides enabling the formation of social groups, social media has created a new sense of consciousness and deep attachment to the concept of a nation-state in Kenya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-government practices are universally acknowledged to promote service delivery to citizens. Earlier, public service delivery in Kenya was characterised by a slow pace of service delivery, corruption, and inefficient public service providers. This led the government to implement the Huduma Kenya Programme, comprising a one-stop e-government initiative that centralises public service provision under a single roof, using an integrated system approach. The one-stop-shop model is characterised by high demand for resources and various infrastructural requirements, which pose short- and longterm challenges for governments. This paper employs the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis methodology to evaluate the current status of Huduma centres in Kenya. An integrated literature review is used. This kind of review allows the integration of various contexts and discussions of the research topic. Hence, a manual search of purposively selected articles was carried out on various websites and databases, with the emphasis on the search terms: Huduma centres AND e-government SWOT analysis. The study randomly reviewed a total number of 37 articles. The study revealed that strengths and opportunities (such as political goodwill, egovernment regulatory framework, capacity-building and improved systems interoperability) could enhance the development of Huduma e-government initiatives. Weaknesses and threats that need to be mitigated, include fragmented infrastructure, lack of adequate ICT skills, multiple systems integration complication, and improving cyber security. The SWOT analysis is expected to contribute to the constant improvement of the services offered by egovernment initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public service delivery by county governments in Kenya is increasingly being recognised as a pillar of development and public engagement with citizens. Good records management practices ensure that county governments are efficient and accountable. County governments have, however, been riddled with mismanagement due to unprofessional practices that can directly be associated with deficient records management systems. This study aimed at determining the state of records management in relation to services offered by Uasin Gishu County in Kenya. Key findings indicated that Uasin Gishu County generated a lot of paper-based records. The state of records management at the county headquarters was poor, while service delivery practices were of low standards. The study concluded that the poor state of records management had contributed to inadequate service delivery, making the county government inefficient in meeting its objectives. The study recommends that Uasin Gishu County should adopt a comprehensive records management and service delivery model. Top county management should offer its support, records management standards should be adopted and adhered to, and the records system should be manned by professional staff. Research implications include the development of sound policies and pragmatic solutions that affect records management and consequently improve service provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of antenatal care is important in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. Mobile phones have demonstrated an increase in the use of antenatal care services. However, few studies have indicated the effectiveness of health education on antenatal care via mobile phone calls. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of health education on antenatal care provided through mobile phone calls among pregnant women in Kisii County, Kenya. A total of 160 pregnant women up to 26 weeks of gestation were recruited for the study from 16 sub-county health facilities (clusters) in Kisii County. The women were enrolled in their first visit and followed up until delivery. The sub-county health facilities were randomly assigned to either intervention or control arms. The intervention involved giving health education on antenatal care through mobile phone calls. All the participants in both study arms received routine antenatal care. However, those enrolled in the intervention sites additionally received health education through mobile phone calls. The primary outcome measure was antenatal care knowledge scores. Baseline and end-of-study questionnaires were used to collect data. Women in the intervention group scored highly in antenatal care knowledge post-intervention as compared to those in the control group, 7.87 (SE of the difference = 0.68, p-value < 0.001, 95% CI (6.53-9.20). Health education delivered through mobile phone calls has great potential in improving antenatal care knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a link between the broader subject of records management (RM) in Kenyan universities and the records management labour market in Kenya. It is always assumed that employers' input and review of an institution's curriculum typically produce better skilled, more knowledgeable employees who have a greater potential to succeed once they leave universities. This research aimed to identify the relevance of the undergraduate RM curriculum to the labour market in Kenya and to make recommendations on the areas that can be improved on in the curriculum. Undergraduate studies are the education level that shapes most professionals' career paths. The challenge of the high unemployment rate among Kenyans in general despite thousands of graduates coming out of universities each year also motivated this research. The contextual set-up of the study was Moi University, Kenyatta University, and five online job listing sites in Kenya. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously using online questionnaires and key informant interviews. The research sample of 56 comprised two key informants from records management departments of Moi University and Kenyatta University and 54 alumni graduates of records management from the two universities who were selected using snowball sampling, as well as 20 records management job advertisements. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and Atlas.ti software and are presented in tables, diagrams, and graphs. The research revealed that there is a need for more collaboration between the various stakeholders and that there is a strong link between university education and the performance of students in the job market; it also found a mismatch between the records management curriculum offered and the market demands. The mismatch was attributed to the theoretical nature of studies and the impact of information and communications technology on records management. The research further revealed that there is minimal consultation during curriculum review and that records management is not popular in the Kenyan labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]