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INFLUENCE OF CONTENT FRAMING ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEDIA AND AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION DISCOURSE IN KENYA
No full textAbstractAudience perception of wildlife conservation discourse in Kenya has been negative as evidenced in the
results of conservation efforts. The purpose of this study was to interrogate the moderating influence of
media content framing in the relationship between media and audience perception. The study employed
convergent parallel mixed methods design. The population in this study comprised of three groups
namely; sampled media practitioners in three media houses in Kenya; residents living next to national
parks in four out of the eight conservation areas in Kenya as delineated by Kenya Wildlife Service; and
park managers in the four sampled national parks. A questionnaire was administered to 83 human-wildlife
conflict resolution committee members. This generated quantitative data while qualitative data was
generated from interviews with 6 media practitioner, 12 park managers, and Focus Group Discussions
with 4 groups of human-wildlife conflict resolution committee officials each comprising of 8 participants
The study applied both qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques. Results indicated that half (50%)
of the total respondents from the three media houses focus on messages that can solve the conflicts that
exist between wildlife and human beings as a factor when framing wildlife conservation messages
touching on human-wildlife conflict. There was a general perception among participants that the media
tend to emphasize the interests of state (KWS) more than those of the common man, thus the view that
the media cannot fully be trusted to report matters from the perspective of the common man. This
undermines the role of the media in educating the audience to appreciate wildlife and therefore conserve
it. The study concludes that the target audiences are not satisfied with the manner in which these
messages are communicated. As the media highlight the plight of the wildlife, it should equally
communicate the plight of the communities. The study therefore, recommends more training of
journalists and park managers to enhance sensitive flaming and reporting of wildlife conservation
messages
Edible Plant Sprouts: Health Benefits, Trends, and Opportunities for Novel Exploration
Get PDFdoi.org/10.3390/nu13082882The consumption of plant sprouts as part of human day-to-day diets is gradually increasing, and their health benefit is attracting interest across multiple disciplines. The purpose of this review was to (a) critically evaluate the phytochemicals in selected sprouts (alfalfa, buckwheat, broccoli, and red cabbage), (b) describe the health benefits of sprouts, (c) assess the recent advances in
sprout production, (d) rigorously evaluate their safety, and (e) suggest directions that merit special consideration for further novel research on sprouts. Young shoots are characterized by high levels of health-benefitting phytochemicals. Their utility as functional ingredients have been extensively described. Tremendous advances in the production and safety of sprouts have been made over the recent past and numerous reports have appeared in mainstream scientific journals describing their nutritional and medicinal properties. However, subjects such as application of sprouted seed flours in processed products, utilizing sprouts as leads in the synthesis of nanoparticles, and assessing the dynamics of a relationship between sprouts and gut health require special attention for future clinical exploration. Sprouting is an effective strategy allowing manipulation of phytochemicals in seeds to improve their health benefits
Role of Participatory Communication in Influencing Men’s Behaviour Response to Prostate Cancer Screening and Treatment in Central Region of Kenya.
No full textAbstract on Men's behaviour response to prostate cancer screening and treatment.Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of death among men in the world.
Early screening is recommended as one of the prevention measures of the disease.
Screening can be encouraged by Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) strategies.
These strategies include mass media campaigns, participatory and interpersonal
communication, advocacy and message framing. In Kenya, the Central Region is one of
the leading regions in PCa prevalence rate. This study therefore examined the
participatory communication strategies used in influencing men’s behaviour response
towards PCa screening in the region by the Kenyan government. The study was guided
by Theory of Reasoned Action. It was anchored on the Pragmatist philosophical paradigm
and took a mixed method approach which involved both qualitative and quantitative
designs where Key Informant Interviews, Survey and Focus Group Discussions were
used to obtain data. A sample of 384 people was picked from an estimated population of
700,010 men aged 40 years and above from the region using simple random sampling.
Findings showed that although health workers and communication officials appreciated
the role of screening in containing the scourge, the two levels of Kenyan government
(County and National) did not put in place sound participatory communication strategies
for positive behaviour response to the disease. It is therefore recommended that effective
participatory communication strategies for behaviour change be put in place and an
annual budget allocated by the governments for this purpose
Hadhira ya ushairi huru wa Kiswahili ni ipi ?
Get PDFMakala hii inaangazia mustakabali wa hadhira katika upokezi wa
ushairi huru wa Kiswahili. Mwanzoni mwa miaka 1970, ushairi huu
ulijitokeza kwa kasi na ulituhumiwa kwa kutozingatia arudhi za
kimapokeo. Watunzi wa awali wa ushairi huu walikuwa wataalamu
wa lugha na wahakiki wa fasihi; waliotoa maelezo muhimu kuhusu
dhana na sifa za ushairi wa Kiswahili. Kabla ya miaka 1960, ushairi
wa kimapokeo ulikuwa umesambaa na umezoewa katika jamii.
Kujitokeza kwa ushairi huru kulisababisha watunzi na hadhira
kugawanyika katika makundi: lile linalojinasibisha na arudhi, lile
lisilojinasibisha na arudhi, na lile linalojinasibisha kwa kiasi na
arudhi hizo. Katika miaka ya 1970, waliouendeleza zaidi ushairi huru
walikuwa ‘vijana’ waliobahatika kupata elimu ya juu katika taaluma
ya fasihi na walitarajia kuchangia katika ufafanuzi wa dhana na sifa
za ushairi wa Kiswahili kwa ujumla. Swali linalofafanuliwa katika
makala hii ni: kwa nini ushairi huru wa Kiswahili ni kivutio cha
wataalamu wa lugha na wahakiki wa fasihi? Nadharia ya Semiotiki
imetumika kufafanulia matini za lugha kama viishara na viashiria
vinavyohitaji kufasiriwa. Data ya uchanganuzi ilitokana na upitiaji
wa mashairi katika diwani teule za mashairi ya Kiswahili. Aidha, data
nyingine ilitokana na usaili na hojaji kwa wanafunzi wa vyuo vikuu na
wataalamu wa lugha na fasihi
The Role of Incubator Classification on Performance of Incubators in Kenya.
No full textRole of incubator classification on performance of incubatorsThe study sought to assess the importance of classifying incubators based on the programs offered for optimum performance. Client selection criteria were assessed through three constructs namely: models that fit program goals, uniqueness of ideas, and standard selection tool. A mixed cross-sectional and causal design was adopted and a census was carried out targeting all the 51 incubators. Primary data was collected with an incubator program as a grouping/ cluster variable yielding a multilevel data structure with incubator centres nested in programs. Linear mixed effect models were fitted using Stata to assess the study objective taking into account the fixed effects for the incubator centre level (level-1) and random effects for the program level (level-2). The uniqueness of ideas was found to have a significant fixed effect on performance at level one while at level two, the study found significant random intercepts of incubator centre performance across the programs. Models that match program goals and standard selection tools were also found to have significant random slopes as level two random covariates in the model. Based on the findings of significant random slopes, the study concluded that incubator classification is key for client selection criteria and enhances incubator performance. Key Words: Incubator Center, Classification, Client Selection Criteria; Multi-level
Naïve plant communities and individuals may initially suffer in the face of reintroduced megafauna: An experimental exploration of rewilding from an African savanna rangeland
No full textExcluding large native mammals is an inverse test of rewilding. A 25-year exclosure experiment in an African savanna rangeland offers insight into the potentials and pitfalls of the rewilding endeavor as they relate to the native plant community. A broad theme that has emerged from this research is that entire plant communities, as well as individual plants, adjust to the absence of herbivores in ways that can ill-prepare them for the return of these herbivores. Three lines of evidence suggest that these “naïve” individuals, populations, and communities are likely to initially suffer from herbivore rewilding. First, plots protected from wild herbivores for the past 25 years have developed rich diversity of woody plants that are absent from unfenced plots, and presumably would disappear upon rewilding. Second, individuals of the dominant tree in this system, Acacia drepanolobium, greatly reduce their defences in the absence of browsers, and the sudden arrival of these herbivores (in this case, through a temporary fence break), resulted in far greater elephant damage than for their conspecifics in adjacent plots that had been continually exposed to herbivory. Third, the removal of herbivores favoured the most palatable grass species, and a large number of rarer species, which presumably would be at risk from herbivore re-introduction. In summary, the native communities that we observe in defaunated landscapes may be very different from their pre-defaunation states, and we are likely to see some large changes to these plant communities upon rewilding with large herbivores, including potential reductions in plant diversity. Lastly, our experimental manipulation of cattle represents an additional test of the role of livestock in rewilding. Cattle are in many ways ecologically dissimilar to wildlife (in particular their greater densities), but in other ways they may serve as ecological surrogates for wildlife, which could buffer ecosystems from some of the ecological costs of rewilding. More fundamentally, African savannah ecosystems represent a challenge to traditional Western definitions of “wilderness” as ecosystems free of human impacts. We support the suggestion that as we “rewild” our biodiversity landscapes, we redefine “wildness” in the 21st Century to be inclusive of (low impact, and sometimes traditional) human practices that are compatible with the sustainability of native (and re-introduced) biodiversity
Analysis of Corruption Risky Areas in Public Secondary Schools in Nyandarua and Nakuru Counties in Kenya
Get PDFCitizens and stakeholders in education continue to express great concerns regarding the
escalating cases of academic dishonesty, misappropriation and misuse of resources in education in the world and
Kenya in particular. Corruption activities manifest themselves in all areas of education especially in teaching
and learning processes, academic dishonesty, and utilization of educational resources as well as in the
development of policies.The purpose of this study was to analyse the corruption risky areas in public secondary
schools in Nyandarua and Nakuru Counties in Kenya. Specifically the study sought to establish the corruption
risky areas in public secondary schools and compare the levels of corruption in public secondary schools in
Nakuru and Nyandarua counties in Kenya. The study tested the null hypothesis that there is no statistically
significant difference in corruption risky areas in public secondary schools in Nyandarua and Nakuru Counties.
The descriptive survey research design was used to guide the study. The target population for the study
comprised all secondary school principals, heads of departments and bursars. The sample size was determined
using the Cochran sampling formula which yielded a total of 321 respondents. Data was collected using a
questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were used to analyse data with the aid of the Statistical Package
for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Results of the study revealed thecorruption risky areas in public
secondary schools as thecharging of extra levies, teachers missing lessons, unreported teachers absenteeism,
falsification of information on student enrolment data and irregular procurement of goods and services.
Hypothesis testing revealed that corruption risky areas in public secondary schools in Nakuru and Nyandarua
Counties were largely similar, thus the null hypothesis (Ho1) was accepted. The study recommended the need to
broaden the scope of school auditing to cover all areas of academic life as opposed to the current practice that
only focuses majorly on financial management
Effects of Land Use Change on Banana Production:A Case Study of Imenti South Sub-County of Meru County in Kenya
Get PDFMost high agricultural potential regions in Kenya such as Imenti South (Meru County) have exceeded their population density and have been associated with sharp decline in farm productivity. There has been a systematic transformation of land use for banana production in the area. This has led to reduction in land acreage under other crops and increase in land acreage under banana farming. This study focused on land use and banana production trends between the years 2000 to 2019 in Imenti South. To achieve the objective, the study used mixed research design that involved qualitative and quantitative approaches. A sample size of 377 respondents was identified using simple random sampling. Banana yields and land acreage data were obtained from Imenti South Agricultural office for the study period. The mainresearch instruments were questionnaires for households and key informants. Majority of the respondents (72%) in the study region admitted to have changed the land use and type of crops they have been farming during the study period whereas 28% changed from other crops to banana farming. Land acreage and banana production have been increasing during the study period in the area. The study revealed there is positive and statistically significant relationship (r = .617; p = .004) between land under banana and production. The study recommends that stakeholders in County governments should establish departments that independently identify, analyses, monitor and educates the famers on the new technologies that improves and increases banana productio
A Framework for Effective Information Security Risk Management: In Kenyan Public Universities
No full textEffective information security risk management in Kenyan Public UniversitiesWith the universities increasingly depending on information and communication technology to
execute their core operations and functionalities, their exposure to growing cyber threats is inevitable and
hence unprecedented security risks. With the security risks reportedly growing day by day many universities
are reported to be unable to effectively respond to or guard against them. The study objectively sought to
determine the security requirements which were important for asset protection in the Kenyan public
universities, establish currently implemented security practices, identify vulnerabilities and threats to assets,
establish the risk control measures, and develop an effective information security risk management framework
for Kenyan public universities. The target population was Kenyan public chartered universities, which were
clustered into two, and simple random and purposive sampling techniques were employed for sample selection.
The questionnaires were administered to the information and communication technology professionals in the
universities. The results indicated that accountability and authenticity were established as strong and
important security requirements to incorporate in universities security risk evaluations, with mean values of
4.62 and 4.85 respectively out of the possible value of 5 and they had high factor loading into the extracted
component of 0.951 and 0.908 respectively. Further, the universities were aware of the risks they were facing,
which should have informed their protection strategies and their risk mitigation plans. However, there was
notable deficiency in implementation of controls, which would match the identified risks and therefore, the
adoption of the proposed framework would assist universities address the deficiencies identified and reduce if
not eliminate the susceptibility to the information security risks
Participatory Communication Strategies Used in the Implementation of Public Water Projects in Murang'a County, Case Study of Northern Collector Tunnel, Kenya.
Get PDFFulltextDevelopment communication plays a major role in informing and influencing the behavior of the receiver of information. Effective development communication motivates people to participate in planned activities, changing the behavior and attitudes of people and empower them tofocus on interactions between different stakeholders to address a common problem. Community involvement is a very important aspect in implementation of any project. Without community buy-in, a project may never get off the ground or will not be accepted once it is completed. Community involvement is regarded as a nuisance and is ineffectively addressed,or there is a lack of knowledge as to how to engage the community. Either way, the results can be disastrous and would lead to delays in construction, loss of money, filing of law suits, disgruntled citizens providing negative comments to the media or non-acceptance of the revitalization project, the very thing that was supposed to be remedied. The study sought to establish Participatory Communication Strategies used in implementation of public water projects in Murang'a County, study of Northern Collector Tunnel. The Study was anchored on the theory of Kinkaid Convergence Model of Communication. The design was descriptive survey. Target population was 192,589 households. Krejcie and Morgan sampling formula was used to arrive at 384 respondents. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that participatory communication strategies play a critical role in the implementation of public water projects. The study recommends the involvement of community grouping, meeting with opinion leaders and the use of various media platforms including radios, local newspapers, and television and billboard illustration will go a long way in facilitating the successful implementation of Northern Collector Tunnel project