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From Boardrooms to Biospheres: What Climate Change Communication Can Learn from Organizational Change Communication
No full textConference PaperClimate change communication continues to grapple with behavioral inertia, cognitive overload, and public disengagement, barriers that closely mirror those faced in communicating organizational change processes. This paper examines how communication models from organizational change can inform and enhance climate change communication, particularly by deepening understanding of how individuals process information about novel phenomena that tend to precipitate uncertainty. Grounded in Weick’s (1995) Sensemaking Theory, the paper argues that climate narratives must do more than convey facts, they must help audiences construct meaning under conditions of ambiguity. In organizational contexts, successful change is often driven not by top-down directives but by communication that enables co- constructed understanding and psychological safety. Similarly, Berger and Calabrese’s (1975) Uncertainty Reduction Theory explains how the clarity, timing, and interpersonal nature of messaging reduces resistance to change. Helpap and Schinnenburg (2018) identify three critical dimensions of effective communication change: informative, empathic, and participatory. These elements strongly align with the demands of climate storytelling. Recent studies reinforce the relevance of this approach. For instance, Abrantes, Bakenhus & Ferreira (2024) argue that emotionally attuned, participatory communication by leadership enhances adaptability in complex change contexts. Madsen (2022) likewise underscores how participatory approaches elevate engagement and action during change initiatives. Both offer transferable insights for climate communication, where fostering public ownership and agency is essential. This paper calls for a reframing of climate communication through the lens of organizational change communication.Daystar Universit
Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Growth among General Service Unit Officers in Nairobi, Kenya
No full textMASTERS in Clinical PsychologyThis study investigated the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Post- Traumatic Growth (PTG), alongside the coping strategies employed by officers of the General Service Unit (GSU) in Nairobi, Kenya. The research addressed a critical gap in the literature concerning these phenomena within the GSU's unique operational and cultural context. Grounded in the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and Post-Traumatic Growth Theory, the study adopted a cross-sectional, mixed-methods correlational design. A sample of 115 GSU officers was selected from an initial 120 distributed questionnaires (95.8% response rate) using cluster and quota sampling. Data were collected using validated self-report instruments (PCL-5, PTGI-X, Brief COPE) and semi-structured interviews with five psychosocial support workers. Results revealed that 39.1% of officers met the clinical threshold for probable PTSD, with emotional reactivity, avoidance, and hypervigilance as the most prominent symptoms. Remarkably, 84.3% of officers reported significant PTG, with spiritual and existential domains scoring highest. Officers predominantly employed problem-focused coping, but approximately 30% also engaged in substance use. The study found a weak to moderate positive correlation between PTSD and PTG (r = 0.287, p = 0.002). Qualitative findings confirmed multifaceted trauma exposure and identified significant barriers to formal support, including stigma and confidentiality concerns. The study concluded that GSU officers experienced a substantial psychological burden yet demonstrated remarkable resilience. Recommendations included establishing comprehensive mental health support systems, implementing routine psychological screening, and developing targeted substance abuse prevention programs. The research also emphasized the development of a national police mental health policy.Daystar Universit
Factors Associated with The Development of Generalized Anxiety Disorder among Students in Public Boarding Schools: A Case of Kikuyu Sub-County in Kiambu County
No full textMASTER OF ARTS in Clinical PsychologyThis study investigated the factors associated with the development of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) among students in public boarding schools in Kikuyu Sub-County, Kiambu County. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed, targeting 315 students in Forms 2–4, since in 2025, Form 1 students were not admitted under the 8-4-4 system as it was being phased out by the Kenyan Government to Competency-Based Education. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire incorporating the GAD-7 scale and analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multiple regression. Guided by Attachment Theory, Stress and Coping Theory, and Ecological Systems Theory, the study found that 34.2% of students experienced moderate to severe GAD symptoms, with females and younger adolescents disproportionately affected. Significant predictors included academic pressure, family relationships, social interactions, gender, and age. Coping strategies relied heavily on informal mechanisms such as peer support and relaxation techniques, while awareness and utilization of professional mental health services remained limited. The study concludes that GAD is a pressing mental health challenge in Kenyan boarding schools, particularly in the context of structural educational transitions. It recommends integrating school-based mental health services, strengthening psychosocial support, and implementing policy reforms that reduce systemic stressors and build resilience among adolescents.Daystar Universit
Talking to Trees: A Discourse Analysis of Media Reports on Indigenous Practices Among the Ogiek and Kuria of Kenya to Mitigate Climate Change
No full textConference PaperThey talk to trees and give them ancestral names, revering them as sacred treasures that sustain their generations and are intertwined in their cultural practices. The Ogiek and Kuria are among Kenya’s cultural communities that have sustained their indigenous practices to mitigate climate change. Although these practices are recognized as significant sources of local knowledge and as an alternative community climate change mitigation, they are slowly diminishing or overtaken by privileged discourses. This paper investigates the place of indigenous environmental practices, their articulation and ranking within media discourses on climate change. The objective is to unravel the framing of indigenous knowledge systems, their legitimization or suppression in climate reportage. The paper uses a discourse analysis of textual sources, such as grey literature, media depictions, and community narratives. The findings expose variant levels of indigenous ecological knowledge as well as challenges in integrating the practices into media discourses on climate change. Narrative patterns suggest an inclusion and exclusion of certain voices thus suggesting epistemological conflicts, hegemonic relations, and dominance in environmental governance. This study emphasizes the significance of indigenous practices as key to climate change. It highlights the need for the media to articulate indigenous voices in climate change policy framework.Daystar Universit
Climate Finance Landscape in Kenya: A German International Corporation (GIZ) Multi-faceted Survey
No full textConference PaperThis research addresses these gaps in climate finance in Kenya through a dual approach. First, it analyses Kenya's climate finance architecture to identify opportunities in the media sector through policy reviews, financial flow mapping (drawing on OECD-CPI and FLLoCA datasets), and stakeholder consultations with media representatives, policymakers, and donors. Second, it implements practical capacity building via a Climate Change Masterclass for journalists, building on previous GIZ-Kenya Editors' Guild collaborations that developed training materials and institutional partnerships. The study's significance is multifaceted. It establishes the first evidence base for media-specific climate financing in Kenya, while strengthening policy alignment with NCCAP and Paris Agreement commitments. The research develops sustainable funding models to transition media organizations from ad-hoc donor dependency and enhances gender-responsive climate reporting. Crucially, it bridges the knowledge gap between climate finance mechanisms and media practitioners, enabling more strategic engagement. By combining rigorous research with hands-on training, this initiative empowers Kenyan media to evolve from passive observers to active participants in climate adaptation. The study will employ a convergent mixed-methods design (Creswell & Creswell, 2018), which strategically combines qualitative and quantitative methods to provide a comprehensive assessment of climate finance accessibility in Kenya's media sector. This approach incorporates innovative techniques across six key components to ensure robust and practical findings.Daystar Universit
Assessing Traders’ Engagement with Solid Waste Awareness Messages: Cognitive and Behavioral Responses at Wakulima (Marikiti) Market, Nairobi County
No full textMASTER OF ARTS in CommunicationSolid waste is a global phenomenon which is listed by the United Nations among global objectives under the Sustainable Development Goals set to address challenges facing the world. One of the targets of the SDGs is sustainable waste management practices to reduce adverse impact on the environment and make cities and communities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities. Solid waste management is therefore a human development issue requiring global effort to address. Whereas public awareness and participation are identified as key elements in solid waste management, it has been noted that awareness initiatives on solid waste management practices are hampered by a lack of sustained engagement, limited access to information, and entrenched behaviours. The purpose of this study is to assess traders’ engagement with solid waste awareness messages: cognitive and behavioral responses at Wakulima (Marikiti) market, Nairobi County. Specifically, the study sought to assess traders' exposure of awareness messages on solid waste management at the market, assess the attitudes of traders toward the sources and formats of awareness messages being disseminated at the market, assess the influence of awareness messages on traders’ waste management behaviors and intentions and to assess how awareness messages on solid waste management can be designed to improve understanding among traders at the market, who were the target population of the study. The study was guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour and used a convergent parallel mixed method. Primary data was collected using questionnaires and interview guides. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS software and the results were presented using descriptive results. The study concluded that Traders at Wakulima Market are exposed to a variety of awareness messages on solid waste management through a combination of digital and community-based channels, designed to address the market’s solid waste management. The attitudes of traders toward the sources of awareness messages on solid waste management are shaped by trust, accessibility and relevance, with varying levels of acceptance. Awareness messages on solid waste management have had a measurable but uneven influence on traders’ behaviors and intentions, driven by the practical constraints and socio-economic realities of the traders. Designing awareness messages on solid waste management for traders requires a focus on simplicity, cultural relevance and practical applicability to enhance understanding. The study recommends that to enhance traders' exposure to awareness messages on solid waste management, a multi-channel, trader-centric approach is advisable to overcome the barriers of overcrowding, time constraints and varying literacy levels among the traders. The study further recommends that Nairobi City County should design a strategy emphasizing trust, interactivity and alignment with traders’ daily realities. Awareness messages should be strategically crafted to be concise, practical and incentivized targeting the traders’ daily routines and socio-economic realities. The study recommends that county government should awareness messages design with clarity, cultural relevance and interactivity, tailored to the needs of traders in a crowded, fast-paced environment.Daystar Universit
The Mediating Role of Organizational Transformation on The Relationship Between Strategic Leadership and Performance of Agribusiness Companies Listed at Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya
No full textJournal ArticleIn the face of continuous shifts in the business landscape and intensifying competition, organizational transformation serves as a critical catalyst, enabling strategic leaders to drive and enhance organizational performance. Studies investigating the relationship between strategic leadership and organizational transformation suggest that their interaction generates significant synergy. However, very little empirical research has been conducted to evaluate the direct relationship between strategic leadership, organizational transformation and performance. This study sought to evaluate the mediating role of organizational transformation on the relationship between strategic leadership and the performance of agribusiness companies listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya. The study was anchored on Transformation Leadership Theory and employed a mixed research method research design. The target population consisted of all the management staff in all the six agribusiness companies listed at the NSE in Kenya. The respondents were the directors, heads of departments or functions, middle-level managers and supervisors, totalling to 120 participants. Data was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics and inferential analysis through multiple regression analysis. The robustness of the model was tested by the use of R2, to test the significance of the model, F- statistic was computed at a 95% confidence level and to determine the significance of the variables, p-values were used at 0.05 significance level. Baron and Kenny's four-approach method was used to test the mediating effect of organizational transformation on the relationship between strategic leadership and the performance of agribusiness companies listed at the NSE, Kenya. The results indicated that strategic leadership had a significant positive effect on the performance of agribusiness companies listed on the NSE and organizational transformation had a moderate effect on the relationship between strategic leadership and performance
Psychosocial Services to Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors in Kenya: A Critical Review.
No full textWorking PaperChildhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a form of Gender Based Violence that violates not only the dignity of the abused child but also robs the very core of human existence. It is a community abomination and a crime against humanity. Psychosocial support facilitates faster healing from the abuse. This paper sought to assess the Psycho-Social Services offered to Male Child Sexual Abuse (MCSA) survivors in Kenya through a critical analysis of existing literature on the topic.
The objective was to review the literature on the psychosocial Support Services offered to MCSA Survivors and to assess the implications on the community's response to MCSA in Kenya. Data was collected by conducting a critical review of qualitative, quantitative and meta-analysis articles and publications. Data was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively and the results were presented thematically. The findings of the study revealed that although there were established rules, guidelines and measures to protect and support male child survivors of sexual abuse, in practice, many program interventions were inclined towards the girl child. Counselling services, setting up long-term support mechanisms and creating a protective environment for the child were also inclined towards the girl child. In terms of community response to male child sexual abuse, the whole society's approach was recommended to prevent the escalation rates of the abuse in Kenya. This will help improve the psychosocial well-being of male child sexual abuse survivors and society in general. The study recommended that deliberate efforts should be made to isolate specific intervention programs and resources for male child sexual abuse. Policies should also be reviewed to include specific guidelines for the male child sexual abuse victims
Socio-Economic Factors Affecting Documentary Films Distribution: A Case of Select Independent Documentarians in Kenya
No full textMasters ThesisDocumentary films are valuable educational resources that facilitate conversation and highlight critical issues in an engaging manner, thereby contributing to social, economic, and political development by fostering critical thinking. However, effects of socio-economic factors on documentary film distribution is unclear. The study aimed to identify the distribution channels used by Select Independent documentarians, to explore the socio-economic factors influencing the distribution of documentary films, and establish the relationship between these factors and documentary film distribution in Kenya. The study adopted an exploratory research design to obtain new insights, expand knowledge, and uncover new ideas on the phenomenon. Interview guides and FGDs were used to collect the data. The study revealed documentary film distribution channels include digital platforms like Boomplay, Netflix, Multichoice, Sponsored Ads, YouTube, Acquisition, Amazon, Social Media/Marketing, NGOs, and Showmax. However, the study revealed Kenya has a limited distribution of documentary films. The study revealed social factors like education, age, gender, and social status significantly influence documentary film distribution, while economic factors like income aspects, ticket prices, and funding network also play a role in documentary film distribution. Further, ineffective film policies negatively impact documentary film distribution, while a lack of funding significantly hinders its distribution. The study recommended structured distribution channels, training for documentarians, and funding for film structures by the National and County governments. Further, the study suggested to explore other factors affecting Kenyan documentary film distribution.Daystar Universit