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Household Land Size And Use For Sustainable Food Security In Maize Farming
No full textThe growing population and the increased family lineage have been unstoppable over the years evidenced by the national census and population projections. This has encouraged the subdivision of land to accommodate the increasing households which have led to the reduction of land sizes and the changes in the land usage. There has been a need to assess the household land sizes and uses and its effect on food security in order to provide solutions to the frequent problems of hunger and over dependency on the government to provide relief food aid and avoid malnutrition and resultant deaths.
The objectives of the study were to examine the current household land sizes and usage in the study area while assessing its impacts on food production and security. Analysis was done on the factors that influence the size and usage and take into consideration the processes of intergenerational transmission of land rights and usage. The study sought to assess the impact of land size and use on food security in the maize farming system of Uasin Gishu County using Leseru sub-location in Kamagut ward as a case study. Uasin Gishu County is one of the country’s major food baskets and a leader in maize production due to its reliable rainfall patterns and productive land. The study targeted 1016 households in Leseru sub-location, Uasin Gishu County that have lived in the area for a period not less than three (3) years. The study used the survey method whereby data was obtained through household and 10 key informant interviews, observations, 3 focus group discussions, photography and review of existing documents. A sample size of 152 people was used and a sampling method which involved purposive sampling, convenient sampling as well as simple random sampling was applied in selecting the case study, formulating clusters and administering household questionnaires respectively.
The findings from the study enumerated that majority of the land holding sizes ranged between 2-5 acres with the land usage being agricultural particularly maize farming. The impacts of land sizes were that the households with larger land sizes had better chances of food security whereas mechanization and economies of scale played a key role in food production. Population growth and the geographical location of the land are some of the factors that influenced the size and use of land. The study presented models indicating the settlement pattern which affected land sizes and usage which include scattered, linear, clustered and communal settlement model. The hypothesis of
the study concluded that there was no significant relationship between the household land size and food security in the study area whereas a significant relationship was found between land usage and food sufficiency. The recommendations of the study were to implement the communal settlement model, consider doing appropriate zoning, implementation of the national land use policy and government consideration to provide subsidies and incentives to the farmers
Modelling Fatalities Associated With Road Traffic Accidents And Other Factors Using Poisson Model
No full textAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2018), 1.35 million people died in
2016 on the world’s roads, with road tra c injuries being the leading cause of death for
children and young adults aged 529 years.
Road tra c injuries is ranked 8th in the leading causes of death for all ages in 2016.It
surpasses those dying from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and diarrhoeal diseases although the
political commitment and nancial investments in road safety is only a fraction of that
made to combat these diseases (WHO, 2018).
The objectives of the study were to determine factors associated with fatal Road Tra c
Accidents (RTAs) in Kenya and to determine which of the poisson model t the RTA
fatalities count data better
Influence of Top Management Team Diversity on the Performance of Public Benefit Organizations in Kenya
No full textFaced with varying complexities in their operating environments, modern organizations are forced to seek various management strategies that allow them to gain competitiveness and enhance their performance. Top Management Team (TMT) diversity is one such strategy. Increased competition has pressed organizations to employ capable and diverse leaders able to develop high-quality strategies, promote development and increase profits and impact. Research on TMT diversity has focused on different forms of diversity including differences in gender, age, nationality, education, organization tenure, and functional or technical background. Despite wide interest from scholars, the concept of TMT diversity influence on performance has been found to be ambiguous in most instances. The Public Benefit Organizations (PBOs) sector despite being one of the most important within economies has received very little attention among researchers regarding the influence of TMT diversity on performance. This study sought to find out the influence of TMT diversity on performance of Public Benefit Organizations (PBOs) within the purview of strategic change, strategic leadership and the macro environment. The study relied on the upper echelons, resource based view, strategic leadership and open systems theories to offer the foundations of the assessment. Review of previous literature revealed the existence of research gaps that this study sought to help fill. The study applied a cross sectional research design within a positivistic framework on a population of all the PBOs in Kenya from which a sample of 138 respondents was acquired. Quantitative data collected from 101 PBOs was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that TMT diversity has a low (10.4%) but statistically significant influence on PBO performance. The study further found that strategic leadership and macro environment have a moderating effect on the relationship between TMT diversity and PBO performance. However, strategic change was found to lack intervening influence on the relationship between TMT Diversity and PBO performance. The study also found a positive joint influence of TMT diversity, strategic leadership, and macro environment on PBO performance. The study therefore concludes that TMT diversity has an influence on PBO performance, and has a greater effect in organizations with high strategic leadership orientation that is able to align with the macro environment. The study recommends all stakeholders in the sector to enhance TMT diversity in their organizations while ensuring adoption of strategic leadership behaviours and constant alignment to the macro environment. Further studies targeting the four variables in varying settings to assess their outcomes and relationship towards their inclusion in the theories and policies ought to be undertaken. The research contributes to the upper echelons theory by addition of strategic leadership and macro environment as moderating variables in the TMT diversity and organization performance relationship. Finally, the study contributes to the PBO management policies and practices raising the need to consider TMT diversity in making hiring decisions, leadership development policies and strategies for interacting with external environment as ways of enhancing organizational performance
Adoption And Use Of Smart Device Applications In Academic Work Among School Of Journalism Students
No full textThe purpose of this research was to investigate the adoption and use of smart device applications in academic work among university students. The research objectives were to identify the types of applications students use in academia, to assess the rate of adoption and use of smart device applications among students and to establish the extent to which smart device applications have influenced academic work. The study was guided by both the Uses and Gratifications Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model as well as adopt a descriptive research design. A semi-structure questionnaire and Key Informant Interviews were used to collect primary data from the School of Journalism. The study adopted quota sampling and purposive sampling procedure respectively. A total of 150 students from University of Nairobi filled out questionnaires and 1 member of staff from the school’s undergraduate computer lab was interviewed as a Key Informant. Data was then analysed using Descriptive statistical methods for quantitative data and Content analysis for qualitative data. From the study, majority of 74% do own a smart phone. The total number of hours a week spent on smart phone ranged from 5 - 10 hrs. (37.0%), above 20 hrs. (22.3%), 1 - 5 hrs. (17.1%), and 11 - 20 hrs. (11.8%). The researcher can conclude that the types of applications used in academic work among university students include Instagram and Twitter were the most common followed by Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Reddit, Tiktok, and Pinterest. The rate of adoption of smart device has been high given that smart phones are available everywhere and easier to find information. Therefore, the study recommends that university students in undergraduate programmes should make use of smart phone to advance their academic pursuits given the easiness, convenience, and accessibility of the academic resources from the gadgets. The study also recommends that the Government through the Ministry of Education should put in place policies effective policies that accommodate smartphones in academic work given their convenience to students
Effect Of Decision-Making On Contraceptive Use Among Couples Of Child-Bearing Age In Kenya
No full textDue to the patriarchal nature of many African households, men hold power over many decisions, including family planning and family size. Decisions about contraceptive use and childbearing in a couple may be affected by lack of equality in power relations. Research has documented that secret use of contraceptives in Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for less than 20% of all contraceptive use which indicates a problem of women making decisions without involving their spouses. Women’s participation in family planning decisions has influence on their reproductive health, overall health, and family balance. In Kenya, a few studies have been conducted on contraceptive use decision-making which made this study necessary. The key objectives of this study were to determine the effect of decision-making on contraceptive use among couples in Kenya and, how the effect of decision-making on contraceptive use was affected by other study variables. KDHS 2014 couples data was used in this study. Descriptive statistics and Logistic Regression were used for analysis of the study. Bivariate logistic results revealed that decision-making was significantly and highly related to contraceptive use at 0.001 level. Couples who had contraceptive decisions being made by the husbands/partners and those engaging in joint decision making were more likely to use contraceptives compared to those that decisions were being made by women alone.
Multivariate logistic results showed that the inclusion of background variables increased the effect of decision-making on contraceptive use. Further, the results revealed that desire for more children and education level of couples significantly influenced contraceptive use at 0.05 level. Wealth index and type of place of residence were highly related to contraceptive use among couples. Surprisingly, the results showed that couples for urban areas were less likely to use contraceptives compared to those from rural areas. The couples from wealthiest quartile (rich) were more likely to use contraceptives compared to those from the poor quartile. The results further showed that the strong and high significant effect of decision-making on contraceptive use was maintained net the effect of other variables. Couples who want more children were more likely to use to use contraceptive compared to those that wanted no more and those with secondary education and higher were more likely to use compared to those with no education. Additionally, given the results of this study, decision-making for contraceptive use stands out as important for family planning uptake. As recommended by ICPD 1994, male involvement remains critical for contraceptive use among couples and policy change in Kenya
Credit Access And Firm Employment Growth: An Endogenous Treatment Effect Analysis Of Constrained And Unconstrained Enterprises In Liberia
No full textAccess to credit has long been recognised as a major hindrance to the performance and survival of small enterprises, mainly in developing countries. Nevertheless, country-specific evidence on the difference between the performance of firms that are considered credit-constrained and unconstrained remain narrow. In this light, the current study provides empirical evidence using an endogenous treatment effect analysis to first investigate the determinants of firms credit access status (i.e. constrained or unconstrained) and how it affects firms employment growth in Liberia. The study used unique enterprise-level data from the 2017 edition of the World Bank Enterprise Survey, covering 151 firms in the non-agricultural private economy of Liberia. Findings suggest that being constrained to accessing credit negatively affects firm employment growth, leading to reduced annual employment growth rates for constrained firms. It was also revealed that indicators of credit market participation and firm financial history were negatively correlated with being credit constrained. The study recommends that improvements in the availability of information between firms and financial institutions are crucial to reducing credit constraints. By promoting small businesses participation in the credit market and reducing prevailing information asymmetries whether by creating formal business associations or startup incubator programs, firms can improve their credit-worthiness and fully exploit their full employment potential
Is sexual autonomy a protective factor for neonatal, child, and infant mortality? A multi-country analysis.
No full textBACKGROUND:
Sexual autonomy empowers women to set boundaries, take control of their bodies, prevent sexually transmitted diseases and avoid unplanned pregnancy. A woman's ability to negotiate safer sex is crucial for her survival and that of her child. Sexual autonomy among East African women is vital to the elimination of the deaths of neonates, infants, and children. The aim of our study was to explore the association of sexual autonomy on neonatal, infant, and child mortality.
METHODOLOGY:
This was a secondary analysis of demographic health survey (DHS) data on women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in five East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Data on our outcome variables neonatal, infant, and under-five mortality which were in binary form was extracted from the database. Sexual autonomy was classified as a composite variable of "respondent can refuse sex," "respondent can ask partner to use condom," and "if spouse is justified in asking husband to use condom." Other sociodemographic, maternal, health system and paternal variables were included in the analysis. STATA version 14 was used for analysis. Proportions and frequencies were used to describe the three outcome variables and sociodemographic characteristics. Chi-square tests were used to compare associations between sexual autonomy and categorical variables. Adjusted hazard ratios were used to determine the association between sexual autonomy and independent variables.
RESULTS:
The sampled women were predominantly urban (75%; n = 5758) and poor (48.7%; n = 3702). A majority of those that experienced mortality (neonatal mortality 53.5%, infant mortality 54.3%, under-five mortality 55.7%) were young (under 20) at the time of their first child's birth while their male partners were older. The multivariate analysis supports the beneficial effects of women's sexual autonomy in East Africa. Women who exercised sexual autonomy experienced significantly lower rates of child mortality at all three stages: neonatal (NHR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.68-0.94, p = 0.006), infant (IHR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.72-0.93, p = 0.003), and under-five (UHR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.75-0.94, p = 0.002), net of all other factors. Receiving antenatal care and using contraceptives also contributed significantly to lower child mortality rates.
CONCLUSION:
Our findings suggest that sexual autonomy among East African women is an urgent priority that is crucial to the survival of neonates, infants, and children in East Africa. Women should be informed, empowered, and autonomous concerning their reproductive and sexual health
Kaposi Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus Glycoprotein H is Indispensable for Infection of Epithelial, Endothelial, and Fibroblast Cell Types.
No full textKaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an emerging pathogen and is the causative infectious agent of Kaposi sarcoma and two malignancies of B cell origin. To date, there is no licensed KSHV vaccine. Development of an effective vaccine against KSHV continues to be limited by a poor understanding of how the virus initiates acute primary infection in vivo in diverse human cell types. The role of glycoprotein H (gH) in herpesvirus entry mechanisms remains largely unresolved. To characterize the requirement for KSHV gH in the viral life cycle and in determination of cell tropism, we generated and characterized a mutant KSHV in which expression of gH was abrogated. Using a bacterial artificial chromosome containing a complete recombinant KSHV genome and recombinant DNA technology, we inserted stop codons into the gH coding region. We used electron microscopy to reveal that the gH-null mutant virus assembled and exited from cells normally, compared to wild-type virus. Using purified virions, we assessed infectivity of the gH-null mutant in diverse mammalian cell types in vitro Unlike wild-type virus or a gH-containing revertant, the gH-null mutant was unable to infect any of the epithelial, endothelial, or fibroblast cell types tested. However, its ability to infect B cells was equivocal, and remains to be investigated in vivo due to generally poor infectivity in vitro Together, these results suggest that gH is critical for KSHV infection of highly permissive cell types including epithelial, endothelial, and fibroblasts.IMPORTANCEAll homologues of herpesvirus gH studied to date have been implicated in playing an essential role in viral infection of diverse permissive cell types. However, the role of gH in the mechanism of KSHV infection remains largely unresolved. In this study, we generated a gH-null mutant KSHV and provided evidence that deficiency of gH expression did not affect viral particle assembly or egress. Using the gH-null mutant, we showed that gH was indispensable for KSHV infection of epithelial, endothelial, and fibroblast cells in vitro. This suggests that gH is an important target for the development of a KSHV prophylactic vaccine to prevent initial viral infection
The Role Of Media In Conflict Management Of Inter-Communal Conflicts In Kenya
No full textThe study focused on the role of media in conflict management of inter-communal conflict in
Kenya focusing on the Rendille- Gabbra community attacks. It examined various views by
scholars on their perception of the media's contribution in conflict management. What came out
clearly is that the media is an important factor for good and for ill in conflict management as it
plays the roles of both an agent for or against conflict and its resolution. The agenda setting
theory of media reporting was used to explain media roles and to develop the conceptual
framework
Institutional Factors Influencing Head Teachers in Supervision of Teachers’ Service Delivery in Public Primary Schools in Ugunja Sub County,kenya
No full textThe reason for conducting this study was to carry out research on institutional factors influencing head teachers in supervision of teachers’ service delivery in public primary schools in Ugunja Sub County, Kenya. The objectives the study intended to achieve were to: determine the influence of head teachers’ level of professional training in supervision of teachers’ service delivery; examine the influence of head teachers’ administrative experience in supervision of teachers’ service delivery; establish the influence of head teachers’ workload in supervision of teachers’ service delivery and to determine the influence of school size in the supervision of teachers’ service delivery. The study applied descriptive survey design. The study targeted all 68 head teachers and 602 teachers in public primary schools in Ugunja Sub County, Kenya. 20 head teachers and 182 teachers were purposively and randomly selected for the study from a sub population of 202. Research tools were self-developed questionnaires which were given to head teachers and teachers respectively.2 schools were selected within the Sub County through census for purpose of piloting. Collected data was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Analyzed information was given in frequency tables. The investigation revealed that head teachers supervision of teachers’ service delivery was significantly influenced by institutional factors namely: the level of head teachers’ professional training; head teachers administrative experience; head teachers workload; and school size. It was concluded from the study that head teachers need to be exposed to more zonal professional trainings on instructional supervision. The study further established that even though half of head teachers had over 16 years’ experience, this was not reflected in the frequency with which they supported the teachers. On head teachers’ workload, the study concludes that head teachers handled many lesson a week and additional administrative responsibilities which ate into their time to supervise teachers. It was recommended that head teachers should be designated as school managers to oversee school operations while the deputies should be intensively trained to supervise the mode of instruction. The Teachers Service Commission should rope in the services of Research Triangle Institute for purposes of training on instructional leadership. The study further recommended that studies be carried out on school factors influencing head teachers’ supervision in private schools in Ugunja Sub Ccunty, Administrative factors influencing the performance of senior teachers’ performance in public primary schools in Ugunja Sub County, Kenya