EANSO East African Nature and Science Organization Journals
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Vulnerability Assessment of Sustainable Drinking Water Supply and Development in a Changing Climate in Nakuru Town, Kenya
Full text linkThe close connection between the climate and the hydrological cycle makes climate change to have a significant impact on water resources with regard to variability, distribution and occurrence. Research wise, climate change has assumed increasing importance from the perspective of development compared to the water environment. In Kenya, key water-related issues facing the country are the effects of climate variability and the steady degradation of the nation’s water resources. Limited research has focused on alleviating the problem as the effects of the water crisis remain wider, deeper and more uncertain requiring immediate attention. Major indicators of existing problems are manifested in lack of information and knowledge on climate-induced changes under natural variability conditions in drinking water regimes, quality, quantity, human health and likely future changes. The study uses a scientific approach based on hydrological analysis focusing on the link between changing climate conditions and drinking water quality and supply issues in Nakuru Municipality. Primary data collection employed measurement and analysis of selected inorganic drinking water quality variables with significant risk to health in the area’s local natural conditions. To explore short and long-term trends of climatic change indicators and their effect on the area’s hydrology, statistical trend analysis of rainfall for a period of 45 years was used. Temperature data used covered a period of 36 years. Water samples were taken to represent important water source points for public supply for ten months (June 2014 to March 2015) and analysed in accordance with standard methods. Data were analysed by trend analysis, descriptive and correlation techniques. Strong, weak and negative trends were observed between water quality variables and rainfall variability. Results show that temporal and spatial variability of rainfall patterns and temperature in the area of study affect surface and groundwater recharge processes, water table, quality, quantity and supply issues. According to the study, the effects of drinking water crisis linked to climate variability and change in terms of prediction methods, frequency, and rate of change, quality and quantity are wider, deeper and more uncertain requiring immediate attention. The existing challenges limit sustainable development, effective long-term planning and management of the areas drinking water resources. The results can be valuable in characterizing and addressing the study area’s water quality conditions and trends
The Connection between Academic and Professional Integrity: A Review
No full textThe relationship between academic writing and academic integrity are inseparable as far as academic and professional ethics are concerned. Students especially at the university and college level, as well as writers, in general, ought to acknowledge and appreciate the ideas and perspectives of other people that they incorporate in their works. Academic integrity calls for one’s show of commitment through honesty and upholding moral behaviors within the writing or educational setting; the lack of it, therefore, is termed as plagiarism. Recklessly in this regard pertains to the absence of what fully constitutes plagiarism such as directly copy-pasting other people’s work without citing them or using their work but citing others instead, especially among international scholars or amateurs in the academic or writing setting. Plagiarism is considered a grave offense in the writing sector. Often students who are found to have plagiarized the thoughts, opinions, and ideas of other people, without recognition face disciplinary actions including suspension and course failure. Ethics and moral principles dictate most of not every aspect of human lives. It is though socially established that ethics and ethical principles considerably enable humans to co-exist and live harmoniously with each other. To ensure and sustain these morals and ethics, there are bodies, organizations, and institutions that are established and given the mandate to oversee and enforce as well instill coherent ethical obligations in their practice. Maintaining professionalism and upholding professional ethics can be challenging. Overly there are specific activities such as oath-taking that is viewed as a way of stamping authority and instilling professionalism among different professionals. Although this may be of help, the largest percentage of professionalism springs from an individual’s commitment and sacrifice towards doing the right thing and upholding professional ethics. However, this does not disregard the essence of social systems that is the mandated institutions. Professional ethics is well defined in the nursing profession but significantly changing as a result of internal and external forces that are prevalent in the ever-changing nursing profession. Therefore, a dire need for increasing professional ethics among students and academic fraternity.  
The Role of Language in Facilitating Culture: A Case Study of The Isukha Community, Kakamega County in Kenya
Full text linkThe study explores the role of language specifically nouns in portraying masculinity in the Isukha culture during the ritual of Shilembe and the indigenous sport of Mayo. Culture is the way of life of a people. A people’s culture is encompassed in their language. Thus, it is not possible to delink the Isukha language from their culture especially through the praise poetry that is chanted by the artists during bullfighting. The Isukha community from Shinyalu Sub County of Kakamega County, Kenya, participates in bullfighting as a ritual known as Shilembe. This ritual involves two bulls fighting on the grave of a male hero who has died but while alive he killed either a wild animal or an enemy of the community. They also participate in bullfighting as an indigenous sport that is referred to as Mayo. However, the study discovered that the two games are not just done as a ritual and an indigenous sport respectively during bullfighting but rather the praise poems that are chanted possess language aspects that portray masculinity. The study used Hegemonic Masculinity and Critical Discourse Analysis to analyse the language used by the artists in the praise poems. The findings of this study will be helpful in understanding African communities like the Isukha, especially when it comes to male chauvinism
Simulizi za Unyanyapaa Unaohusiana na Virusi vya UKIMWI/UKIMWI Nchini Kenya Kibaadausasa
Full text linkTangu kuibuka kwa janga la Virusi Vya Ukimwi/Ukimwi maarufu kama VVU/UKIMWI zaidi ya miongo mitatu iliyopita, juhudi nyingi zilizowekwa na serikali za mataifa mbalimbali, masharika yasiyokuwa ya kiserikali na watu binafsi hazijafaulu kutokomeza kabisa janga hili. Hii ni kwa sababu, kama magonjwa mengine hatari, ugonjwa huu unahusishwa na unyanyapaa unaoelekezwa kwa walioambukizwa Virusi Vya Ukimwi. Isitoshe, hata matumizi ya dawa za kupunguza makali ya virusi husika, almaarufu ARVs yamekuwa chanzo kikubwa cha unyanyapaa badala ya kuleta afueni kwa waathiriwa. Unyanyapaa unaoelekezwa kwa wanaoonyesha dalili za kuambukizwa Virusi Vya Ukimwi pamoja na wale wanaotumia dawa za kupunguza makali unaelekea kuufanya ugonjwa huu kuwa changamano zaidi. Kwa kujikita katika nyimbo tatu za Kiswahili zilizoimbwa katika nyakati hizi za kibaadausasa, makala hii imepania kubainisha na kufafanua simulizi kuu na simulizi ndogo ndogo zinazokuza na zinazopinga unyanyapaa unaohusishwa na VVU/UKIMWI. Kwa kuongozwa na nadharia ya Baadausasa, watafiti walibainisha na kuchanganua vipande vya simulizi zinazohusiana na unyanyapaa husika. Aidha, wamedhihirisha kuwa, nyimbo, hasa za kibaadausasa ni chombo mhususi kinachoweza kutumiwa na wanajamii kupiga vita unyanyapaa unaohusishwa na VVU/UKIMWI hasa ikizingatiwa kwamba, mbali na kutatiza ufanisi uliofikiwa katika vita dhidi ya VVU/UKIMWI, unyanyapaa ndio chanzo cha vifo vingi vinavyohusishwa na VVU/UKIMWI
Matumizi ya Riwaya Katika Kutoa Muktadha wa Ufafanuzi wa Muundo wa Sentensi Katika Shule za Upili, Kaunti Ndogo ya Webuye Magharibi
Full text linkKwa muda mrefu mafunzo ya lugha na fasihi yamekuwa yakitengwa ingawa silabasi ya K.I.E. (2002) ilipendekeza mwalimu anapofundisha atumie mwelekeo mse kwa sababu silabasi hii iliorodheresha tu mada za fasihi na lugha bila kutoa mwelekeo wa utekelezaji. Hali hii ilimpa mtafiti msukumo wa kufanya utafiti kuhusu matumizi ya riwaya katika kutoa muktadha wa ufafanuzi wa muundo wa sentensi katika shule za upili, kaunti ndogo ya Webuye Magharibi. Madhumuni ya utafiti huu yalikuwa kuonyesha matumizi ya riwaya katika kutoa muktadha wa ufafanuzi wa muundo wa sentensi na utekelezaji wake shuleni. Nadharia jumuishi ya ufundishaji wa lugha iliyoasisiwa na Hammerly (1985) ilitumika katika utafiti. Muundo wa usoroveya-elezi ulitumika katika utafiti huu. Shule 17 zilifanyiwa utafiti. Idadi ya walimu 35 na wanafunzi 43 walitafititwa. Deta ilikusanywa kwa kutumia mbinu ya hojaji, mahojiano na utathmini wa maazimio ya kazi, mipangilio ya masomo na mitihani. Matokeo ya utafiti yalionyesha kuwa riwaya inaweza kutoa muktadha wa ufafanuzi wa muundo wa sentensi ingawa changamoto ni kuwa asilimia 68.57 ya walimu hawakutambua pendekezo la silabasi ya K.I.E (2002) la ufundishaji wa mwelekeo mseto. Walimu 11 (31.43%) walikuwa na ufahamu wa kuseta. Walimu 7 kwa 11(63.63%) walipata ugumu wa kutekeleza ufundishaji mseto. Walimu 4 kwa 11 (11.43%) walifundisha riwaya pamoja na muundo wa sentensi wala si kufundisha muundo wa sentensi kwa kutumia riwaya. Walimu 31 kwa 35 ambao hawakuzingatia mwelekeo mseto katika ufundishaji wa muundo wa sentensi kwa kutumia riwaya walionyesha uwezekano wa riwaya kuweza kutumika kufundisha muundo wa sentensi. Mtafiti alipendekeza walimu wahamasishwe kuhusu utekelezaji wa mwelekeo mseto wa fasihi na lugha darasani ili kuboresha lugha kwa ujumla. Kwa mujibu wa utafiti huu, vitabu vya riwaya vinapaswa kuteuliwa kwa uangalifu ili viwe na manufaa kwa ufundishaji wa muundo wa sentensi
Environmental Conservation: The Necessary Burden for Developing Nations
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Earth as enormous as it is can be termed in some respects as too vast for intended collaborative engagements. Chronic rivalries, wars, competitions for supremacies, bureaucracies, diplomacies, flags, beliefs and even languages discrete all the 196 nations on earth from the other. These result in individualism, tribalism, racism, nepotism, dictatorships and other global vices. There are a number of times however when global unity must be fostered and one of these times includes the times when there is a need for environmental conservation for global sustainability. The environment and it degradation consequences pay no respect to global political boundaries. When glaciers melt in Europe, for example, causing raised sea levels, the land loss effects can be felt by the south most countries of South America. When developed countries replace all their natural environments with amenities, urban centers, and industries, the pollution effects and consequences are felt by the least developed of the countries. When some continents have hunted down and certain extinct animals, pressure must be borne by other continents to preserve the surviving endangered species. With respect to the environment, the earth is borderless, and there is global participation in ensuring its sustainability. However, whereas most of the environmental deteriorations and pollutions are globally pooled, the conservation burden is most often than not borne by the developing nations. This paper seeks to address this reality and how the developing countries now have the necessary burden of ensuring environmental conservation for global sustainability
Effectiveness of Decision-Making Approaches by Academic Unit Managers on Academics Performance in Public Universities in Uganda
Full text linkThis study examined the effects of decision-making approaches (DMA) of academic unit managers on the work performance (WP) of academic staff in public universities in Uganda. The study was prompted by the persistent complaints and reports from key stakeholders about the deteriorating quality of teaching, research, and community engagements, despite management efforts to improve the working conditions of the staff in these institutions. This was a mixed-methods study that leaned more towards the quantitative research paradigm. Data were collected from a sample of 287 respondents using survey and interview methods. The collected data were analyzed with the use of appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics as well as the thematic content analysis method. The key study findings revealed, among others, that the use of the democratic decision-making approach had a more significant positive effect on the WP of the academic staff than the delegated and autocratic decision-making approaches. Specifically, the results showed that a unit increase in the use of democratic and delegated DMA yields 19.1% and 5% increases in the WP of academic staff respectively. It was concluded that the use of different DMA has varying effects on the WP of academic staff. Therefore, it was recommended that academic unit managers should be trained and equipped with skills in the use of decision-making approaches that are more inclusive, consultative, collective, and participatory in nature
Relationship Between Nursing Students’ Psychiatric Encounters and the Choice of Psychiatric Nursing Specialty in Kenya
Full text linkManagement of mentally ill patients is mainly done by psychiatric nurses in Kenya. This study sought to identify the association between nursing students’ psychiatric encounters and the perception towards psychiatric nursing in Kenya using a cross-sectional study design. Cluster and systematic random sampling were used to select the study participants. Data was analysed using SPSS version 21. Odds ratio was used to identify the association between variables. A significant association existed between the students who were supported by clinical instructor/mentor and the desire to pursue psychiatric nursing (OR: 2.31; CI: 1.14-4.70; p=0.018). A strong association existed between the preparedness of the nursing staff for the arrival of the students and their wish to pursue psychiatric nursing programme (OR: 0.69; CI: 0.63-0.76; p<0.001). A significant association existed between the nursing staff knowledge about the objectives of the students and the desire of the nursing students to pursue psychiatric nursing (OR: 6.73; CI: 0.87-51.89; p=0.025). A significant association existed between the unwillingness of the respondents to tell anyone if they developed mental illness and their desire to pursue psychiatric nursing (p<0.001). In addition, a significant association was exhibited between the belief that people with mental illness are more likely to commit crime and the aspiration of the respondents to pursue psychiatric nursing (p=0.002). The study findings revealed that students’ clinical experience and perception influence their desire to pursue psychiatric nursing. Students should also be mentored well while in the clinical area in order for them to have a good experience