EANSO East African Nature and Science Organization Journals
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Environmental Factors Contributing to Food Insecurity in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions of Baringo County-Kenya
Get PDFSub-Saharan countries depend on agriculture as the primary driver of their economies. It is the leading Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contributor in this region. It also provides livelihoods and subsistence crops for a significant African population. Therefore, agriculture is a fundamental instrument of securing livelihoods, improving food security and reducing poverty. Arid and Semi-arid zones cover 45.4% of the land surface of the earth, support 36% of the global population, of which 90% of them live in developing countries. However, these zones have been characterised by varied levels of food insecurity corresponding to varied levels of environmental variability and related agro-pastoral production. The objective of this study was to assess the environmental factors contributing to food insecurity in arid and semi-arid regions of Baringo County-Kenya. The study was based on a survey research design. The study was conducted in three locations of Baringo County, namely: Emining, Salabani and Loboi locations. The population of the proposed study was 3267 households distributed across the three locations. Using Yamane’s (1967) formula for small populations and the table by Krejcie & Morgan (1970), a sample size of 351 was required. The key data collection method was a structured questionnaire supplemented by Focus group discussion and a key informant guide. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Overall, the results evidenced that environmental factors had major negative impacts on food security, with 76% percent of the respondents citing its severe negative impact. Specifically, Low and unreliable rainfall (89.9%), shortage of water (87.3%), increasing cycles of drought (87.2%) and insufficient pasture for livestock (75.7%) were presented to have a major negative impact on food security. The study recommends the need to adopt a resilient agro-pastoral production system that addresses environmental shocks to promote food security in arid and semi-arid regions
Effectiveness of Radio Agricultural Programs in Scaling up Farming Activities of Smallholder Farmers in Kasese District
Get PDFAgricultural radio programs have long been recognised as a powerful tool for disseminating agricultural knowledge, especially among rural smallholder farmers. However, despite their potential, the effectiveness of these programs in scaling up farming activities has not been thoroughly examined in the context of Kasese District. The study addressed this gap by exploring the role of radio agricultural programs in enhancing the agricultural activities of smallholder farmers. The specific objectives were to: (i) assess the coverage, listenership, satisfaction, and implementation of acquired knowledge through agricultural extension radio programs; (ii) investigate the effectiveness of the programs on smallholder farming activities; and (iii) determine the factors associated with radio listenership and application of knowledge gained through agricultural radio messages. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey, utilising quantitative and qualitative approaches for data collection and analysis. Data was gathered from a sample of 360 respondents across 18 radio listener groups using questionnaires and interview guides. SPSS version 20.0 was used to analyse the data, generating descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that coverage and listenership of agricultural radio programs were relatively high at 89.2% and 98.3% respectively, mostly in rural areas compared to urban settings. The Farmers’ Corner Program (52.5%) was the most popular radio program listened to. Farmers are implementing the knowledge gained through radio programs in various areas, including crop husbandry 27.3%, soil and water conservation 17.1%, animal health management 15.2%, and enterprise selection 12.8%. The programs were effective in supporting smallholder farmers’ decision-making processes as well as enhancing production practices. Evening hours were reported by 46.4% of the respondents as the most appropriate time for broadcasting radio programs, with farmers expressing a preference for interactive and participatory formats, which prioritised local languages 24.2% and indigenous knowledge 16.7%. Age (39-48 years) (p=0.002), radio ownership (p=0.000), place of residence (p=0.001), attitudes (p=0.003), limited agricultural spaces (p=0.032), media exposure (p=0.023), and investment capital (p=0.027) were the key factors influencing radio listenership and knowledge application. Despite the positive impact of the programs, certain barriers such as inappropriate airing times and limited access to radios hindered the full adoption of the information by farmers. The study concluded that agricultural extension radio programmes have a wider coverage and so pertinent to smallholder farmers’ activities; however, listenership and application of the knowledge gained through agricultural radio messages is still hampered by certain impediments that call for urgent address. The study therefore recommends that Radio formats be designed to reinforce messages to bring change among farmers to adopt new farming techniques for improved productivity
Use of Radio by Smallholder Farmers in Accessing Agricultural Information in Ikolo Ward, Kyela District, Tanzania
Get PDFSmallholder farmers rely on radio for agricultural information to improve their farming decisions, but its use is largely shaped by their personal characteristics and specific information needs. The study focused on radio as a tool. This study investigated the use of radio by smallholder farmers to get agricultural information. A cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected from 232 randomly selected farmers in Ikolo Ward. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Chi-square tests assessed the association between personal characteristics variables and radio use, with significance set at p < 0.05. Findings revealed that among the communication media, radio was most commonly used by smallholder farmers to access agricultural Information, and they preferred night-time listening. In addition, personal characteristics such as sex, education, and marital status significantly influenced the use of radio for agricultural information, with males and individuals with higher education levels reporting greater use. The binary logistic regression analysis showed that the need for agricultural information on weather updates, fertiliser use, and market price updates had a positive and statistically significant influence on smallholder farmers’ radio use. Radio helps farmers to plan their activities by offering timely and useful weather and market information. The study recommends developing agricultural gender sensitive radio programs focusing on smallholder farmers’ needs, and farmer training on the use of radio to access agricultural informatio
Revitalising Traditional Food Systems in Uganda: Restoring and Adapting Indigenous Food Storage and Preservation Methods for Improved Food Security in Rwampara District, Southwestern Uganda
Get PDFTraditional food preservation and storage methods play a crucial role in enhancing food security and reducing poverty in Uganda. However, modernisation and shifting dietary preferences have led to a decline in indigenous knowledge in food systems. This study explores the restoration, adaptation, and valorisation of traditional food preservation and storage methods in Kitunguru Parish, Rugando Sub-County, Rwampara District, in Uganda’s Southwestern Region. Through qualitative research, the study examined how methods such as smoking, sun-drying, boiling, steaming, and frying contribute to the prolonged shelf life of food, ensuring year-round availability and resilience against food scarcity. The findings highlight the socio-economic and cultural significance of these techniques, emphasising their potential to enhance food security, reduce dependency on expensive modern storage facilities, and promote sustainable livelihoods. By integrating indigenous knowledge with modern innovations, the study advocates for policy interventions and community-driven strategies to revitalise traditional food systems. Ultimately, this research underscores the importance of preserving, storing, and adapting indigenous food practices and methods to foster resilience, self-reliance, and sustainable development in rural Ugand
The Socio-economic Impact of NAADS Agricultural Driven Initiatives in the Tea Sector in South-Western Uganda (2015 -2025)
Get PDFSince its establishment by the Ugandan government in 2001, the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) has worked to boost agricultural productivity and enhance livelihoods throughout the nation. The study investigated the socio-economic impact of NAADS’ programs in the tea-growing Greater Bushenyi sub-region of South-Western Uganda. The research evaluated the effect of NAADS support to the tea sector on employment, infrastructure, health, education and economic business development based on survey data and interviews with national and local stakeholders. Emphasis was put on examining how NAADS support led to the development of tea processing industries/SMEs and how such establishments resulted in an employment boost, business development, infrastructure advancement and general community well-being. The study findings have shown that the NAADS agricultural driven initiatives in the tea sector in Greater Bushenyi sub-region of South-western Uganda have greatly contributed to the socio-economic development in many ways including employment of local personnel, road improvement, electric power extension into rural areas, expansion of education and health infrastructure, establishment of new forward and backward economic activities and general improvement of community welfare. However, it was also noted that despite the socio-economic boost as a result of increased tea growing and processing in Greater Bushenyi, a great deal of additional investments and strategic planning is required in order to achieve comprehensive and sustainable socio-economic development from the NAADS agriculture-driven initiatives in the tea secto
The Effect of the Different Recruitment Methods on the Enrolment of Learners in Private Secondary Schools in Mitooma District
Get PDFThis study examined the effect of the different recruitment methods on the enrolment of learners in private secondary schools in Mitooma District. A descriptive research design was used, targeting 108 teachers, 5 headteachers, and 1 District Education Officer (DEO). A sample of 114 respondents was selected. Data were collected through focus group discussions and interviews. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results indicated that private secondary schools in Mitooma District employ a combination of traditional and modern recruitment methods, including advertising, word-of-mouth recommendations, social media, and school visits. The rate of learner enrolment in private secondary schools in Mitooma District is influenced by factors such as financial aid, scholarships, school reputation, and parental decision-making. Various recruitment methods, including advertising, word-of-mouth recommendations, scholarships, and school reputation, significantly impact enrolment in private secondary schools in Mitooma District. In conclusion, a combination of traditional and modern recruitment strategies, including advertising, word-of-mouth recommendations, social media, and school visits, is effective in increasing enrolment. Financial aid, scholarships, school reputation, and parental decision-making are also significant factors influencing enrolment. Overall, the findings suggest that private secondary schools in Mitooma District can improve their enrolment by adopting an integrated approach to recruitment. It is recommended that school inspectors evaluate the impact of different recruitment methods and recommend adjustments to improve enrollment outcomes
The Linguistic Covert Resources Invoked to Scale Attitudinal Values in Newspaper News Stories
Get PDFThis research article explores the linguistic strategies employed to grade attitudinal meanings in news discourse. I analyse two news reports published by the Daily Monitor and New Vision because the study involves close reading of news texts and prioritises detailed interpretation of the evaluative language over a large sample size. Particularly, I pay attention to the covert linguistic strategies the authors exploited to sharpen or mitigate the attitudinal values, and/or strengthen or estrange the membership of police officers in the category of law enforcers. Drawing on discourse analysis research design, I adopt the appraisal theoretical framework, concentrating on the subsystem of Graduation to examine the nuanced regulation of attitudinal meanings in hard news reports. The key strategies established include metaphors, repetition, euphemisms, compounded achievements and crimes, and meaning infusion. These strategies are employed in the news reports to underscore the character of the Ugandan law enforcement personnel and the policing institution in general. The analysis also reveals that the strategies used in both New Vision and Daily Monitor news reports tend to intensify the degree of the unconventional behaviour of the law enforcers when responding to theft crises, which in turn impacts the reputation of the police. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in the fields of linguistics and journalism by revealing how hard news reporters strategically use language to regulate attitudinal meanings in the journalistically constrained writing style. The study also reinforces the appraisal theory by explicating that even in sensitive contexts, attitudinal values can be regulated linguistically without compromising the news reporter’s safety and institutional survival. This research article is based on my PhD study. Future researchers should study the covert linguistic mechanisms employed in news reports written in African languages such as Luganda to scale attitudinal values. This could contextualise the application of appraisal theory to native Ugandan languages, except Runyankore-Rukiga, which has been studied by Mugumya (2013)
Lived Experiences of Violence in Homes of Children Aged Three to Eight Years Old. A case of Nabuyonga Slum, Mbale City
Get PDFViolence against children is a prevalent phenomenon in the world. Most studies have always focused on documenting violence against largely adolescent children, leaving out those in early childhood. The phenomenology research design focused on establishing the lived experiences of three to eight-year-old children experiencing violence at home. The study collected data using interviews with the children, focus group discussion guides with the parents and participants’ observation guides with the children. The techniques, such as body mapping and photo voice, were also used to get more detailed information from the children. The findings indicated that the children were exposed to different categories of violence, including verbal, physical, child labour, child neglect, psychological and sexual abuse. Regarding the meaning children attributed to violence against children at home, it was discovered that whenever children are abused, they feel isolated, not loved and confused and based on the strategies they used for coping with violence at home, they said they applied practical thoughts, emotions, and actions to different situations in order to face the pressures. The children need education and training from an early age about their rights and how they can protect themselves. The communities need initiatives to empower children to report cases of violence at home to local authorities, such as Local Council One, and children need education and training from an early age about their rights and how they can protect themselves
Negotiating Young Adulthood in Ugandan Literature: Identity in Kimenye’s Moses Series and Namukasa’s Stories
Get PDFThis article examines the negotiation of young adulthood and identity formation in Ugandan literature through a close reading of Barbara Kimenye’s Moses series and Glaydah Namukasa’s short stories The Pact and Girlie. The study situates these works within broader African literary discourses on adolescence, transition, and socio-cultural belonging, with specific attention to the Ugandan postcolonial context. Drawing from postcolonial theory, youth studies, and identity construction frameworks, it interrogates how young protagonists navigate shifting roles, expectations, and self-concepts amidst the intersecting pressures of family, peers, education, and socio-economic change. Kimenye’s Moses series, set primarily in a Ugandan boarding school, portrays adolescence as a space of playful rebellion, communal bonding, and gradual moral negotiation. The protagonist, Moses, becomes a focal point for exploring the tensions between institutional authority and youthful agency, revealing how humour and camaraderie serve as tools for self-assertion and social learning. In contrast, Namukasa’s stories, set against contemporary urban and peri-urban backdrops, confront the challenges of girlhood and young womanhood, including issues of friendship, sexuality, betrayal, and socio-economic vulnerability. Through The Pact and Girlie, Namukasa foregrounds the gendered dimensions of young adulthood, showing how female protagonists navigate restrictive cultural scripts while asserting individual desires. By juxtaposing Kimenye’s light-hearted, male-centred narratives with Namukasa’s more intimate and gender-conscious portrayals, this article reveals how Ugandan children’s and young adult literature collectively engages with themes of resilience, negotiation, and identity-making. It argues that these works challenge linear, Western-centric models of adolescence by depicting it as a socially embedded, culturally mediated, and at times precarious process. The analysis highlights how language, narrative voice, and character agency reflect both continuity and change in Ugandan youth experiences. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that Kimenye and Namukasa contribute significantly to African literary representations of young adulthood, offering nuanced portraits that resist reductive categorisations. Their works not only document the lived realities of Ugandan youth but also invite critical reflection on how identity is actively shaped within complex socio-cultural and historical landscapes. This intersectional reading underscores the role of Ugandan literature in expanding global understandings of adolescence and identity beyond dominant Euro-American frameworks
Clarifying Roles, Enhancing Results: Job Descriptions and Employee Performance
Get PDFThis study examines the influence of job descriptions on employee performance within organisational contexts, with a particular focus on how role clarity, structural design, and motivational elements contribute to individual and institutional outcomes. In an era where organisations continuously strive to enhance productivity, employee engagement, and strategic alignment, the role of clearly articulated job descriptions has become increasingly significant. Using a qualitative and descriptive research design, the study employs a systematic review of literature published between 2002 and 2022. The main objective is to synthesise theoretical perspectives and empirical findings to explore how well-structured and motivating job descriptions shape employee behaviour and drive organisational performance. The review reveals that comprehensive and clearly defined job descriptions reduce role ambiguity, improve task execution, and align employee efforts with organisational goals. Moreover, job descriptions that incorporate motivational components such as meaningful role framing, growth opportunities, performance-based rewards, and clear expectations are positively linked to higher levels of employee satisfaction, engagement, and intrinsic motivation. The evidence also highlights the role of job descriptions in strengthening accountability, supporting performance appraisal, and serving as a foundational tool across key HR functions, including recruitment, training, and career development. The study concludes that job descriptions should not be treated as static administrative tools but as dynamic, strategic instruments integral to effective human resource management. It recommends that organisations regularly review and update job descriptions to reflect evolving job demands and institutional priorities. By embedding clarity, structure, and motivational value into job descriptions, organisations can foster a high-performance culture that enhances employee commitment, innovation, and long-term organisational success