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MKU Revamps its Holiday teaching
No full textUniversities are racing against time to improve on instruction hours for school-based programmes (holiday learning) as directed by the regulator.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) gave the institution six months from February to review the process leading to award of degree qualifications to ensure compliance
Substitution Kinetics of [Fe(PDT/PPDT)n(phen)m]2+ (n ≠ m; n,m = 1,2) with 2,2′-Bipyridine, 1,10-Phenanthroline, and 2,2′,6,2″-Terpyridine
No full textThe triazines 3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine (PDT), 3-(4-phenyl-2-pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine (PPDT), and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) were coordinated to the Fe2+ ion to form urn:x-wiley:05388066:media:kin21066:kin21066-math-0001 (1), urn:x-wiley:05388066:media:kin21066:kin21066-math-0002 (2), urn:x-wiley:05388066:media:kin21066:kin21066-math-0003, (3) and urn:x-wiley:05388066:media:kin21066:kin21066-math-0004 (4). The complexes were synthesized and characterized by mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The rate of substitution of these complexes by 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), and 2,2′,6,2″-terpyridine (terpy) was studied in a sodium acetate–acetic acid buffers over the range 3.6–5.6 at 25, 35, and 45°C under pseudo–first-order conditions. The reactions are first order with respect to the concentration of the complexes. The reaction rates increase with increasing [bpy/phen/terpy] and pH, whereas ionic strength has no influence on the rate of reaction. Plots of kobs versus [bpy/phen/terpy] and 1/[H+] are linear with positive slopes and significant y-intercepts. This indicates that the reactions proceed by both dissociative as well as associative pathways for which the associative pathway predominates the substitution kinetics. Observed temperature-depended rate constants at the three temperatures at which substitution reactions were studied together with the protonation constants of the substituting ligands (phen, bpy, terpy) were used to evaluate the specific rate constants (k1 and k2) and thermodynamic parameters (Ea, ΔH#, ΔS#, and ΔG#). The reactivity order of the four complexes depends on the phenyl groups present on the triazine (PDT/PPDT) molecule. The π-electrons on phenyl rings stabilizes the charge on the metal center by inductive donation of electrons toward the metal center resulting in a decrease in reactivity of the complex, and the order is 1 terpy > bpy. Higher rate constants, low Ea values, and more negative entropy of activation (−ΔS#) values were observed for the associative path, revealing that substitution reactions at the octahedral iron(II) complexes by bpy, phen, and terpy occur predominantly by the associative mechanism. Density functional theory calculations support the interpretations
An analysis of managerial competencies and their influence on staff productivity: a case of Wajir County Government employees
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct an analysis of managerial competencies and their influence on staff productivity in Wajir County government.
Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive case study research design. The target population comprised of all the 2000 employees working with the Wajir county government. A sample size of 244 obtained by applying the Yamane formula was used. The study used stratified random sampling and simple random sampling technique to come up with the sample. The study used primary data collected through the administration of questionnaires. The statistics generated included descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The particular descriptive statistics included frequencies and percentages while the particular inferential statistics included correlation analysis and regression.
Results: The possession of technical skills, conceptual skills, human skills and informational skills by managers was found to have a positive and significant effect on staff productivity.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that urgent measures be undertaken to ensure that at least everyone in management had acquired some basic technical skills in their assigned task. It was also necessary to continuously improve the existing technical skills of those in management within the county government through regular on job training for the management. The study also recommended that short courses such as conflict resolution, strategic leadership and mentorship programs should be included the county government staff development agenda as well as team building activities where those in management should be highly encouraged to avail themselves. It was also recommended that it was necessary for those in management positions to constantly acquire the needed information on the staff activities and performance in order to constantly and effectively monitor and evaluate the performance of staff in the county government to ensure that they were actively involved in activities that led to increased productivity. It was also necessary for the management to improve how and the ways in which they disseminated information at levels in the county government to ensure that barriers in communication do not hinder the progress of the county government agendas
Modelling the risk of Taenia solium exposure from pork produced in western Kenya
No full textThe tapeworm Taenia solium is the parasite responsible for neurocysticercosis, a neglected
tropical disease of public health importance, thought to cause approximately 1/3 of epilepsy
cases across endemic regions. The consumption of undercooked infected pork perpetuates
the parasite's life-cycle through the establishment of adult tapeworm infections in the community.
Reducing the risk associated with pork consumption in the developing world is
therefore a public health priority. The aim of this study was to estimate the risk of any one
pork meal in western Kenya containing a potentially infective T. solium cysticercus at the
point of consumption, an aspect of the parasite transmission that has not been estimated
before. To estimate this, we used a quantitative food chain risk assessment model built in
the @RISK add-on to Microsoft Excel. This model indicates that any one pork meal consumed
in western Kenya has a 0.006 (99% Uncertainty Interval (U.I). 0.0002±0.0164) probability
of containing at least one viable T. solium cysticercus at the point of consumption and
therefore being potentially infectious to humans. This equates to 22,282 (99% U.I. 622±
64,134) potentially infective pork meals consumed in the course of one year within Busia
District alone. This model indicates a high risk of T. solium infection associated with pork
consumption in western Kenya and the work presented here can be built upon to investigate
the efficacy of various mitigation strategies for this locality
An analysis of managerial competencies and their influence on staff productivity: A case of Wajir County Government employees
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct an analysis of managerial competencies and their influence on staff productivity in Wajir County government.
Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive case study research design. The target population comprised of all the 2000 employees working with the Wajir county government. A sample size of 244 obtained by applying the Yamane formula was used. The study used stratified random sampling and simple random sampling technique to come up with the sample. The study used primary data collected through the administration of questionnaires. The statistics generated included descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The particular descriptive statistics included frequencies and percentages while the particular inferential statistics included correlation analysis and regression.
Results: The possession of technical skills, conceptual skills, human skills and informational skills by managers was found to have a positive and significant effect on staff productivity.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that urgent measures be undertaken to ensure that at least everyone in management had acquired some basic technical skills in their assigned task. It was also necessary to continuously improve the existing technical skills of those in management within the county government through regular on job training for the management. The study also recommended that short courses such as conflict resolution, strategic leadership and mentorship programs should be included the county government staff development agenda as well as team building activities where those in management should be highly encouraged to avail themselves. It was also recommended that it was necessary for those in management positions to constantly acquire the needed information on the staff activities and performance in order to constantly and effectively monitor and evaluate the performance of staff in the county government to ensure that they were actively involved in activities that led to increased productivity. It was also necessary for the management to improve how and the ways in which they disseminated information at levels in the county government to ensure that barriers in communication do not hinder the progress of the county government agendas
MKU scores big in content provision
No full textMKU e-content provision climps up in the global web ranking
Mt Kenya University (MKU) has climbed up the E-repositories rankings both in the country and the continent.
The Webometrics ranking of electronic repositories (E-repositories) has ranked MKU at position two in the country, behind the University of Nairobi’s digital repository. MKU was also ranked position 22 in results released in mid-july. MKU’S E-repository is a rich open access archive for collecting, preserving and disseminating digital material of scholarly work, with its web policy doing well in stimulating electronic publication of quality scholarly works making it available to audiences across the globe.
The content is provided under the Open Access Policy that the university has adopted,” said Victoria Munyao, MKU’S librarian.
The University of Nairobi’s digital repository emerged first in the country, sixth in the continent and 245th globally
Octahedral iron(II) complexes with pyridyl triazine and bipyridine ligands – synthesis, computational studies, mechanisms and kinetics with 1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2′,6,2″-terpyridine
No full text[Bis(3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine)(2,2′-bipyridine)iron(II)], [Fe(PDT)2(bpy)]2+ (1), [bis(3-(4-phenyl-2-pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine)(2,2′-bipyridine)iron(II)], [Fe(PPDT)2(bpy)]2+ (2), [bis(2,2′-bipyridine)(3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine)iron(II)], [Fe(PDT)(bpy)2]2+ (3), and [bis(2,2′-bipyridine)(3-(4-phenyl-2-pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine)iron(II)], [Fe(PPDT)(bpy)2]2+ (4) have been synthesized and characterized. Substitution of the triazine and bipyridine ligands from the complexes by nucleophiles (nu), namely 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and 2,2′,6,2″-terpyridine (terpy) was studied in a sodium acetate-acetic acid buffer over the pH range 3–6 at 25, 35, and 45°C under pseudo-first order conditions. Reactions are first order in the concentration of complexes 1–4. The reaction rates increase with increasing [nu] and pH whereas ionic strength has no effect on the rate. Straight-line plots with positive slopes are observed when the kobs values are plotted against [nu] or 1/[H+]. The substitution reactions proceed by dissociative as well as associative paths and the latter path is predominant. Observed low Ea values and negative ΔS# values support the dominance of the associative path. Phenyl groups on the triazine ring modulate the reactivity of the complexes. The π-electron cloud on the phenyl rings stabilizes the charge on metal center by inductive donation of electrons toward the metal center, resulting in a decrease in reactivity of the complex and the order is 1 < 2 < 3 < 4. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations also support the interpretations drawn from the kinetic data
USAGE AND USER SATISFACTION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES IN KISII UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, KENYA
No full textThis paper examines the usage and user satisfaction of library resources in
Kisii University Library, Kenya. With the advent of mobile and computer technologies coupled
with information proliferation, interest has been shifted to addressing changing users’ needs.
The target population comprised of all librarians and all registered library users in Kisii
University.It employed ex-post facto research design. The study sample comprise of one
hundred and ninety five (195) out of a population of one thousand six hundred and twenty
five (1625). Questionnaires were used in data collection. The findings suggest that the both
library staff and users to embrace automation, better marketing of library resources
and user training to be don
French CEO Donates 3,000 books to MKU on his journey from a rough childhood
No full textFrench billionaire businessman Mohed Altrad has donated 3,000 books to Mount Kenya University.
The books, worth Ksh4 million, are the world’s first English version of Badawi, an autobiographical novel that is part of the literature curriculum taught in French schools.
Prof. Simon Gicharu, Chairman Board of Directors, distributes the donated books to students Prof. Simon Gicharu, Chairman Board of Directors, distributes the donated books to studentsThe book, tells the inspirational story of a nomad boy born in the desert sands of Syria. He raises himself by the bootstraps to earn a PhD in Computer Science, and later becomes one of the richest men in the world