KABU Repository (Kabarak University)
Not a member yet
1292 research outputs found
Sort by
Effects of Corporate Governance on Financial Reporting Lags: Evidence from Nigerian Listed Deposit Money Banks
No full textFULL TEXTThis paper assessed the effects of corporate governance on financial reporting lags, with
particular emphasis to Nigerian listed deposit money banks. It is based on secondary data
gathered from the published annual report and accounts of eight (8) sampled banks for the period
of 5 years from 2010 to 2014, selected according to their data availability and time constrain
from fifteen (15) that are operating on the floor of Nigerian Stock Exchange as at December,
2016. The study make used of panel data regression analysis using STATA 14.0. Based on the
results from the analysis, the study founds out that all the regression results with the five of the
independent variables have positive and significant relationship with the FRL. This mean that
complying with corporate governance mechanism reduces FRL by at least one and half months.
It was therefore recommends that, in the sense that using the service of experts and up to date
monitoring and supervision reduces unnecessary delay in publishing the financial report by listed
commercial banks in Nigeria. Hence, there is need for shareholders to lay their support to
companies, so that they can employ professionals/skilled labour. Therefore, there is need for
listed Nigerian commercial banks to increase the number of their independent directors to add to
the board composition. This will lead to timely release of published accounts to enable economic
decision by shareholders in respect of their investment in the banks. Possibly they can adopt the
use of a two tier board to reduce the effect of agency problems/cost.National Research Fun
Evaluation of mechanisms that enable self- protection on policy violation in cloud Infrastructure
No full textFULL TEXTCloud computing is an emerging paradigm that involves all the basic components of computing
such as end-user machines (PCs), communication networks, access management systems and
cloud infrastructures. According to Gartner, while the hype grew exponentially during 2008 and
continued since, it is clear that there is a major shift towards the cloud computing model and that
the benefits may be substantial (Gartner Hype-Cycle, 2012). However, as the shape of the cloud
computing is emerging and developing rapidly both theoretically and in reality, the cloud
security, data and cloud infrastructure and privacy issues still pose significant challenges. It still
lacks mechanism to enable itself from policy violation.In this work, we describe various
mechanisms that would enable self-protection on policy violation in cloud infrastructure. In
particular, we discuss five critical mechanisms: IDS, Cyberoam, Federated Identity Management
System, firewall and honeypot. Some solutions to mitigate these attacks on these mechanisms are
also proposed along with a brief presentation on the future trends in cloud
computingdeployment. Finally we evaluate these mechanisms based on the data collected from
users in case they know how to protect their data in cloud environment.National Research Fun
Computational methods in Materials Science studies
No full textFULL TEXTRecent years have seen a great improvement in the field of density functional Theory (DFT)
calculation of electronic structure and properties of crystalline materials. There are many reasons
that explain the current successful application of DFT to materials science related problems: The
super speed of computers, software improvements and theory advancement. Based on these three
pillars, we the computing scientists were able to understand the ground state properties of cubic
scandium triflouride (ScF3) and if need arises, we willalso be able to explore the immense realm
of the virtual materials. Indeed, high-throughput techniques for the search of novel crystal
structures and the determination of band structure traits have become very popular in the field of
computational materials science. Despite these, many challenges are still being faced. Common
to all computational materials scientists is the unquenchable thirst for higher speed and better
accuracy in DFT calculations. This paper aims to present recent advances in the theory and
computational methods in DFT calculation of materials as well as to highlight computational
results on structural properties of cubic ScF3 in comparison to experimental and other theoretical
studies. We employed DFT as implemented in the Quantum ESPRESSO computer code. The
obtained lattice parameters of between 3.96Å to 4.06Å was in agreement with the experimental
lattice parameter of 4.03Å.National Research Fun
Ensemble Music Performance as a Fulcrum in an Effectice Curriculum: Learning Through Band Playing
No full textFULL TEXTAn ensemble is a group of players or musical parts playing together. The main purpose of such a
collaboration is to bring together different players, of varied musical backgrounds, to make up one
harmonized performance. The lessons learnt from the challenges that ensemble playing poses, we
argue, extend beyond the music making and can generate numerous life lessons that can be of help to
advice concerns that are proving problematic to many Kenyan youths as they purpose to join the job
market. We aim, through this paper, to showcase some of the lessons that students at Kabarak and
throughout Kenya are learning from participating in such a group, consequently informing an effective
school curriculum. We intend to use demonstrations from the Kabarak SMPA band groups to showcase
these particular lessons. We feel inadequate research has been undertaken in student ensemble groups
in Kenya, therefore, failing to realize, to whatever extent, how to manage some of the issues that the
Kenyan youth of today face after finishing a University program. This paper is informed by the latest
guidelines for developing an effective University curriculum: We feel therefore that through music
ensemble playing, we can provide informative and creative solutions that will assist in nurturing
responsible and proactive youths, as well as providing solutions that we feel the youth can relate to,
after undergoing a program guided by a well-informed curriculum. In addition, we feel through the
mentioned approach, we can inform the University music curriculum on how to use ensemble class to
achieve the objectives of achieving International and National Development goals. This may in turn aid
the policy makers in the country to create such forums and extend the debate beyond this paper.National Research Fun
A Study of the Morphology of SynthesizedZnO Nanoparticles and their Application in Photodegradation of Dyes
No full textFULL TEXTEnvironmental pollution by toxic organic contaminants is a global menace and its magnitude is
increasing significantly and so declining water quality has become a global issue. Waste products
produced from the textiles, dyeing, paper and plastic industries are predominantly responsible for
contaminating the water bodies. Organic dyes produce toxic aromatic amines that are
carcinogenic to human beings and harmful to the environment yet they are non-biodegradable. In
an effort to lessen the environmental effects of these dyes, various techniques have been utilized.
However, these methods are expensive and ineffective resulting in intensively coloured discharge
and high concentration of dyes from the treatment facilities. Nanotechnology is a promising field
in waste water treatment. The aim of this study thus was to assess the use of synthesized ZnO
nanoparticles in photo degradation of dyes. This involves the degradation of methyl orange dye
using sunlight and fluorescent light as sources of radiation on the surface of zinc oxide
nanoparticles. The basis of ZnO/UV photo-catalytic process is the semi-conduct optical
stimulation of ZnO as a result of electromagnetic ray absorption. Precipitation technique was
used to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles. By varying experimental conditions, two samples L1 and
L2were synthesizedand characterized using Power X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), Fourier Transform
Infra-Red (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray
Spectroscopy (EDX) methods of analysis. The PXRD results showed diffraction peaks which
were indexed to ZnO reference as per JCPIDS file 80-0075. The size of ZnO nanoparticles was
found to be 26 nm. FTIR spectra showed a broad band at around 430 cm-1 with shoulder shape,
characteristics of Zn-O bond. The images obtained by SEM showed rod shaped clusters of
nanoparticleswere distributed well within a range of 100 nm which is a favourable property to
exhibit better photo catalytic activity. The EDX results showed elemental composition of ZnO
nanoparticles and showed 54% Zn, 44.07% O and 1.93% Mn impurities for L1 and 55.34% Zn,
42.3% O and 2.37%Mn impurities for L2. The effect of process parameters like amount of the
photocatalyst, initial dye concentration and contact time on the extent of photodegradation has
also been investigated. The results showed that percentage removal of the dye increases with
increase in contact time and amount of photocatalyst, it decreases with increase in initial dye
concentration. The results revealed that dyes could be removed by semiconducting nanomaterials
assisted by photocatalytic degradation. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles is an approach of
synthesizing nanoparticles using microorganisms and plants having biomedical applications.
This approach is an environment-friendly, cost-effective, biocompatible, safe, green approach.
Green synthesis includes synthesis through plants, bacteria, fungi, algae etc. They allow large
scale production of ZnO NPs free of additional impurities. NPs synthesized from biomimetic
approach show more catalytic activity and limit the use of expensive and toxic chemicals.National Research Fun
EFFECT OF SELECTED FIRM-LEVEL CHARACTERISTICS ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN NAKURU TOWN, KENYA
No full textFULL TEXTThe performance of commercial banks in Kenya has been hindered by various internal and external factors. The fact that commercial banks have been facing challenges in respect of their financial performance necessitated the carrying out of this study. The general objective was to determine the influence of selected firm-level characteristics on financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya. In particular, the study examined the influence of the bank size, business scope, managerial characteristics, and bank‟s tangibility on the financial performance of the commercial banks in Nakuru town. The study was guided by neoclassical theory of the firm, theory of firm scope, agency theory and pecking order theory of capital structure. A descriptive research design was adopted. The study used quantitative research approach. The target population included all the finance, accounts and the management staff working with the 28commercial banks in Nakuru. The 121finance, accounts and management staff working with the commercial banks in Nakuru town constituted the study population. A sample of 58 respondents was obtained using stratified random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was employed to facilitate data collection. A pilot study was conducted prior to the main study with the view of determining both reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Requisite permits, authorization letter, approval and consent were obtained prior to data collection. The collected data was analyzed by using both descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences programme. Descriptive statistics encapsulated measures of distribution, measures of central tendencies, and measures of dispersion. The inferential statistics was employed Pearson‟s correlation coefficient and multiple regressions. The results of the analyses were presented in form of tables. The study observed and adhered to the necessary ethics over the entire duration of the study. From the results the study established that there exists a strong positive and significant relationship between bank size and financial performance of commercial banks in Nakuru town. (r = .641, P=0.000). In addition the findings indicated that there exists a strong, positive and significant relationship between business scope and financial performance of commercial banks in Nakuru town (r=0.619, P=0.023). The findings also indicated that there exists a strong, positive and significant relationship between managerial characteristics and financial performance of commercial banks in Nakuru town (r=0.597, P=0.018). Finally the findings indicated that there exist a strong, positive and significant relationship between bank‟s tangibility and financial performance of commercial banks (r=0.604, P=0.032). From the findings the researcher recommends that banks should subscribe to reliable internet providers for effective and efficient service delivery. The study further recommends that customers should be enlightened on the operation of agency banking in order to enhance their confidentiality. The researcher suggested that further studies should be conducted on business process re-engineering on financial performance of other financial institutions. Further studies should consider investigating other factors not covered in this study which accounts for 61.2%
Criminal procedures and penalties for infringement of intellectual property rights in Kenya
Get PDFArticle 61 of the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement obliges members
to put in place criminal procedures and penalties for
cases involving willful trade mark counterfeiting and
copyright piracy on a commercial scale through rem-
edies which include imprisonment and/or monetary
fines in ways sufficient to act as deterrent consistent
with the members’ categorization of crimes on the basis
of gravity. Further, the article obliges members, in
appropriate cases, to expand the remedies available to
include seizure, forfeiture and destruction of infringing
goods and materials used in the commission of the
offence. For intellectual property rights (IPRs) other
than trade marks and copyright, article 61 of the TRIPS
Agreement urges, but does not oblige members, to
make available criminal procedures and penalties.
Indeed, in its preamble, the TRIPS Agreement makes it
clear that IPRs are private rights, while in article 41(5),
the Agreement clarifies that it does not in any way call
upon members to make special consideration for
enforcement of laws relating to IPRs as compared to
general enforcement of law in a member’s territory.
In essence, in the language of its article 61, the
TRIPS Agreement incorporated a compromise that rec-
ognized the potential utility of criminal procedures and
penalties for safeguarding the interests of owners of
IPRs while remaining cognisant of the potential costs
that could be imposed upon members, especially devel-
oping countries, in setting up enforcement mechanisms
financed by public resources for the protection of pri-
vate rights which are predominantly owned by enter-
prises based in developed countries. Under article 1(1),
the TRIPS Agreement accords a member the freedom
to choose the method best suited to implement the
Agreement’s provisions within its own legal system and
practice.
Article 61 provides room for members to draft laws
and policies that meet their local contingencies. This
article seeks to evaluate the manner in which Kenya has complied with its obligations under article 61 of the
Agreement and the extent to which it has taken advant-
age of the flexibilities incorporated therein. In particu-
lar, we review the laws relevant to the protection and
exploitation of IPRs in Kenya, also in light of the feed-
back provided by key stakeholders in the prosecution of
offences relating to IPRs in Kenya (officers from the
Kenya Copyright Board, the Anti-Counterfeit Agency
and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions)
ADOPTABILITY MODEL FOR DIGITAL FORENSIC EVIDENCE IN KENYA
No full textFULL TEXTThe traditional techniques used by forensic investigators through the incident response operations include mostly pulling out the power cable of the suspected machines. This method normally causes a major interference of the evidence gathering process, hence the need for a better investigation method. The purpose of the study was to provide a means for the Kenya Police in evaluating their forensic adoptability in digital forensic evidence. This study was intended for those who were operating in the fields of computer forensics. The main objective was to investigate the adoptability of digital forensics in digital crime handling in Kenya. The researcher came up with a better method by analysing different existing methods and techniques in the literature review that allowed an investigator to scrutinize and perform forensic acquisition in a running system without inducing the effects of taint or forensic blurriness caused by scrutinizing and analyzing a running system, and collect evidence. Descriptive research design was adopted. Data collection was done by use of questionnaires and analysed through qualitative and quantitative techniques. The target population was drawn from the Kenya Police in Nakuru County, Kenya. Stratified and purposive sampling was applied so as to get the respondents based on the representative and feasibility of attaining the necessary data. The study established that there was low level of effectiveness regarding digital forensic services necessary to improve the admissibility of evidence in court. Similarly, technology used in institutions complied with legal requirements, however little review was being done to ensure that the system they used met quality needs of their organizations. Finally, although digital forensic tools existed in the institutions, respondents felt a dire need for additional digital forensic tools. The study recommends that more trainings and awareness program must be given priority by the Kenya Police as regards digital forensic evidence acquisition and handling. Likewise, it is prudent for the Kenya Police to channel more resources towards digital evidence acquisition tools and services to improve admissibility of digital evidence in courts
Efficacy of Monitoring and Evaluation Framework on Implementation of Development Projects. A Comparative Analysis of Machakos And Embu County, Kenya
No full textFULL TEXTMonitoring and evaluation frameworks allow for project activities to be measured and analyzed.
There is a gap in the design of M&E frameworks to generate information during the process of
monitoring and evaluation and use of this information in future designs. The purpose of this
research study was to establish the influence of Monitoring and Evaluation Framework in the
successful implementation of County development projects. The study was guided by the main
determinants of monitoring and evaluation which are: Monitoring and Evaluation framework
dimensions results based performance indicators, learning capacity, participatory tracking and
beneficiary accountability. The moderating effects was Government funding and disbursement of
funds. The research adopted a descriptive survey design with a mixed method centered within a
wider exploratory, cross-sectional framework. The study was conducted in Machakos and Embu
County. The population of this study was 132 staff mandated to monitor and evaluate projects
undertaken under County government devolved functions from Machakos and Embu County. A
sample of 99 respondents was determined and individual elements in different categories were
also determined using Stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaires were distributed to
respondents through “drop and pick later” method and were subjected to a reliability test using
Cronbach’s alpha and their response was analyzed quantitatively by means of SPSS. A normality
test was conducted using the Shapiro Wilk’s test. Factor analysis was undertaken to determine
which of the factors are important in determining project completion. The research findings were
subjected to regression and correlation analysis to establish the effect and relationship between
the independent and dependent variables using a multiple regression model. Data was then be
summarized and presented using data tables, percentages and frequency tables. The results were
discussed and conclusions made from the objectives. Recommendations were made according to
the conclusions made.National Research Fun
EFFECT OF WORKING CAPITAL MANAGEMENT ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF LISTED COMMERCIAL AND SERVICE FIRMS AT NAIROBI SECURITIES EXCHANGE LIMITED KENYA
No full textFULL TEXTThe study analyzed the relationship of WCM on financial performance, taking the case of Firms in the Commercial and Services Segment of NSE, Kenya. Specifically, the study analyzed the effect of accounts receivable, accounts payable, stock conversion period, cash conversion cycle on Return on Asset as measures of financial performance of commercial and services segment listed in Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya. The study adopted the following theories to explain the effect of working capital on financial performance of Listed commercial and services segments; Residual Equity Theory, Value Chain Theory, Operating Cycle Theory, Cash Conversion Cycle Theory and Transaction Cost Economics Theory. The study adopted descriptive research design which tested variables the way they occur in natural environment without interfering with them. The target population of the study was the 12 firms in the Commercial and Services Segment of Nairobi Securities Exchange. The secondary data used in the analysis was from audited accounts reports from 2007to 2017. The researcher had a challenge in the companies which did not disclose some components of working capital on their financial statements but had to visit their company‟s premises to access the data. Data was analyzed using panel data regression models and correlation analysis with the help of Stata Statistical Software to establish the combined influence of the four components of working capital management on financial performance. The results is useful for the Capital Market Authority (CMA) of Kenya who formulate policies that promote efficiency in the management of the listed firms in understanding how the existing policy support efficient working capital management with an aim of improving financial performance of the listed companies. The study found out that that apart from Cash Conversion Cycle, the other elements of Working Capital Management (Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Inventory Conversion Period) affected financial performance measured in terms of Return of Asset of firms‟ in commercial and service segment in the NSE. Accounts Receivable had positive correlation with financial performance, r=.686, p=.012.05 indicating that Cash Conversion Cycle did not affect financial performance of firms‟ in the commercial segment of the NSE and on overall, there is a weak relationship between cash flows and performance indicators . The study recommends that firms‟ in commercial and service segment in the NSE should enhance credit management to avoid over investment in accounts receivables. Collection policies should be reviewed in order to make the cash conversion cycle shorter for efficient working capital while keeping in view the intensity of competition. The study also recommends proper inventory management to avoid overstocking which could negatively affect financial performance. While coming up with inventory related policies