101 research outputs found
Influence of Performance Management Strategies on Service Delivery in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government; Case of Gucha South Sub County, Kisii, Kenya
Full text linkEffectiveness of performance management systems in an organization is normally affected by many factors but three are most important. First, the system needs to be aligned with and is supported by the organizational direction and critical success factors. Then, well developed, efficiently administered tools and processes are needed to make the system user-friendly and well received by organizational members. Lastly, the managers and members must use the system in a manner that brings visible, value-added benefits in the area of performance planning, performance development, feedback and achievement of results. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of performance management strategies on service delivery in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government; a case of Gucha South Sub County, Kisii, Kenya. The study was guided by the following objectives, namely to find out the influence of performance planning on service delivery in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government in Gucha South Sub County, Kisii, Kenya; to examine the influence of staff appraisal on service delivery in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government in Gucha South Sub County, Kisii, Kenya; to determine the influence of staff training on service delivery in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government in Gucha South Sub County, Kisii, Kenya; to find out the influence of rewards and recognition on service delivery in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government in Gucha South Sub County, Kisii, Kenya. The entire population was 229 civil servants in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government in Gucha South Sub County. A sample of 172 respondents was selected from each of the department using the Krejcie and Morgan sampling table. Data was collected by use of a structured questionnaire that was pretested in Kisii South Sub County. Data analysis was done by use of SPSS version 22 computer package. Data was summarized into frequencies and percentages. Hypothesis testing was achieved by use of Pearman’s product moment correlation analysis and indicated a significant relationship at 87.7% between performance planning, performance appraisal at 84.9%, staff training and employee rewards at 75.3% and staff are likely to be given promotions after training at 78.1%. Data presentation was done by use of tables. Study findings indicated that performance planning was being conducted in the ministry, trainings were being conducted, performance appraisal was being done and methods for recognizing and rewarding staff that excelled in service delivery were in place. The study recommended that the reward system, staff training and staff appraisal be redesigned so that the strategies can motivate staff to improve service delivery
The Plight of Single Mothers and Their Children in Kenya: The Presbyterian Church's Inadequate Response, 1995
No full textThis dissertation is an inquiry on what the church should do to respond more adequately to the needs of single mothers in Kenya today. The project was conducted at the shelter for homeless women of the First Presbyterian Church, 1328 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia. This church is a large, white, middle-class, Christian community. It operates a variety of ministries. One of these ministries is called AMTS (Atlanta Ministry to International Students), which is under the direction of the Rev. Dr. Faked Abu-Akel. It is a ministry which is not only supported by this church, but by other churches such as Oglethorpe Presbyterian Church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, St. James United Methodist Church, St. Martin Episcopal Church, Northside United Methodist Church, and the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. This unique ministry, in the American setting, will help the project because the persons who are to participate in the doctoral project are familiar with this church. They have previously been invited to various functions of the church. They know it, the ministers, and the role of this student minister in these ministries. The community ministry of this church is a far-reaching one. The writer has been working closely with the pastor, Rev. Charles Black. At times he has introduced Kenyan students to the ministers of the church for help, particularly in furnishing their houses when they come to Atlanta. These ministries have been attracting many international students, making it an ideal venue for this project. The church in Kenya is not adequately responding to the needs of single mothers and their children. It will, therefore, be ideal to carry out the project in a place where the church is responding to the needs of the less fortunate members of the society. Working there, I am able to gain some insights from the dynamic operation of this church. It operates a shelter for homeless women, a ministry to international students, a food pantry and clothes closet for the underprivileged. The doctoral project described in this document is designed to benefit participants from Kenya who are studying in Atlanta colleges and universities and those working in the city. It will involve married women and men, single mothers, and leaders from the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. It is designed to enable single mothers to express their pain, their anger and frustrations. The participants will struggle with the question of the acceptance of single mothers as people who do not deserve condemnation from both the church and the society, but love, care and recognition. Six group sessions will be held at the church where participants will listen to one another, have dialogue, hear stories from single mothers, and listen to three presentations by experts in African Traditional Religion, Presbyterian Practice and Procedure, book and field research by the writer. It is anticipated that by the end of the project three major issues will have emerged. These are, briefly, that: (a) there are a lot of injustices done to single mothers by the church and the society in Kenya. (b) there is a persistent denial, by the church, of the existence of this class of women who are single mothers. (c) a creative response to these needs will be by teaching, and by the church acting as an agent of social change. There is a need for a ministry to single mothers in the form of a support group
Influence of Community Participation on Completion of Constituency Development Fund Projects in Kenya: a Case of Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County
Full text linkIdeally, CDF projects should be geared towards improving the livelihood of the constituents through addressing their social, economic situation. However, this has not always been the case. Despite increased allocations, there have been projecting delays especially in CDF funded construction projects that have seen constituents express their frustrations. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of community participation on completion of constituency development fund projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County in Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to establish the influence of community participation in need analysis in completion of constituency development fund projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County, to examine the extent to which community participation in the planning stage affects completion of constituency development fund projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County, to assess the influence of community participation in project implementation, in completion of constituency development fund projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County and to examine the influence of community participation in project monitoring and evaluation, in completion of constituency development fund projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County. This study was based on Freire’s theory of dialogical action. The study adopted descriptive survey research design to assess the influence of community participation on completion of CDF projects in Kabete Constituency. The study narrowed down to only CDF Projects commenced from the financial year 2017/2018, and are completed or on-going or failed, as its sampling unit. Survey questionnaires and schedule interviews were the data collection instruments used. The items in the questionnaire and interviews were similar but customized to suit the respondents. The study conducted pilot study to test for the validity and reliability of research instruments. The target population comprised management staffs, that is, CDF project management committee and CDF Committee members of CDF projects in Kabete Constituency. From the target population of 126 and a sampling error of 0.05, a sample size of 96 respondents was arrived. The pilot study was conducted a month to actual data collection in the bordering Kikuyu Constituency. The pilot study was conducted a month to actual data collection in the bordering Kikuyu Constituency. After the data was collected, both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis were used. A code sheet was prepared, and this information analyzed by the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), which is a computer aided program. The study concludes that community participation in need analysis influence completion of CDF projects in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County to a large extent.
Further, the study finds that community participation in need analysis, planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation influence completion of CDF projects. The study concludes that community participation in the planning enhances the completion of CDF projects in Kabete Constituency to a large extent. The study concludes that the effective community participation in project implementation enhances the completion of CDF projects in Kabete Consituency to alarge extent. In addition, the study concludes that community participation in project monitoring and evaluation enhances the completion of CDF projects in Kabete Constituency to a large extent. The study has shown that community participation in need analysis has the greatest influence on sustainability of CDF projects, any development interventions targeting a community ought therefore to ensure that the community participates in need analysis if the intervention is to be sustained
Associations of diet quality with dairy group membership, membership duration and non-membership for Kenyan farm women and children: A comparative study
No full textEffect of nutrition education and dairy group membership on nutrition knowledge, practices and diet quality for rural Kenyan farm women
No full textPARENTAL ABSENCE ON THE INCREASE OF STREET CHILDREN IN NAKURU TOWN, NAKURU COUNTY, KENYA
No full textAbstract: Kenya has been grappling with an upsurge in the number of street children throughout the years in spite of the relentless efforts which have been set up by different stakeholders for instance the establishment of rehabilitation centers to rehabilitate these street children and reunite them with their families. The purpose of this study was to establish in what way absence of parents contributes to the increase of street children in Nakuru Town, Nakuru County. This study was guided by Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. The study employed descriptive survey research design including quantitative and qualitative data gathering approaches using a sample size of 295 street children, four key informants and 12 institutionalized ex children of the streets at Arap Moi children’s home who were randomly selected. A multi stage sampling technique involving convenient, stratified random sampling, snowballing and purposive sampling was used to select the respondents for the study. Questionnaires, focus group discussion and Interview schedules were used as the main tools for data collection. The study results showed that while still at home, children had a lasting and painful life experiences due to death of parents, parental divorce and maltreatment by folks/parents which made them flee onto the streets. The study also revealed that there was a statistical significant relationship between absence of parents, child abuse, domestic violence and the increase of street children in Nakuru town.
Keywords: Child, Child abuse, Family, Street children; Urban area.
Title: PARENTAL ABSENCE ON THE INCREASE OF STREET CHILDREN IN NAKURU TOWN, NAKURU COUNTY, KENYA
Author: Collins Otieno Onyango, Dr. Rachael Mbugua
International Journal of Recent Research in Social Sciences and Humanities (IJRRSSH)
ISSN 2349-7831
Vol. 9, Issue 4, October 2022 - December 2022
Page No: 1-9
Paper Publications
Website: www.paperpublications.org
Published Date: 06-October-2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7152604
Paper Download Link (Source)
https://www.paperpublications.org/upload/book/PARENTAL%20ABSENCE%20ON%20THE%20INCREASE-06102022-2.pdfInternational Journal of Recent Research in Social Sciences and Humanities (IJRRSSH), ISSN 2349-7831, Paper Publications, Website: www.paperpublications.or
Occurrence of Oral Lesions Associated With HIV/AIDS in Patients Receiving HAART at the Comprehensive Care Clinic,Thika District Hospital, Kenya
No full textThe prevalence of some easily detectable oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS decreases with HAART. Their presence may therefore be used as an indicator of the effectiveness of HAART. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence and patterns of HIV/AIDS-related oral lesions in relationship to HAART usage, with a particular focus on oro-pharyngeal candidiasis (OPC). In this cross-sectional study, every 5th HIV-positive Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC) outpatient on HAART was selected. They underwent oral cavity examination for the presence of different clinical forms of OPC and other oral lesions associated with HIV infection. Individual patient medical records were perused for relevant clinical data. Gram
Stain smears from OPC lesions were examined under a light microscope for the presence of Candida pseudo-hyphae. Data was recorded in structured questionnaires and standard forms, entered into MS Access and then transferred to Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. Chi square was used to analyze the statistical significances of the differences in frequencies and proportions. The data was stratified for periods below and above 24 weeks on HAART. One-way ANOVA was computed comparing the mean ages, mean CD4 count and mean durations on HAART between the sexes. Odds ratios were calculated for the occurrence of OPC in subjects who had been on HAART for 24 weeks or more with adjustments for age, CD4 count, use of antifungal drugs, use of
antibiotics and missed HAART doses marital status and employment status
Hydrogeochemical modeling of the speciation and leaching of fly ash co-disposed with water, brines and organics : a case study of Sasol-Eskom coal ash disposal, South Africa.
Full text linkThesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2012.Two coal utility plants in South Africa selected (one from Sasol and another from Eskom) for this study produce large volumes of fly ash (over 40 Mt from Eskom at Tutuka, and 3 Mt from Sasol Synfuels at Secunda annually), and brines as by-products during coal processing. Co-disposal of the brines and fly ashes has been a normal practice in these coal-utility plants for decades. Long-term management of fly ash is necessary and requires an understanding and knowledge of how the different waste materials interact with water and brines in different chemical situations. However the geochemistry of their interactions, the leaching and mobility of elements in these disposal systems has not been fully understood. This work gives insights into the chemical processes taking place in the brine-water/brines systems that govern the concentrations of major and minor elements in ash leachates under different environmental conditions. The possible presence of organic compounds (subsequently referred to as 'organics') in brines and their effects on the leaching chemistry of fly ash was also studied. Sustainability and long term impact of the co-disposal of fly ash and brines on the environment was studied through static (batch tests) modeling of the pH-dependent acid neutralization capacity (ANC) tests and columns modeling for dynamic leach tests. The modeling was based on experimental results from other Sasol-Eskom ashbrine project collaborators. Modeling results of the ANC tests were in good agreement with the reported experimental results, which revealed that the release trends of various elements (including trace, heavy elements and contaminants) contained in fly ash into solution is highly pH dependent. However Na, K, Mo and Li exhibited constant solubilisation which was independent of pH changes from all the scenarios. The presence of different constituents of brines subjected to ANC resulted to different ANC capacities ranging from 0.98 moles H⁺/Kg dry ash (of ash-organics mixed with Mg-brines) to 3.87 H⁺/Kg dry ash for those with the C(4) brines. As expected, those constituents from the cationic brines were found on the lower region of acid addition (in the order Mg-brines 12 (suspension in demineralised water) and the predominant cation even at this high pH is Ca²⁺ (at concentration > 0.002 mmol/L). This indicates that dissolution of CaO and formation of OH⁻ species at pH > 10 contributes to acid neutralisation capacity of both fly ashes and is the greatest contributor to the acid neutralizing capacity of both fly ashes. Two broad leaching behaviours as a function of pH were observed from the three fly ash-ASW organics-brines scenarios (i) leaching of Ca, Mg, Ni and Sr follows a cationic pattern where the concentration decreases monotonically as pH increases; (ii) leaching of Al, Fe, Ti and Zn follow an amphoteric pattern where the concentration increases at acidic and alkaline pH, although Al showed some anomaly from pH 11 where the concentration decreased with the increase in pH. Al showed an amphoteric pattern in which its release increased between pH 12.8 and 11 for all the scenarios and then decreased with decrease in pH down to neutral pH of 7.
The batch leaching simulation results from hydrogeochemical modeling also showed that mineral dissolution, precipitation and new phase formation during ash-organics-brines interactions was controlled by pH. The newly formed phases however remain in equilibrium with the ash-brines-organics mixture. Each individual mineral phase dissolution/precipitation/formation system controls the concentration and speciation of the respective constituent elements as evidenced by the log C-pH diagrams obtained from the modeled scenarios. The ash-brines-organics interactions do exhibit and affect the mineralogical chemistry of fly ash. However the extent to which these interactions occur and their effect, varies from one scenario to another, and are dependent on the amounts and type of the constituent brine components. Organics do have a significant effect on dissolution characteristics of few minerals such as calcite, mullite, kaolinite, Ni₂SiO₄, and SrSiO₃ due to complexation effect. The effect is quantitatively conspicuous for calcite mineral phase and for the formation of some new phases such as Fe(OH)₃(am)-CF and portlandite.
The composition of the liquid phase from acid neutralisation capacity experiments was successful.Hydrogeochemical modeling was used as a means to provide insights and understanding of the complex reactions taking place, speciation and mineralogical changes occurring. These changes would serve to predict future environmental scenarios when pH conditions change. In this study, an extension of the application field of PHREEQC hydrogeochemical code for modeling and simulation of equilibrium; kinetic and transport mechanisms associated with the interaction of water; and organics and brines with fly ash during their co-disposal is successfully demonstrated.
The parameters associated with these mechanisms were used as inputs into the PHREEQC program using modified Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) database for inorganic brines and MINTEQ.V4 database for organics, and used to model the results of ANC test data for the fly ashes. A special reference is made to two separate modeled mineralogical ash recipes from two of the South African power utility plants' fly ash systems, namely, Tutuka and Secunda. The effects of brines in the leaching of major, minor and trace elements at various pH values and the mineralogical changes associated with the intermediate and final products from the interactions of ash-brines systems under different scenarios are qualitatively and quantatively discussed. Multiphase saturation characteristics have been determined for mineral species in contact with water and brines.
The modeling results indicated that several mineral phases could be controlling the species concentration in the leachates, and the ANC and column modeling results corroborated well in many aspects with the experimental results obtained from collaborating institutions (South Africa Universities and Research institutions). In addition, application of the PHREEQC model to the ash heap under different disposal systems was carried out to predict the heap leachate composition and geochemical transformations taking place in a period of time. Pore water chemical analysis, and moisture content analysis revealed that contact of the ash with water is a crucial factor in the mobilization of the contaminants with time. Maximum weathering/dissolution of the ash is observed in the top layer (1-3) m and at the point of contact with the subsurface water level which was in good agreement with the model results. The surface layer and the very lowest layers of the dump in contact with lateral flows experience the highest degree of weathering leading to depletion of species. The geophysical transformation of fly ash was also captured through the porosity change calculations and the results revealed that geochemical reactions do affect the porosity of fly ash during the weathering processes. These modelling results were in agreement with the hydraulic tests and salt leaching tests conducted during Sasol-Eskom ashbrine project in Phase I which suggested that salts captured in the ash will become mobile and leach from the fly ash over time. The data therefore indicates that ash dumps may not act as sustainable salt sinks. These findings may have some bearing on engineering decisions on fly ash reuse. From the above observations, it is apparent that release of large quantities of the salts in the ash depends on the extent of its interaction with brines being used for irrigation or with water, either through plug-in flow after a rainfall event or contact with groundwater. The results revealed effects of brine-water contact time with fly ash, the flow volume and velocity, the pH, the degree of saturation, hydrogeology and ash heap geometry as important factors that affect fly ash transformation and weathering.
Overall, the ash heap modeling enhanced the understanding of the ash-brines interactions and demonstrated that leachate composition is determined by the following factors; (i) the mass flows from the pores of fly ash, (ii) the surface dissolution of the mineral phases, (iii) the various chemical reactions involved during the ash-brine and ash-water interactions, (iv) the interactions with a gas phase (atmospheric CO₂), (v) the composition of the initial fly ash, and (vi) by the leachate flow and hydrodynamics as captured in the conceptual model. Any ash handling system should therefore be designed to take these criteria into consideration to prevent environmental contamination. The modeling results also gave indications that the ash-brine co-disposal in dry ash systems would be an unsustainable way of locking up brine salts in the long run.
In this Thesis, modeling results were used to support experimental data which further reaffirmed the important role hydrogeochemical modeling plays in liquid and solid waste management. Furthermore, hydrogeochemical modeling complements the work of analytical/environmental scientists as well as guiding the future solid waste management and engineering decisions
Behavioral Factors Associated With High Default Rates for Loans to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES) In Kenya
No full textA Project Report Submitted to the Chandaria School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Executive Master of Science in Organizational Development (EMOD)The general objective of this study was to determine the behavioral factors associated with high default rates in lending to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to analyze factors directly associated with high default rates in lending to SME sector in Kenya, to determine behavioral factors Banks and Financial Institutions (FIs) can use to predict probability of default of lending to SMEs in Kenya and to evaluate the behavioral parameters for scoring credit applications for SMEs lending in Kenya.
The study adopted a descriptive research design aimed at determining the behavioral factors associated with high default rates in lending to SMEs in Kenya. The descriptive research design was used because it enabled the researcher apply the general findings to a large population. The findings describe the characteristics that exist among different variables common to SME businesses that can explain the behavioral factors that could help predict probability of default. The population for the study comprised records of fifteen thousand (15,000) SME customers who had active credit facilities and had serviced the loans for at least twelve months since disbursement. From the sampling frame of fifteen thousand records, the researcher used a sample of ten thousand five hundred (10,500) SME customers equal to seventy percent (70%) as the development sample and the remaining thirty percent (30%) was used as the validating sample. Quantitative data analysis involved using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) application to generate distributions through tabulations, percentages, means and other measures of central tendencies. Microsoft Excel application was used to prepare presentation and analysis diagrams, pie charts, graphs and calculation of distributions. The study finally drew findings from the appropriate conclusions.
The study found out that the loan tenor or months to maturity and interest rate type – either variable or fixed rate were major determinants of the default rate among SME customers. The study also determined that the account conduct of SME business owners, years of business operation and business experience affected the servicing of loans hence contributed to high default rates. The study further determined the main behavioral parameters that could be used to score SME customers involved the general management of loan and other accounts held by the SME customers. These included management of account overdrawn positions, bounced cheques, returned standing orders and management of credit transactions.
The study concluded that the factors affecting the default rate in lending to SMEs in Kenya include application variables that indicate the repayment ability of a customer. They include customer specific information, product information and financial indicators. The study further concluded that behavioral factors Banks and Financial Institutions can use to predict probability of default in lending to SMEs include variables that indicate how well a customer services the loan facilities after disbursement. These factors include accounts and product management, interval measures and the relationship with the lender. Finally the study concluded by identifying and evaluating behavioral parameters that can be used to develop behavioral score cards for SME in Kenya. These parameters need to be internally determined based on the existing customers’ data and they largely relate to management of accounts and interval measures by SME customers.
The study recommends that Banks and Financial Institutions should employ application factors and parameters as the basis for evaluating new customer loan applications which should form a basis for behavioral scoring for existing customers in order to predict default probability post disbursement. Further the study recommends that management of banks and financial institutions should take keen interest on the borrower’s business experience, management of other accounts the customer operates and how customers manage their loan facilities to determine the behavioral factors that can predict borrower-behavior and hence the possibility of default occurring. These borrower behaviors attributable to management of accounts act as predictors of likelihood of default. Finally the study recommends use of behavioral scorecards that analyze quantitative factors that can determine whether to approve additional credit facilities for already existing customers and future research is recommended on all commercial Banks in Kenya to determine additional parameters that can be applied industry-wide for behavioral credit scoring
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