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Video-on-demand for personalised watching and engagement: a case of viusasa
(Chuka University, 2024) Wainaina Peter James
Since its inception, TV has undergone significant institutional and technological changes, influenced by shifts in audience values, daily routines, and technological advancements. This evolution has given rise to revolutionary applications such as Video-on-Demand (VoD), which offer personalized viewing experiences. Despite the unique viewing practices facilitated by platforms like Viusasa, understanding of VoD platforms in Kenya remains limited due to scarce research on the efficacy of personalization and user engagement, resulting in delayed adoption of these transformative platforms. This study sought to bridge this gap by examining the media transformation facilitated by Viusasa, particularly its impact on personalized viewing experiences and audience engagement. Specifically, the study assesses the effectiveness of personalized content delivery, explores Viusasa's role in promoting local content, and identifies key challenges faced by Viusasa users in accessing content. Anchored in the Mediamorphosis theory, which explores the dynamic interplay between existing and emerging media forms and the uses and gratification theory, this research employs a descriptive research design. The study targeted 111,212 subscribers at the time of the study, out of whom 383 subscribers were sampled. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select participants with vast knowledge and experiences from their interactions with the Viusasa platform. Data was collected through open-ended and closed questionnaires administered to 383 Viusasa users in Nairobi's central business district, specifically within Starehe constituency. Descriptive statistics was employed to analyze the data, revealing insightful patterns and trends. The findings underscore several critical points: first, personalized content delivery on Viusasa significantly enhances user satisfaction and engagement, aligning with the diverse preferences of media consumers. Second, Viusasa plays a pivotal role in promoting local content, thereby fostering cultural diversity and supporting local creators. However, the study also identified substantial challenges faced by users, including frequent buffering issues, occasional login difficulties, variable content loading speeds, and concerns about video quality consistency. The study recommends that Viusasa should invest in enhancing its technical infrastructure to address buffering issues, improve login processes, and ensure consistent content loading speeds and video quality. To further support local content creators, the study recommends that Viusasa establish partnerships with local production companies and provide funding or resources for the creation of high-quality local content.
Ubabedume katika sherehe za upiganishaji fahali katika jamii ya waidakho magharibi mwa kenya
(Chuka University, 2024) Asalache Austine Indulagi
Utafiti huu ulichunguza ubabedume katika miviga ya upiganishaji fahali ambapo mtafiti alichunguza sifa za mwanamume zinazodhihirisha ubabedume, maudhui katika nyimbo zinazoimbwa katika sherehe za upiganishaji fahali na ishara za kiuana zinazodhihirisha ubabedume katika miviga ya upiganishaji fahali. Ili kutimiza malengo haya, utafiti ulichunguza namna ishara maana, sifa za mwanamume na maudhui katika nyimbo hudhihirisha ubabedume. Ishara na nyimbo zinazoimbwa katika miviga ya upiganishaji fahali ni nyenzo kuu ya kumkumbusha mwanamume nafasi yake katika jamii katika kukuza utamaduni wa Waidakho. Mtafiti aliongozwa na nadharia mbili: nadharia ya Ubabedume ambayo iliasisiwa na Raewyn Connel miaka ya 1995. Nadharia hii ilieleza mahusiano ya wanawake na wanaume katika jamii. Kisha, nadharia ya Semiotiki iliyoasisiwa na Ferdinand de Saussure miaka ya 1970.nadharia hii ilichunguza maana, ishara-maana na misingi ya kitamaduni ya jamii. Uteuzi wa sampuli kimaksudi ulitumiwa kumchagua mwenyekiti wa mipango ya miviga ya upiganishaji fahali pamoja na kumbi zilizotumiwa kupiganisha fahali. Data asilia iliyotumiwa ilikusanywa kupitia hojaji, kusaili, utazamaji na uchunzaji-shiriki. Nyimbo na ishara zilizokusanywa zilitafsiriwa kwa lugha ya Kiswahili kwa kuwa zilikuwa zimeimbwa kwa lahaja ya Ki-idakho. Nyimbo na ishara zilizotafsiriwa zilifanyiwa uchanganuzi kwa misingi ya madhumuni ya utafiti. Mtafiti alichanganua data kwa njia ya maelezo kwa kupanga, kuweka katika kanda za kunasa sauti, kisha kuihakiki na kuchanganua kwa kutazama idadi ya marudio kwa kila jibu. Umuhimu wa utafiti huu ni kuweka nyimbo za upiganishaji wa fahali katika kumbukumbu kwa kuwa matini za nyimbo zilizokusanywa zilihifadhiwa katika maandishi kwa matumizi ya kufundishia na utafiti wa usomi katika utanzu wa nyimbo. Kuwepo kwa kumbukumbu hizi kutarahisisha kupokeza kwa mitazamo na itikadi za ubabedume kutoka kizazi kimoja hadi kingine kupitia miviga ya upiganishaji fahali ambapo nyimbo hutumiwa kama nyenzo ya kuwakumbusha wanaume na watoto wa kiume kuhusu misimamo na mitazamo ya jamii ya Waidakho.
Time series modeling of fertiliser demand in kenya
(Chuka University, 2024) Mutegi James Mwiti
The agricultural sector is the backbone of the Kenyan economy, contributing approximately 33% of the Gross Domestic Product. The agriculture sector employs more than 40% of the total population and 70% of the rural population. However, agricultural productivity has stagnated recently due to various constraints, including poor agronomic practices such as fertiliser application. One of the major constraints in crop production is the timeliness of fertiliser application. If fertilisers are applied too early or too late, plants might not absorb the nutrients efficiently, leading to reduced growth and lower yields. Understanding the patterns of fertiliser demand helps in better planning and management of fertiliser supply chains, ensuring that farmers have access to the right types and amounts of fertilisers when they need them most. Therefore, there is need to understand the demand for fertiliser across different agroecological zones and its timely delivery to the farming communities. The objective of this study was to apply time series forecasting techniques to model fertiliser demand in Kenya based on the secondary monthly data from 2010 – 2023. The data was obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. R- Studio software (version
2023.12.1+402) was utilised to analyse data for descriptive statistics, fertiliser demand variability, and model fitting. The Box-Jenkins method was used to model and forecast fertiliser demand variability. The findings of this study indicated that the demand for fertilisers is seasonal. In addition, fertiliser demand in Kenya experiences significant demand fluctuations over time due to the seasonality of the agricultural practices. STL decomposition was applied to separate the time series data into trend, seasonal, and residual components, allowing for a clear analysis of seasonal patterns and underlying trends. This study also found that the demand for various types of fertilisers varied from month to month, and the demand was high during the months of March, April, July, August, October and November. The Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) test was used to compare different SARIMA models, with lowest AIC values indicating better model fit and complexity balance. The study's findings revealed that the demand for different types of fertilisers can be modelled by the following Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models: Calcium nitrate; SARIMA (1,1,1) (0,0,1)[2], Diammonium Phosphate; SARIMA (0,0,0) (2,0,0)[12], Muriate of potash; SARIMA (1,1,4) (0,0,1)[12], NPK; SARIMA (2,0,0) (2,0,0)[12], Calcium ammonium nitrate;
ARIMA (0,0,0)w/mean, Urea; ARIMA (0,1,1) and total fertiliser demand SARIMA; (1,1,4) (0,0,1)[12]. Most fertilisers, especially Diammonium Phosphate, Muriate of Potash, and Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium Fertiliser, exhibited clear yearly seasonal patterns, likely corresponding to specific planting or growth seasons. Some fertilisers, such as Urea and Muriate of Potash, exhibit trends and short-term fluctuations, while others like Calcium Ammonium Nitrate are more stable. Fertilisers such as Muriate of Potash and total demand have complex demand dynamics, requiring more sophisticated models to capture both seasonal and non-seasonal components. The study recommends exploring other forecasting methods, such as machine learning models and SARIMAX models that account for seasonal and non-seasonal components and external factors in the model.
The role of community radio in countering misinformation on the covid-19 pandemic: a case of anyole radio
(Chuka University, 2024) Ambaluku Elvies Kibisu
The emergence of Covid-19 as a global pandemic triggered a misinformation outbreak,
“the infodemic”. Unlike most of the previous global pandemics, Covid-19 emerged in the digital era, the era of instantaneous communication and information flow. With an unrestricted flow and unlimited sources of information, the Covid-19 pandemic provided a unique challenge to mitigation and control. This study therefore sought to investigate the role played by Anyole Radio in countering the infodemic on the Covid19 pandemic. The study objectives were to identify infodemics/ misinformation, identify the strategies employed by Anyole radio in countering misinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic and to discuss challenges faced by the community radio in countering misinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic. This study was anchored on the Agenda Setting theory with conclusions being drawn from the media and policy agenda setting types of the agenda setting theory. The theory was used to evaluate how the media filters and shapes information that it relays to its audience. This was then used to analyze how community radio shaped perceptions on the Covid-19 pandemic and how it countered misinformation, influenced behavior, and perceptions. The study employed a descriptive study design on a sample size of 384 respondents out of a study population of 250,000. A case study research design was employed with the case for the study being the role of Anyole Radio in countering misinformation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Criterion sampling was used in selecting respondents that meet the three criteria (listeners, journalists or health specialists) who were recruited through networks with the radio station. A mixed method sampling approach was incorporated combining quota sampling and purposive sampling. Questionnaires and interviews were used as the research instruments with interviews supplementing questionnaires in the data collection procedure. The study sought to evaluate the performance of community radio in the Covid and post Covid era. Community radio listeners, health practitioners and community radio journalists within the broadcasting range of the community radio in study were interviewed and questionnaires administered to investigate the presence of misinformation from several sources, among them community radio. The findings were then analyzed vis a vis factual information provided in community radio to establish how community radio is countering misinformation or propagating the same. A regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the strategies used by Anyole radio and the effectiveness in countering misinformation. From the findings, it was concluded that misinformation poses a real threat to health communication especially in a pandemic situation. It was observed that misinformation is widely spread through internet sources and social media. Further, it was deduced that Anyole radio played a role in countering misinformation by combining multiple strategies. Anyole radio’s use of local and simple languages, along with clear explanations, significantly contributed to the effectiveness of countering misinformation as compared to other strategies. While it was observed that Anyole radio is faced with operational challenges such as inadequate resources and informational challenges such as rumors and conspiracy theories, proper mitigation would enhance its role in countering misinformation
The role of Atharaka cultural ties in political mobilization during the general elections in Tharaka constituency, kenya (1961-2007)
(Chuka University, 2024) Kirunguru Raphael Nyamu
Different societies in Africa have been using various cultural ties as a strategy for political mobilizations during general elections. In this regard, the study focused on examining the role of Atharaka music, clanism and age-set systems in political mobilization from 1961 to 2007. The study was guided by the following objectives: to examine the role of music in political mobilization in the Tharaka constituency from 1961 to 2007; to analyze the role of clanism in political mobilization among the Atharaka during general elections and to investigate how age-set system was used in political mobilization in Tharaka during general elections from 1961 to 2007. The study was steered by the assumption that culture plays a significant role in political mobilization. The literature was reviewed in this study to identify the gaps. The study was guided by structural functionalism theory. A descriptive study design was used. The research was carried out in the Tharaka constituency which has two sub-counties, Tharaka North and Tharaka South. Respondents were purposively sampled using snowballing techniques because it assisted the researcher in identifying respondents who have been deeply involved in Tharaka culture and politics. Tharaka constituency is among the three constituencies in Tharaka Nithi County which includes Maara, and Chuka Igambang’ombe. Tharaka constituency has a population of 133,595. The sampled wards are Chiakariga and Nkondi where Chiakariga ward has 18,564 voters and Nkondi has 9,543 thus categorizing them as a minor group in Tharaka voters. For the minor group, a sample size of 20- 50 respondents was used since the research relied on data saturation. The study sampled 40 respondents on the basis of data saturation. The researcher used both primary and secondary data. The data was analyzed thematically using historical narrations by corroborating both primary and secondary sources. The study found that music is used by Atharaka to mobilize people politically during general elections. Also, the research found that clanism and age-set systems are used to mobilize Atharaka voters during electioneering periods. On the contrary, the study found that in some instances, the use of music, clanism and age-set systems contributed to political demobilizations of certain political candidates. The findings were in line with structural functionalism theory. The study concluded that the overuse or overreliance on the culture can make people elect the wrong people for political leadership. In that regard, people should be cautious to avoid the overuse of cultural ties as a determinant of electing political leadership. Secondly, the study recommends that to encourage good governance and accountability, the government should encourage people to think beyond their culture when electing people for political leadership. To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 16 which encourages peace, justice and strong governance institutions, the overuse of the culture without a strong basis should be avoided. The research contributes to the political history of Kenya and cultural history of Atharaka. The study is also expected to contribute to policy-making, especially on ways to curb cultural ties that may instigate conflicts and ethnicity in Kenya.