Chuka University Digital Repository
Chuka University Repository is a Digital Hub for Knowledge Output From Chuka University.
Communities in DSpace
Select a community to browse its collections.
Recent Submissions
Effect of supply chain management practices on performance of food processing firms in Nairobi county, Kenya
(Chuka University, 2022) Mayabi, Peres Linda
The productivity of food processing firms in Kenya has been declining due to the use Supply Chain Management Practices which are not current. The food processing subsector performance has also been declining thus its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product has reduced to 10% thus leading to operation inefficiency. Even though a lot has been done to curb the problem of poor performance in these firms the problem has continued to be experienced. Therefore, there is need for a study to be done on the Supply Chain Management Practices that could help enhance the performance of food processing firms. The overall objective of this study was to probe the effect of supply chain management practices on performance of food processing firms in Nairobi County. It was steered by the specific objectives pertinent to Supply Chain Management Practices namely; information sharing practices, logistics management and inventory management on performance of food processing firms in Nairobi County. Firm size was used as a moderator variable. The study was premised on the Complexity Theory in Logistics, The Lean theory and Grey system theory. Descriptive design was espoused. A population of 172 food processing firms and a sample size of 120 firms was determined. Stratified and simple random sampling were used to pick specific firms while data were collected using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics aided in describing the primary characteristics of the data. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to establish the correlation between the studies constructs. Regression analysis aided to ascertain the effect of Supply Chain Management Practices on performance of food processing firms with the aid of SPSS version 28. T-statistics were used to gauge the significance of individual objectives at 5% confidence level while F-statistics was used to establish the overall significance of the model. The study established a positive significant effect between information sharing practices and performance (regression coefficient 0.247, p-value 0.029). Further logistics management was found to be positively correlated to performance, (regression coefficient 0.372, p-value of 0.000). Inventory management had a regression coefficient of 0.492 and a p-value of 0.000 indicating it is significant. The interaction between firm size and supply chain management practices had a regression coefficient of 0.257 and a p-value of 0.124 .It had a t-statics of 4.751. The study concluded that information sharing practices, logistics management and inventory management had substantial impact on performance on Food processing firms and recommends that food processing firms to apply information sharing practices and logistics management in order to reduce on cost. On the other hand, inventory management was found to be insignificant therefore it does not affect performance. Firm size was found not to alter the nexus between Supply Chain Management Practices and performance. The study recommends that firms should invest more in information sharing platform such as the EDI to enhance free flow of information. Food processing firms should incorporate the aspect of vehicle routing and vehicle scheduling to reduce the transportation cost. Further the study recommends that firms should establish adequate quality control and quality monitoring points in order to get the best quality during the production. The government to implement SCMPs and strategies that encourage businesses to espouse prudent management strategies regarding inventory to boost revenue. Further research should be conducted in different contexts and other studies should be carried out for a longer period of time to track the changes over a period of time.
Suala la ardhi katika riwaya teule za kiswahili: Tathmini ya kovu moyoni na kufa kuzikana
(Chuka University, 2018) Njeru, Mary Kanyua
Ardhi ni mojawapo ya rasilimali muhimu katika maisha ya mwanadamu. Suala la rasilimali ya ardhi ulimwenguni hasa nchini Kenya limekuwa nyeti na kuibua mijadala ya kijamii na kiakademia tangu enzi za ukoloni na hata baada ya uhuru. Utafiti huu ulikusudia kuchunguza jinsi suala la ardhi limesawiriwa na waandishi wa riwaya teule za Kiswahili. Riwaya zilizohakikiwa ni Kufa Kuzikana (Walibora, 2003) na Kovu Moyoni (Habwe, 2014). Msisitizo ulikuwa kuangazia jinsi wasanii wa riwaya hizi walivyoangazia migogoro kuhusu ardhi kuonyesha matatizo yaliyotokana na mikinzano kuhusu rasilimali hiyo pamoja na athari zake. Hii ni kwa msingi kuwa fasihi ni mojawapo ya nyenzo inayoweza kuchangia kuangazia matatizo yanayokumba jamii yoyote iwayo. Aidha, ni chombo muhimu cha kuelimisha, kuhamasisha na kuzindua jamii pana kuhusu matatizo yake. Madhumuni ya utafiti huu yalikuwa kuchunguza jinsi Walibora na Habwe wametumia fasihi kudhihirisha mizozo ya ardhi kwa kurejelea tungo zao, kuchunguza jinsi ambavyo walitumia fani za lugha kuwasilisha athari za mizozo ya ardhi na kubainisha suluhisho walilolitoa kama wasanii walio katika sehemu ya jamii zilizokumbwa na migogoro ya ardhi. Utafiti huu uliongozwa na nadharia ya Baadaukoloni ambayo inahusishwa na kazi za Cesaire (1950), Fanon (1961) Said (1978) na Bhabha (1994), ambayo ilitumika ili kufafanua jinsi waandishi wa riwaya teule wamedhihirisha athari za ukoloni katika suala la ardhi. Utafiti huu ulitumia uteuzi wa sampuli wa kimakusudi kama njia ya kutathmini riwaya teule. Data ilipatikana kutoka kwenye matini iliyoteuliwa kimakusudi. Mtafiti alisoma riwaya husika kwa kina na kubaini maneno na mafungu ya maneno yaliyohusiana na suala la ardhi. Aidha, mtafiti alihakiki na kuchunguza jinsi wasanii wa riwaya za Kufa Kuzikana na Kovu Moyoni wamefafanua matatizo ya ardhi pamoja na suluhisho wanazotoa. Uchanganuzi wa kimaelezo wa data ulifanywa na kuwasilishwa kwa maandishi ya kinadhari. Ilibainika kuwa wasanii wa riwaya teule wamerejelea suala la ardhi nchini Kenya kama tatizo la jamii ambamo riwaya hizo ziliibuka huku wakiwasawiri Wakenya kama wahusika katika kazi zao kwa mujibu wa vipindi mbalimbali vya kihistoria. Vilevile, wameangazia mambo mbalimbali ambayo yanaweza kutumika ili kusuluhisha matatizo ya ardhi nchini. Utafiti huu utawanufaisha wahakiki wa fasihi katika kushadidia mtazamo kwamba, fasihi inaakisi kikamilifu matatizo yanayoibuka katika jamii ilimoibuka. Kwa hivyo, ni chombo madhubuti kinachoweza kutumiwa kutatua matatizo hayo
Usawiri wa motifu za kimazingira katika tamthilia teule za Said Ahmed Mohamed na Timothy Arege: Uhakiki wa kiekolojia
(Chuka University, 2022) Njeru, Mary Kanyua
Suala la mabadiliko ya tabianchi limeibua mijadala katika viwango vya kitaifa na kimataifa. Kwa msingi huu, kazi mbalimbali za kifasihi zimebuniwa kwa kuangazia uharibifu wa mazingira asilia, athari zake na mwito wa kuhifadhi mazingira. Utafiti huu ulikusudia kuchunguza motifu za kimazingira zinazojitokeza katika tamthilia teule za Said Ahmed Mohamed na Timothy Arege. Msisitizo ulikuwa kuangazia jinsi wasanii wa matini hizi wamesawiri uharibifu wa mazingira, kuonyesha matatizo yanayotokana na uharibifu huo pamoja na athari zake. Hii ni kwa sababu fasihi huwasilisha hali, maingiliano na mikinzano miongoni mwa binadamu na mazingira. Hivyo, ni mojawapo ya nyenzo inayoweza kuchangia katika kuangazia matatizo yanayokumba jamii yoyote ile. Madhumuni ya utafiti huu yalikuwa kuchunguza jinsi motifu za kimazingira zilivyosawiriwa katika tamthilia teule za Said Ahmed Mohamed na Timothy Arege, kujadili jinsi mtindo ulivyotumika kusawiri motifu za kimazingira katika tamthilia teule na hatimaye kutathmini mchango wa motifu za kimazingira katika uhifadhi wa mazingira kwa mujibu wa tamthilia teule. Utafiti huu uliongozwa na nadharia ya uhakiki wa kiekolojia iliyoasisiwa na Glotferty (1996). Nadharia hii hujikita katika uchambuzi wa kazi za kifasihi kwa kuonyesha uhusiano na utegemeano baina ya binadamu na mazingira. Utafiti huu ulifanyiwa maktabani ambapo uteuzi wa sampuli wa kimakusudi ulitumiwa kuteua matini teule. Data ya utafiti ilikusanywa kupitia usomaji wa kina wa matini teule, ikapangwa kwa mujibu wa madhumuni ya utafiti na kuchanganuliwa kwa kuzingatia mihimili ya nadharia ya uhakiki wa kiekolojia. Baadaye, data ilifasiriwa kwa kutumia mbinu elezi. Matokeo ya utafiti huu yalidhihirisha kuwa tamthilia teule za Kiswahili zilizochunguzwa zimeangazia masuala mbalimbali ya kimazingira pakiwemo chanzo cha uharibifu wa mazingira, athari za uharibifu huo pamoja na kubainisha njia ambazo zinaweza kutumika katika uhifadhi wa mazingira. Utafiti huu unatarajiwa kuwa na manufaa kwa wasomi na wahakiki wa fasihi kwa kuangazia suala la motifu za kimazingira kwa mkabala wa uhakiki wa kiekolojia. Vilevile, umetoa mchango katika uwanja wa fasihi mazingira kwa kuongezea suala la motifu za kimazingira. Isitoshe, utafiti huu ni muhimu kwa washikadau wote wa masuala ya kimazingira Barani Afrika na ulimwengu kwa jumla.
Assessment of biomass production from tithonia diversifolia and sapium ellipticum.
(Chuka University, 2016) Maragara, E.N.; Musalia, L.; Njoka, E.N.
The amount and quality of fodder crops, such as Napier grass drastically declines during dry season. This reduces feed availability and impacts severe effects on livestock performance, in terms of growth, milk and meat production. Fodder trees and shrubs have been proportionately overlooked in terms of the research effort devoted to agricultural cropland, pasture grasses and fruit trees crops. Although they are the most visible plant forms in arid lands, shrubs have been neglected in most scientific research and land management policies. There is need, therefore, to explore the potential of indigenous fodder species as an alternative to introduction of exotic ones. Data on many indigenous fodder trees and shrubs biomass production is lacking. The objective of this study was, therefore, to assess the potential of biomass production from Tithonia and Sapium forages for use as possible substitutes to napier grass so as to widen the choice of forages and reduce risk of single species, such as napier grass and or Leucaena leucocephala, dependence. Biomass assessment for Tithonia and Sapium at KARI Embu involved selection of site, plot identification, plot demarcation, herbage harvesting, yield and dry matter determination. The herbage stems under shade were taller and slender than those under sun. The yield of Napier grass compared to both Tithonia and Sapium forages was much less because Tithonia was more aggressive in growth and Sapium had a deeper rooting system than Napier grass
Pesticide use knowledge, attitude and perception influence residue occurrence in french bean (phaseolus vulgaris) pods in Murang’a County, Kenya
(Chuka University, 2016) Njue, A.M.; Mucheru, M.; Maina, M
Some Kenyan horticultural products are rejected in export markets due to excess Maximum Residue Levels. Farmers need assistance on pesticide use to meet stringent quality crop, freedom from pests and pesticide residues standards. This study assessed farmers’ knowledge, attitude and practice that may influence pesticide residue occurrence on their crop and health. A cross-sectional survey was done among French bean farmers in Murang’a County. Stratified random sampling was done based on use of synthetics or biopesticides for organic production. Questionnaires were administered to 100 French bean farmers via face-to-face interview in Kikuyu language by trained enumerators. Pesticide use knowledge, attitudes, and practices were scored and dichotomized and Chi-square-tested at P=0.05. The pesticide use practices were significantly different across the demographics such as education level and years of practice. The knowledge on pesticide use was very high but there was ignorance of protective clothing use and proper pesticide container disposal, which strongly correlated with the health ailments such as headaches at R=0.6. The biopesticides from common plant extracts (Trichoderma, Azandchatra, Mexican marigold) were reported to have better protection against frost but they were slightly lower in crop pest protection than insecticides such as Aster, Cyrux and Extrim. The overall attitude towards biopesticide use was 76%, but most farmers were hindered by lack of knowledge on preparation. Most farmers require the knowledge on mixing, adoption of safer, less expensive and locally available biopesticides, which will catalyze the move towards organic production for good human and environmental health.