3rd International Research Conference Proceedings Chuka University, 2016

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Conceptual Metaphors in Ken Walibora’s Novel: “Kidagaa Kimemwozea
(Chuka University, 2017) Ntabo, V.O. and angangi, B.
The deficiency of grammar in unearthing literary gist necessitates the borrowing of a Cognitive Linguist’s lenses for a fuller explication of a text. This motivates the blast-off point in pursuit of meaning where “backstage cognition” fills a lacuna whose origin is the apparent mismatch between the writer’s background and the reader’s linguistic resources. Whereas intellectual endeavors unclothing the correlation between language and cognition cannot be controverted, the diligence paid to the study of metaphor in literary texts within a cognitive-semantics perspective has hitherto been hemmed in. We, therefore, analyze the conceptual metaphors in Kidagaa Kimemwozea by the Kenyan novelist Ken Walibora. The novel reflects a bedeviled state whose unfeeling king abuses power to amass wealth as sounds of anguish rent the air. Luckily, the protagonist (Amani) conspires with the king’s son to exploit the father’s weakness for the benefit of common citizens. This chapter establishes, classifies and annotates the conceptual metaphors using survey descriptive research design within the backup of Conceptual Metaphor Theory. It utilizes the Great Chain of Being metaphor whose chief objective slots a place for any phenomenon in a set hierarchical system. Animals, plants, objects and natural things are stratified source domains richly used to depict the characters in the novel. For a better appreciation of conceptual metaphors, it is salient to use the spectacles of a cognitive linguist to understand contextual language against the cultural, historical and geographical backdrop. Conceptual metaphors are conduits of communication and should be explained using a cognitive linguistics approach. Language is embodied and situated in a specific environment, making it possible for the meaning of some of the metaphors to elude the reader.
Critical Analysis On How Teacher-Related Factors Affect Application of Progressivisms’ Learner-Centered Approaches in Teaching and Learning of Mathematics: A Case of Meru South Sub-County, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya.
(Chuka University, 2017) Mwangi, S.N
Learning mathematics` problem-solving skills using learner-centered teaching approach, as emphasized in the philosophy of progressivism, enhances creativity and problem solving skills to the learners. In contrast, learning mathematics using teacher-centered approaches have increasingly dire consequences to the pupils such as poor performance, lack of creativity, poor socialization and lack of problem-solving skills. This study critically analyzed how teacher-related factors affect application of learner-centered approaches in teaching and learning of Mathematics. The study employed descriptive survey research design. The target population comprised of 5,547 subjects consisting of 5,160 pupils and 387 teachers from 129 public primary schools within Meru South Sub-County, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. A sample size of 378 respondents was obtained using simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Questionnaires were used to collect data from pupils and mathematics teachers. The results of the data analysis were presented using bar graphs, frequency tables and charts. The research findings revealed several learner-related factors such as motivation, attitude, beliefs and myths on mathematics, which were noted to make pupils participate passively in the learning process. Pupils’ negative attitude towards mathematics was also noted as a major hindrance to the application of Progressivists’ learner centered approaches in teaching and learning of mathematics in Meru South Sub-County. The researcher anticipates that the findings and recommendations of this study may provide valuable reference for teachers, curriculum developers and policy makers in education on learner-centered approaches to enhance teaching of Mathematics.
This Is Me: The Kenyan Political Autobiography as A Quest for Salvaging the Self.
(Chuka University, 2017) Mutie, S., Rutere, A.M. and Goro, N.K.
The seemingly failure of the first independent African leaders to put an end to poverty, illiteracy and disease, and thus to open the gates to all-round development in their countries has elicited a flurry of scholarly debate. This paper is a continuation of this debate. It aims to account – in yet another way, for the stubborn reality of largely unfulfilled aspirations of the anti-colonial struggle in Africa, and Kenya in particular; to explain from a possible new perspective Kenya’s deficient post-independence. Particularly it examines Oginga Odinga’s Not Yet Uhuru (1966), Bildad Kaggia’s Bildad Kaggia: Roots of Freedom 1921-1963 (1975), Raila Odinga’s, The Flame of Freedom (2013) and joseph Murumbi’s Path Not Taken (2015) to show how, in this literature, they employ specific literary strategies to absolve themselves of all the postcolonial blame, in the process portraying themselves as defenders of nationhood, democracy, and as forces against negative ethnicity. The paper argues that, in this self-refashioning, these leaders advance the very same escapism employed by the founding fathers. Focusing their attention on concealing their ambition-deformed personalities behind the masks of the positive self-identities they construct, the opportunity for genuine leadership and genuine service to nation-building is largely lost.
Cannibalization of Vacational and Technical Education Through Career Counselling at Secondary School Level
(Chuka University, 2017) Muriu, S and Gichuhi, D
ABSTRACT Vocational and Technical Education forms a very key foundation in enabling a nation to achieve MDG and SD. Kenya as a country highly depends on technical skills to achieve The Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals. This can only happen through proper and realistic career counseling information provided by the counseling teachers at secondary school level. According to KCSE results released every year, majority of the candidates score between grade C and D which are the requirement for entrance at Diploma and Craft level. However, there has been a missing link between the nature of careers counseling services offered at secondary school level due to expectations that majority will join trainings at university levels thus ignoring students who are not higher performers. The objective behind this study was to investigate the challenges faced by students in acquiring technical and vocational education by establishing the level of career information with the student; the subject choice at secondary school, establishing the nature of counseling offered and investigating the challenges encountered in acquiring admissions in vocational and technical training institutes. Various career theories and models that guide career choices formed foundation for the study. The study assumed a descriptive design where qualitative and quantitative data was collected through questionnaires and interview. The target population included form four leavers who scored grades D and C. Findings revealed that most respondents had no career information on vocational and technical education in Kenya.
Influence of Religious Education Teaching On Character Development Among Students in Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Kirinyaga County,
(Chuka University, 2017) Mune, C.W
The scenario in which irrational behavior has dominated the character of the Kenyan youth has brought to contention whether the moral well-being of the youth is on a downward trend suggesting that either the teaching of moral values through C.R.E is defective or the Kenyan education system as a whole is defective. The moral character of the Kenyan secondary school student in the wider society has become an issue of concern in the recent past. Previous research reported that Kenyan students’ moral standing and general conduct in the wider society reflects lack of acquisition of skills necessary to deal with challenges in the current society. Little attention has been given to the correlation between the teaching-learning of CRE and acquisition of requisite skills. It’s against this background that the researcher investigated the influence of religious education on character development among students. The study was guided by Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning which has strong implication to moral education. Descriptive survey design was used to conduct the research using ten schools, ten CRE teachers and 380 CRE students in the sampled schools. Information was collected by use of questionnaires and interview. Data was analyzed using frequency distribution tables, percentages, and bar graphs. Findings revealed that teachers rarely used the elements of skill acquisition in delivery of the content that could enable the learner make accurate moral decisions. Also, the curriculum and the syllabus guides do not elaborate on the elements of moral values teachers ought to use during C.R.E content delivery. For CRE teaching to be to be productive to an individual, the syllabus must be organized into a logical whole. This calls for systemat
Educational Implication of ‘Sheng’ In The Learning of Kiswahili Among Secondary Schools Students in Kenya: A Case Study of Kirinyaga County.
(Chuka University, 2017) Mune, C.W
In the recent past Kiswahili has been hit by a wave of ‘Sheng’ speakers who are mostly adolescents and young adults. Use of Sheng has raised significant linguistic and pedagogical questions associated with the attainment of Kiswahili proficiency. While some people have advocated the growth of ‘Sheng’ as an indication of societal growth in Kenya, others, including scholars, researchers and educationists are on the opinion that the spread of this code impacts negatively on the learners in Kenyan schools and should be left to hip hop musicians, public transport touts, drug peddlers and school drop outs. In the education circles, the code is gangster slang, a secret code associated with social misfits, is fluid and not easy to understand. It interferes with standard Kiswahili and has negative effects on formal education. In Kenya, language policy has come to mean political pronouncements, government statements, and recommendations by Educational Commissions which are rarely implemented. The study was guided by Inter-language theory by Selinker. Study sample consisted of 9 schools, 368 form three students and 40 teachers. Sample populations were obtained through purposive and stratified sampling. Research showed that the code has interfered with formal language learning inside the classroom since students fail to mark the boundaries between ‘Sheng’ and standard Kiswahili and thus continue to show incompetence in writing and speaking. Also, it has interfered with the performance of students in national examinations especially in sentence constructions. Students regarded sheng as a tool to distinguish themselves from their parents whom they perceive as living in the past. Findings show that ‘Sheng’ has to do with lack of clarity in Kenya’s language policy. The paper recommends specific researches on the language situation in Kenya especially as far as the spread of ‘Sheng’ and its impacts on education are concerned
Perceptions of Catholic Church On Tetanus Vaccine to Women in Kenya.
(Chuka University, 2017) Rufo, B.M
Government of Kenya has been focusing on a mass tetanus vaccination campaign for past years. This targeted woman between 14 and 49 years with an aim of protecting babies from neonatal tetanus, a case of pregnant mothers. Before the March and October 2014 mass tetanus vaccination campaign, the Catholic Church raised concerns about the safety of the vaccine that was being used. Therefore, this study was about the perceptions of Catholic Church on tetanus vaccine to women in Kenya. The objectives of the study were to analyze the reasons as to why Catholic Church in Kenya reject tetanus vaccine, determine the impacts associated with tetanus vaccination to women and society at large, determine bodies and institutions that support and contribute to the vaccination program and finally to access the Kenyan government response concerning the views brought by the Catholic Church on tetanus vaccination to women. Most of data was collected from secondary source. The findings showed the main reason for Catholic Church rejecting the vaccination is because it was a population control scheme by the government, the vaccine was also viewed as important since it prevents neonatal tetanus in newborns, the main bodies and institutions that supported the programme included the WHO, UNICEF and Ministry of health. Finally, the government responded to this issue by forming a joint committee of experts to jointly test the vaccines. More public awareness was needed and should be done in case there is a such programme in future; key stakeholders from religious groups, private and public sectors need to be incorporated in decision making process and the government could have used a different provider for vaccines until the investigation got resolved.
Drama and Orality in Kenya’s Radio Advertising.
(Chuka University, 2017) Njogu, J.G.
The relationship between drama, cultural practice and electronic media in Kenya is built around a history of intricate relationships informed by history, aesthetics and values adored by the African people since time immemorial. By function, drama has always addressed cultural, historical and emerging themes. For quite some time now, it has become a very fashionable technique of advertisement production in Kenya, yet research on drama as a persuasive genre remains scant. This paper examines the relationship between advertisement drama in radio and indigenous literary practices of the African people. It is based on the assumption that since the purpose of advertisements is to influence mass buyers, the choice of drama genre by advertisers imply that it possesses unique persuasive elements that can render for scholarly analyses. Since radio is a purely oral-acoustic medium just like primary orality, elements of primary oral cultures serve to enhance the expressiveness of radio-mediated advertisements. The paper begins from awareness that drama has always been a cultural production in Kenya, and that indigenous literary forms have always punctuated dramatic experience at every phase of its development both in content and style. Using a qualitative design, data is in the form of audio recordings of advertisements that use the technique of drama in radio. These are transcribed, translated and analyzed to arrive at conclusions about the persuasive strategy of theatre in the radio medium. Walter Ong’s theorizing about transiting from primary orality to typographical forms will enable us understand the psychodynamics of how audio messages are crafted to resonate with those who hear them. Ong’s ideas about the notion of ‘imagined audiences’ will also be used. These ideas enable us examine how advertisers imagine their audiences via virtual experience. It is expected that aspects of indigenous literary forms will manifest, and that these elements have rhetorically latent. It is also expected that the language in theatrical ads will be uniquely fashioned to persuade, and that these adverts will reveal how their consumers understand the world around them.
Relationship Between Teachers’ Teaching Method Efficacy in Hiv/Aids Education and Students’ Knowledge and Attitude Towards Sexual Behaviour in Secondary Schools in Coast Region, Kenya.
(Chuka University, 2017) Thuo, D.N. Nyaga, V.K. Bururia, D.N. and Barchok, H.K.
The HIV and AIDS are challenges that may hinder the achievement of Millennium Development Goals by 2030. It has been argued that a lot can be done to curb the spread of HIV and AIDS through education. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between teachers’ teaching method efficacy in HIV/AIDS education and students’ knowledge and attitude towards sexual behaviour in secondary schools in the Coast Region of Kenya. The study used descriptive survey research design. Proportional, purposive and random sampling methods were used to choose the participants. The samples comprised 421 respondents of which 33 were teachers and 388 students in 13 secondary schools. Questionnaires and interview schedule were used to collect the data. Reliability coefficients of the instruments were 0.8 for both teachers and students. The statistics that were used to analyse data were frequencies, percentage and Chi-squire statistics. The hypotheses testing was done at α = 0.05 level of significance. The data collected in this study was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences computer programme version 20.0. The result showed that, there was no relationship between teachers’ teaching method efficacy in HIV/AIDS education and students’ knowledge and attitude towards sexual behaviour in secondary schools in the Coast Region of Kenya. The study also revealed that majority of teachers’ had low self-efficacy in methods used when teaching HIV/AIDS education, students’ knowledge was high but Form 4 students had negative attitude towards sexual behaviour. The study recommends that teachers be trained on methods used to teach HIV/AIDS education and students in secondary schools be assisted to develop positive attitude towards sexual behaviour
a sustainable financing model amongst banks for agribusiness infrastructural projects in kenya.
(Chuka University, 2017) Musuya, D., Matete, J.S., Kamau, and Fwamba, R
The inherent risks embedded in agribusinesses have made banks cautious in extending credit. Indeed the agricultural sector is the backbone of the economy, contributing significantly to the GDP of the county nevertheless is the least funded. The research study intended to test a model, financing through cooperatives that can be used to mitigate the construed risks of agribusiness lending. The research’s null hypothesis was that, packaging credit and extending it to agribusinesses through cooperatives would not significantly mitigate default risk. This was deductive research using survey methods to collect data for hypothesis testing. From the analysis results the null hypothesis was rejected, accepting the alternative hypothesis that group financing, using the co-operative model, is preferred. Thus, transfer of surplus funds from financial institutions to agribusinesses should be done through co- operatives.
moderating effect of operating environment on the relationship between branding practices of fresh fruits and vegetables and performance of commercial farmers
(Chuka University, 2017) Nkari, I.M
The objective of this study was to establish the moderating effect of operating environment on the relationship between branding practices of fresh fruits and vegetables and performance of commercial farmers in Kiambu County, Kenya. The population of the study consisted of 213 farmers from whom a sample of 140 farmers was drawn. A descriptive cross sectional survey design was used. Data was collected using a semi structured questionnaire and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that operating environment did not have a statistically significant moderating effect on the relationship between branding practices and performance of commercial farmers. The study was limited by the narrow scope which focused on few constructs and elements within the variables; self-reported data with no collaborative evidence, gathering of cross sectional data and a localized population. The study recommends that farmers should enhance their abilities and engage in value addition initiative such as branding practices irrespective of the operating environment to improve their performance. To increase objectivity and the level of generalization of the findings, future research should target other fresh agricultural products; increase the variables and constructs being investigated, target other counties with differing social economic and climatic conditions and adopt a time series design to gather continuous data on study variables throughout the product’s life cycle.
Mapping Environmental Health Injustice for Sustainable Urban Ecologies Using Gis Based Techniques. I
(Chuka University, 2017) Kibetu, D.K Mwangi, J.M
Issues of environmental concern especially health injustice, arising from urbanization, are becoming increasingly important due to social activism and health problems associated with noxious land uses. In Kenya, proximity of open dumpsites to residential areas is a basic form of environmental health injustice due to toxic gas exposure, waste smoke plumes and olfactory nuisance. Environmental risk assessment and equity analysis were carried out in Chuka town as a case study. GIS based techniques of land use refinement method and dispersal modeling was applied to estimate the population at exposure risk to the toxic waste smoke. Over 25% of sampled people were at high exposure, especially those living along smoke plume dispersion route within hospital area, Ndagani and Rukindu. The exposure risks showed spatial variations regarding prevailing land use, while direction and speed of wind flow varied on a temporal scale. Subpopulations had similar socio-economic characteristics and were often disadvantaged compared to the reference population. These results were consistent with findings of related studies in the USA which found that the location of most noxious facilities especially wastes landfills was often in the neighbourhoods of the minority poor urban immigrant subpopulations. There is a need to relocate the current dumpsite to a suitably mapped less populated blocks and actively engage affected communities in finding sustainable solutions to rising problem of environmental health injustice.
Effects of Natural Licks On Feed Intake, Nutrient Digestibility, Milk Production and Quality in Kenya Alpine Dairy Goat Ration.
(Chuka University, 2017) Nderi, O. Musalia, L. and Ombaka, O
Consumption of natural licks is common among domestic animals under natural circumstances, and as a substitute to commercial mineral licks among smallholder livestock keepers in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya, with a believe that animals obtain potential nutritional benefits. However, this has never been established through an experimental research using natural licks from the study area. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining feed intake, nutrient digestibility and milk production performance in dairy goats fed on natural licks. Four lactating Kenya Alpine Dairy Goats (KADG) in their second lactation stage and weighing 47.5 ± 3 kg were randomly assigned four treatment diets that consisted of three natural licks from Kang’au, Nagundu and Kabariange, and a standard commercial lick (control) in a 4 by 4 Latin square design. A basal diet of Boma Rhodes grass hay and a standard concentrate were fed to the animals, and feed intake, fecal output and milk yield were measured. One-way Analysis of Variance model was used for the lick intake, nutrient intake, and apparent digestibility and milk parameters. Correlation analysis was carried out to establish the relationship between natural lick sources and milk parameters. There was no significant difference on dry matter intake, nutrient intake, apparent digestibility and milk yield and quality (P>0.05) among goats consuming natural licks compared to commercial lick. However, there was a positive correlation (r) with a value of 0.70 between milk production and lick intake. Natural licks can be an alternative source of mineral supplementation where commercial mineral licks are not available.
Adaptability of Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata) Lines in Kenya Coastal Region
(Chuka University, 2017) Weru, S.M. Owuoche, J.O and Kiplagat,
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is one of the most important grain legumes grown in sub-Saharan Africa. About 12.5 million tonnes of cowpea grain are produced worldwide each year with the majority (over 94%) of the production taking place on low input, subsistence farms. This crop is most important in the semi-arid and warm areas of Africa where other crops may fail due to poor adaptation to heat, drought and low soil fertility conditions. The objective of this study is to contribute to increased food production in coastal Kenya through development of high yielding, drought tolerant and farmer acceptable cowpea lines. The experiment was conducted Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), Mtwapa and its sub-centres at Msabaha and Mariakani. The agroecological zones for the sites are; coastal Lowland 3 for Mtwapa, coastal lowland 4 for Msabaha and coastal lowland 5 for Mariakani. The sites have sandy soils with pH of 5.3 to 6.9. Fifteen cowpea lines were sourced from the KARI Gene bank which included three improved cultivars that have been tested in central and eastern regions of Kenya. These genotypes have varying agronomic traits and were collected from various regions of Kenya. They are; K033057, K033073, K003731, K005169, K026753, K027092, K003962, K046781, K028613, K047079, K047078, K047121, KVU 27-1, M 66 and K 80. The checks were the local variety and improve variety K 80. Planting was done in the short rains season of 2012 and in the long rains season of 2013. Planting was done at a spacing of 60 cm × 30 cm. The trial was randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The data collected included both qualitative and quantitative traits. At maturity the different lines were harvested, weighed with the pods, then threshed and the grain yield per plot measured. 100 seed weight was also recorded per plot. The net plot was the two middle rows of the plot. The year effects were clearly manifested in the agronomic traits and seed quality of the cowpea evaluated. The superiority of K005169 in all the agroecological zones in high grain yield production is observed making the genotype a candidate for consideration in the breeding with others to introgress the genes for high yield potential. The 16 genotypes attained maturity within 70 to 76 days after planting and can therefore be classified as early maturing type. Of the 16 genotypes tested in the three agroecological zones of the lowland coast region, five have shown outstanding performance across the test environments. They are K005169, KVU 27-1, M66, K003962 and K046781. These genotypes have manifested their adaptability and stability across test
Endogenous Chlorogenic Acid and Caffeine Associated with in Vitro Somatic Embryogenesis of Coffee (Coffea Arabica L.)
(Chuka University, 2017) ayoli, R.N. Lubabali, A.H. Isutsa, D.K. Nyende, A.B. Mweu, C.M. Njoroge
Coffee plays a central role in Kenyan economy through foreign exchange and income earnings. However, its production has been constrained by factors like high production cost, inappropriate technology and inadequate seedlings. Coffee somatic embryogenesis is another vegetative propagation method, besides cuttings and grafting. Its main use is for F1 hybrid propagation to avoid manual hybrid seed production. Developmental processes and factors related to coffee somatic embryogenesis are not well established, resulting in poor induction or few embryos and low subsequent seedling regeneration. This study identified and quantified endogenous chlorogenic acid (CGA) and caffeine phenols and alkaloids associated with Coffea arabica ‘Ruiru 11’ somatic embryogenesis. Third leaf pairs of greenhouse-grown mother plants were cultured in half-strength Murashige and Skoog, 1962 media. Both green and brown leaf discs with and without embryos constituted treatments, and embryos with fresh culture media and leaf explants constituted controls. A completely random design replicated thrice and repeated once in 2014 was used. Chlorogenic acid and caffeine were extracted and analyzed using a Knuer HPLC system and identified by comparing their retention time with that of standards. Fresh leaves had high 6.51 mg/g FW CGA and 1.14 mg/g FW caffeine. Chlorogenic acid amounting 5.34 mg/g FW was significantly (P<0.05) high in embryos on green leaf discs. Embryos on brown leaf discs had significantly (P<0.05) high 0.5778 mg/g FW caffeine. Green leaf discs with embryos had 0.004 mg/g FW highest endogenous CGA. Culture media with embryos on green leaf discs had 0.6935 mg/g FW highest caffeine. Generally, higher CGA was in non-embryogenic brown and green leaf discs, compared to embryogenic brown and green leaf discs. Embryogenic capacity seemed to be associated with a balance of phenolics. High caffeine in embryos formed on brown leaf discs was a result of accumulation during embryogenesis. The inference that high caffeine in culture media allowed development of somatic embryos when embryos avoided caffeine auto-toxicity through space and time separation will be presented and discussed.
Performance of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) Fed Diets Containing Blood Meal as A Replacement of Fish Meal.
(Chuka University, 2017) Kirimi, J.G. Musalia, L.M.Magana, A. and Munguti, J.M.
A 100 days’ experiment was conducted to determine the effect of feeding blood meal (BM) as a replacement of fish meal (FM), as the main source of animal protein, on growth rate and economic performance of Nile tilapia in fertilized pond. Three isonitrogenous diets (35% crude protein) were formulated using either FM as the main source of animal protein (Diet 1); 50% replacement of FM with blood meal (Diet 2); or 100% replacement of FM with BM (Diet 3). Three hundred Nile tilapia fingerlings (12±3 g) were randomly distributed into three groups of four replicates of 25 fingerlings per cage. The groups were randomly assigned the 3 diets which were fed at 2% of their biomass at 10 am and 4pm every day. Percentage daily weight gain (DWG), relative growth rate (RGR), specific growth rate (SGR), survival rate and feed utilisation efficiency were measured. Fish fed diet 1 were larger (50.69 g) (P < 0.05) than those fed diet 2 (48.47 g) and 3 (40.37 g). Replacement of FM with 50% and 100% BM reduced the incidence cost (45.55, 37.83 and 31.88, respectively). The profit index was highest with 100% (9.42) replacement of FM, compared to 50% (7.95) and 0% (6.69). Although replacing FM with BM was associated with reduced growth, the economic return was better (P < 0.05). Based on the present results, it was economical to use BM as a major protein source instead of FM in formulating fish feed.
Effect of Replacing Fish Meal with Blood Meal on Chemical Composition of Supplement for Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus).
(Chuka University, 2017) Kirimi, J.G. Musalia, L.M. and Munguti, J.M
The objective of the work was to evaluate the effect on the nutrient content of replacing fish meal (FM) with blood meal (BM) in fish supplement. Three isonitrogenous diets (35% crude protein) were formulated using FM as the main source of animal protein (BM0); 50% replacement of FM with blood meal (BM50); or 100% replacement of FM with BM (BM100). The chemical composition (ash, crude protein, crude fat and crude fibre) and amino acids composition were determined. Replacement of FM with BM did not affect the proximate composition of the diet apart from ash content which decreased with the level of substitution. Substituting fish meal with blood meal reduced the level of methionine, lysine, isoleucine, leucine, proline, valine and increased the levels of arginine, phenylanine and alanine in the diet. Amino acid indices revealed that BM0 had more amino acids with highest chemical scores followed by BM50 and BM100. In all the diets, methionine was the most limiting amino acid. The essential amino acid index of the diets reduced with the level of replacement of FM (0.94, 0.88 and 0.77). The study showed substitution of up to 50% FM with BM gave a useful protein diet and 100% gave almost a poor protein diet.
Re-Inventing Conservation Agriculture Practices Beyond 21st Century.
(Chuka University, 2017) Michura, E.G
Conservation agriculture (CA) is gaining prominence and has been found to be a better option in solving food scarcity and biodiversity loss. Industrial agriculture (conventional) for a long time has been practiced with the view of maximizing food production under economic gains without environmental integrity. Approximately, 30% of the greenhouse gases emissions are produced from agricultural activities and this has contributed to environmental degradation and poor human health. To save the world from losing its potential to feed the increasing human population and interrupting ecosystem services, there is greater need to reinvent agricultural practices and develop more environmentally friendly ways of producing food and saving biodiversity. This research paper examined reinventing conservation agriculture practices beyond the 21st century by studying CA practices in two different settings both in developed and developing countries. The aim is to showcase the importance of CA as a means of saving the world from further degradation and recommend to the farmers, policy makers, researchers, scientists, politicians, economists, ecologists among others the dire need to adopt CA technologies. CA is undoubtedly an option that can result in substantial benefits for certain types of farmers in certain locations. However, benefits from CA at field level do not necessarily overcome the economic constraints at farm scale and many of these benefits are only realized in the longer term. CA profoundly alters the flow of resources (nutrients, labour and cash) at the scale of the farm and above, and hence strong trade-offs exist when implementing CA. A survey design was employed to collect data through questionnaire and interviews. The results were discussed and descriptive analysis was used. The study found that CA is a better option to improve human health through feeding on nutritious food products, protecting biodiversity and balancing ecosystem services.
Evaluation of Released Maize Hybrids to Hasten Their Commercialization in Coastal Lowland Kenya.
(Chuka University, 2017) uli, M. Karanja, J. Makumbi, D. and Beyene, Y
The coastal region of Kenya is a food deficit area with households purchasing one third of their food requirements. Although maize is the most important food crop, the region produces 1.56 million bags, while the demand is 3.80 million bags. This could be attributed to inadequate number of improved hybrids adaptable to the region and also to poor crop management practices including planting patterns. Several high yielding hybrids have been released for the region over the last few years but they have not been commercialized to be accessible to farmers in the region. A study was conducted to evaluate the performance of selected released hybrids under two maize planting patterns (one and two seeds per hill respectively) in a split plot design with planting pattern as the main plots and maize hybrids as the sub-plots. Five maize hybrids (CKH08069, pH4, WE1101, WE2109 and WE2111) were evaluated under the two planting patterns. The results indicated that hybrids WE1101 and CKH08069 had significantly higher (P<0.05) grain yield than the other hybrids including the local check (PH4). Hybrid CKH08069 had significantly higher ear height than all the other hybrids including the local check. The same trend was observed for ear length with an exception of the local check. The planting pattern had no significant influence, except for grain yield where the pattern of one plant per hill had significantly higher grain yield than that of two plants per hill.
Affecting Access to Extension Service Among Cashew Nut Farmers in Kilifi County, Kenya.
(Chuka University, 2017) Koech, R. and Karani, C.G
The main aim of the paper was to determine the factors that affect access of extension service among smallholder cashew nut producers. The study was conducted in Kilifi County in coastal Kenya which has favourable climatic conditions and a long history of cashew nut production. A structured interview guide was used to collect data from 123 cashew nut farmers which were then analyzed using logistic regression model. Results show that the determinants of access of extension service include gender, education, age, household size and the size of land area cultivated. The study established management neglect of cashew nut plantations which would otherwise be amended through access of extension services. It is thus imperative that favourable policies based on the identified variables be formulated.

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