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CDEV 0141: PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT
(0023-04-13) CHUKA UNIVERSITY
CDEV 00150: RESEARCH METHODS
(0023-04-13) CHUKA UNIVERSITY
PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF SELECTED LOCAL MAIZE LANDRACES FOR DROUGHT TOLERANCE BASED ON FLOWERING STRESS, AND THEIR RESISTANCE TO LARGER GRAIN BORER (Prostephanus truncatus) IN KENYA
(Chuka University, 2008-10) MUNYIRI SHELMITH WANJA
Maize is staple food in Kenya and is grown in almost all agro-ecological zones. The average maize yield in the highlands is about 3.5 t/ha while that for the arid and semi arid (ASALs) low altitude areas is less than 1.3 t/ha. Arid and semi arid areas constitute about 82% of the total land area and supports about 20% of the country’s human population. The demand for more food culminating from the population increase and the migration of people from high potential areas to semi arid lowlands has led to maize growing in marginal areas. Kenya’s ASALs are home to the very rural poor who practice subsistence farming as a livelihood. Local landraces of maize are an important livelihood resource in these areas. The objective of the study was to characterize selected Kenyan local maize landraces for drought tolerance and resistance to larger grain borer in storage. The characterization for drought tolerance was carried out using secondary traits that exhibit high heritability for drought tolerance such as grain yield, anthesis-silking interval (ASI), tassel size, ears per plant and leaf rolling. The experiment was laid out in a lattice design (unbalanced) each with sixty-four maize genotypes. A second experiment to evaluate drought tolerance was conducted for landraces that exhibited favorable tolerance characteristics. This experiment was laid out in a split plot (RCBD) design with water levels (water stressed and unstressed, at flowering) as the main plots and germplasm as the sub plots. Irrigation was withheld one week to tasseling and resumed forty days later in water stressed plots. The wellwatered plots had continuous irrigation. The field experiments were carried out at KARIMasongaleni field station in Kibwezi district, which falls under agro-ecological zone VI. Among the characters evaluated, a low ASI (1-6 days) was associated with a high level of drought tolerance and low yield losses under moisture stress. Drought stress resulted in 17% to 81% relative grain yield losses. Germplasm GBK-032419, DT/BT/1470.DT and GBK-034659 exhibited lowest grain yield losses of 28%, 22% and 17% while KTL N 70140-4, KTL N 10162- 1 and Makueni Dry Land Composite (control) exhibited high grain yield losses of 81%, 70% and 68%, respectively. However, Katumani inbred lines DT/BT/1917.DT and DG/BT/2443.DT, though exhibiting the shortest ASI of about 1 day experienced about 50% grain yield loss under moisture stress. In general, an increase in number of ears per plant, 100-seed weight, increased plant height, high shelling %, reduced leaf rolling and low ASI were associated with yield increases under water stress. Germplasm that exhibited favorable drought tolerance characteristics were CML-492, DT/BT/1917.DT, DT/BT/1470.DT, DG/BT/2443.DT, GBK044593, GBK-032419, GBK-032423, GBK-34659, KTL N 701104 and GBK-032357. The most vii susceptible germplasm (ASI between 12-17 days) were KTL N 70133-3, KTL N 10168-1, Katumani Composite B, Makueni Dry Land Composite, KTL N 10168-2, GBK-043227, GBK034711 and GBK-027054. The germplasm that exhibited drought tolerance characteristics were further evaluated for resistance to larger grain borer (LGB) damage in storage. This experiment was done at CIMMYT field laboratory-Kiboko. Samples were laid out in complete randomized design and replicated three times. Although no absolute resistance existed, most landraces exhibited higher levels of resistance to LGB than the control variety H614. The germplasm with the highest resistance level was CML-492, while GBK-043731 had the lowest level. Germplasm CML-492, DT/BT/1971.DT, DT/BT/1470.DT, DG/BT/2443.DT, GBK-044593, GBK-032419, GBK-032423, GBK-34659 and GBK-032357 exhibited tolerance to drought and also resistance to LGB relative to control H614. Katumani Composite B, though exhibiting susceptibility to drought, had a high level of resistance to LGB than most local landraces. It was concluded that some Kenyan local landraces exhibit drought tolerance characteristics and also resistance to LGB. According to factor analysis, the phenotypic characteristics evaluated for drought tolerance accounted for 68% of the total variation.
PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF SELECTED LOCAL MAIZE LANDRACES FOR DROUGHT TOLERANCE BASED ON FLOWERING STRESS, AND THEIR RESISTANCE TO LARGER GRAIN BORER (Prostephanus truncatus) IN KENYA
(Egerton University, 2008-10-01) Munyiri, S.M
Maize is staple food in Kenya and is grown in almost all agro-ecological zones. The average maize yield in the highlands is about 3.5 t/ha while that for the arid and semi arid (ASALs) low altitude areas is less than 1.3 t/ha. Arid and semi arid areas constitute about 82% of the total land area and supports about 20% of the country’s human population. The demand for more food culminating from the population increase and the migration of people from high potential areas to semi arid lowlands has led to maize growing in marginal areas. Kenya’s ASALs are home to the very rural poor who practice subsistence farming as a livelihood. Local landraces of maize are an important livelihood resource in these areas. The objective of the study was to characterize selected Kenyan local maize landraces for drought tolerance and resistance to larger grain borer in storage. The characterization for drought tolerance was carried out using secondary traits that exhibit high heritability for drought tolerance such as grain yield, anthesis-silking interval (ASI), tassel size, ears per plant and leaf rolling. The experiment was laid out in a lattice design (unbalanced) each with sixty-four maize genotypes. A second experiment to evaluate drought tolerance was conducted for landraces that exhibited favorable tolerance characteristics. This experiment was laid out in a split plot (RCBD) design with water levels (water stressed and unstressed, at flowering) as the main plots and germplasm as the sub plots. Irrigation was withheld one week to tasseling and resumed forty days later in water stressed plots. The wellwatered plots had continuous irrigation. The field experiments were carried out at KARIMasongaleni field station in Kibwezi district, which falls under agro-ecological zone VI. Among the characters evaluated, a low ASI (1-6 days) was associated with a high level of drought tolerance and low yield losses under moisture stress. Drought stress resulted in 17% to 81% relative grain yield losses. Germplasm GBK-032419, DT/BT/1470.DT and GBK-034659 exhibited lowest grain yield losses of 28%, 22% and 17% while KTL N 70140-4, KTL N 10162- 1 and Makueni Dry Land Composite (control) exhibited high grain yield losses of 81%, 70% and 68%, respectively. However, Katumani inbred lines DT/BT/1917.DT and DG/BT/2443.DT, though exhibiting the shortest ASI of about 1 day experienced about 50% grain yield loss under moisture stress. In general, an increase in number of ears per plant, 100-seed weight, increased plant height, high shelling %, reduced leaf rolling and low ASI were associated with yield increases under water stress. Germplasm that exhibited favorable drought tolerance characteristics were CML-492, DT/BT/1917.DT, DT/BT/1470.DT, DG/BT/2443.DT, GBK044593, GBK-032419, GBK-032423, GBK-34659, KTL N 701104 and GBK-032357. The most vii susceptible germplasm (ASI between 12-17 days) were KTL N 70133-3, KTL N 10168-1, Katumani Composite B, Makueni Dry Land Composite, KTL N 10168-2, GBK-043227, GBK034711 and GBK-027054. The germplasm that exhibited drought tolerance characteristics were further evaluated for resistance to larger grain borer (LGB) damage in storage. This experiment was done at CIMMYT field laboratory-Kiboko. Samples were laid out in complete randomized design and replicated three times. Although no absolute resistance existed, most landraces exhibited higher levels of resistance to LGB than the control variety H614. The germplasm with the highest resistance level was CML-492, while GBK-043731 had the lowest level. Germplasm CML-492, DT/BT/1971.DT, DT/BT/1470.DT, DG/BT/2443.DT, GBK-044593, GBK-032419, GBK-032423, GBK-34659 and GBK-032357 exhibited tolerance to drought and also resistance to LGB relative to control H614. Katumani Composite B, though exhibiting susceptibility to drought, had a high level of resistance to LGB than most local landraces. It was concluded that some Kenyan local landraces exhibit drought tolerance characteristics and also resistance to LGB. According to factor analysis, the phenotypic characteristics evaluated for drought tolerance accounted for 68% of the total variation.
Potential of orange-fleshed sweet potato in increasing vitamin A dietary intake in up to 60-month-old children in Laikipia, Kenya
(University of Nairobi, 2010-07) Kiharason, Jedidah Wanjiku
Developing countries, more so those in sub-Saharan Africa, are having to grapple with high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency. Food based approaches are being recommended as the sustainable interventions. In Kenya, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are being recommended as one such food. This study was therefore designed to assess the potential of orange-fleshed sweet potato to improve vitamin A intake by children 25-60 months old in Rumuruti division of Laikipia district, Kenya. , Using a semi-structured questionnaire, a cross-sectional survey was carried out among 227 mothers with the target children. The situation of vitamin A deficiency was assessed using one biological and five of a composite of demographic and ecological indicators. The extent of production and consumption of sweet potato by households were also assessed. A 24-hour recall was used on a sub-sample of 32 mothers to determine dietary intake of vitamin A by the children. A focus group discussion was used to determine awareness about night blindness and its local term. As a sub-clinical indicator for vitamin A deficiency, night blindness was carried out on only 4.8% of the children; the rest had received vitamin A supplementation within the last six months. Data was coded, entered, recoded and analyzed using MS Excel, Vitamin A Intake Calculator, SPSS and Epi-Info. None of the few children assessed showed any night blindness. However, demographic and ecological indicators indicated that the children were at risk of vitamin A deficiency: 86% households were surviving on less than one dollar per person per day and less than 75% of the children were consuming vitamin A-rich foods for more than 3 days in a xii week. The results indicated that 68.7% of the children had inadequate dietary intake of vitamin A in the last 24 hours. Of this group, the 25-36 months old group had consumed on average 60.8% and the 37-60 months old group, 62.7% of their RDAs. The study established that 42% households were growing and consuming mainly whitefleshed sweet potato varieties but only 24.2% had consumed sweet potatoes in the last 7 days; only 3% had consumed for at least 3 days in the week. No child had consumed sweet potato in the last 24 hours. Potential for contribution of sweet potato to vitamin A intake by children was obtained through calculation, by assuming that an average child consumed lOOg of orange-fleshed sweet potato once a day. With the consumption, the RDA for vitamin A would be met from consumption of sweet potato alone. The children within the age of 25-36 months old would be required to eat 27g of the potato, and those between 37-60 months old would require 35g of the sweet potato to meet their RDA for vitamin A. The study concluded that sweet potatoes are a familiar and acceptable food in Rumuruti, but their contribution to vitamin A intake is minimal. Without vitamin A capsule supplementation, up. to 68% of the children are at risle of VAD. However, inclusion of orange-fleshed sweet potato in their daily diets would easily meet their vitamin A RDAs and there would be no need for the vitamin A capsule administration.
INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL RELATED ACTIVITIES ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLIC DAY SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN IMENTI NORTH SUB COUNTY, MERU COUNTY, KENYA
(Chuka University, 2014-09) KARARWA, HUMPHREY MUGAMBI
The role of parents in children’s education globally is a central issue in education policy and research. Due to concerns on how to improve students’ academic achievement, the role of parents and family-school partnership are considered among the most successful educational strategies. Though research findings indicate that parents play a significant role in the learning process especially in secondary schools, their direct and indirect influence on academic achievement had not been adequately studied in Kenya and specifically in Imenti North Sub County. This study therefore sought to ascertain the influence of parental involvement in school related activities on students’ academic achievement in public day secondary schools in Imenti North Sub County, Meru County Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population was 3,349 respondents consisting of 3,328 students and 21 head teachers in all day secondary schools in the district. The accessible population was 735 form 3 students and 21 head teachers from which a sample was selected using simple random sampling technique. A sample size of 180 respondents consisting of 175 form 3 students and 5 head teachers from 5 public day secondary schools was used in the study. Data was collected using a students’ questionnaire and an interview schedule for head teachers. A pilot study was conducted in two day secondary schools from the neighbouring Imenti South Sub County to establish the reliability of the instruments by use of test-retest technique. A correlation coefficient of 0.88 for students and 0.85 for head teachers was achieved respectively. Validity of the instruments was enhanced through an expert judgment of supervisors. Descriptive statistics involving frequencies and percentages were used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data. Data collected was presented in form of tables, graphs and charts. It was established that parents in Imenti North Sub County were lowly involved in the academic achievement of their children. It was also established that parental involvement in school related activities influenced students’ academic achievement. It was suggested that schools should establish regular open days to provide parents with opportunities to consult with teachers over their children’s academic work. It is expected that the findings of the study will assist education planners, teachers and other stake holders to understand and utilize the potential of parental involvement in school related activities in enhancing students’ academic achievement.
Determination of water quality of Nguue spring and river Mutonga in Tharaka-Nithi, Kenya and evaluation of corn-cob derived carbon powder in remediation of contaminated water
(Chuka University, 2015) Mwenda Bertha Kinya
Water quality is a pressing global concern, since water pollution negatively impacts water bodies and poses severe threats to both human and aquatic life.The aim of this study was to, determine physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters of Nguue spring and river Mutonga, and compare to the limits set by WHO and KEBS. The performance of low-cost adsorbent in removal of zinc and iron from contaminated water was also evaluated. Sampling was done each at six points along the river and the spring approximately 500 metres apart, in the dry and wet season in the months of September and November 2024. The physical parameters of water such as temperature, pH, DO, TDS and EC were measured using multiparameter. Total hardness was estimated by titrimetry. Anions of NO3 - and PO4 3- were determined by UV spectrophotometric method. The heavy metals of Zn2+ and Fe3+ in water samples were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. In the dry season, River Mutonga recorded a temperature between 25.9-26.6 °C, pH of 7.1-7.4 , electrical conductivity was 172.8-202 µS/cm, total dissolved solids 0.838-0.886 mg/L , dissolved oxygen, 3.19-3.25 mg/l, however, total hardness 0.838-0.886 mg/L, nitrate concentrations 16.57-19.35 mg/L, while phosphate was 1.95-2.12 mg/L. Nguue Spring during the dry season exhibited a temperature of 25.9-26.5 °C, pH was 5.21-6.58 indicating slight acidity, electrical conductivity of 147.6-193.6 µS/cm and total dissolved solids 0.552-1.2 mg/L, total hardness wa 58-160 mg/L, well Similar to Mutonga River, nitrate levels 16.83-19.47 mg/L. In the wet season, River Mutonga recorded a lower temperature of 21 °C compared to the dry.4 and 6.5-8.5 respectively, indicating increased acidity in sampling point M1. Electrical conductivity 57.2-60.4 µS/cm and total dissolved solids 31.3-36.6 mg/L were markedly lower than in the dry season, reflecting dilution effects of rainfall. Dissolved oxygen was 8.72-8.92 mg/L increased substantially and was well above the WHO minimum standard 4.0 mg/l. Total hardness decreased to 87.3-122 mg/L but remained within permissible limits. Nitrate levels dropped to 7.25-12.35 mg/L, now falling within KEBS standards which is 10 mg/l, while phosphates was 2.01-2.29 mg/L remained above WHO limits 0.5 mg/L. Nguue Spring in the wet season showed a temperature of 20.5-21 °C, pH was4.210-5.724 was consistently below both WHO and KEBS ranges, suggesting acidic conditions. Electrical conductivity was 37.8-55.6 µS/cm and total dissolved solids 27.7-59.5 mg/L decreased compared to the dry season, reflecting rainwater dilution. Dissolved oxygen was 8.58-8.86 mg/L was significantly elevated and met WHO standards, total hardness was 22.6-84 mg/L remained within permissible limits. Nitrate concentration was 7.8-14.65 mg/Lwas marginally above the KEBS guideline, while phosphate was 1.95-2.23 mg/L exceeded WHO standards but was acceptable under KEBS. Batch adsorption was carried out by varying the parameters of temperature, pH, intial concentration, contact time and adsorbent dosage. The total coliforms count in Mutonga were 11-460 and 36-1100 MPN per 100 ml in dry and wet season repectively and exceeded KEBS and WHO limits. In Nguue spring the toal coliform counts were 36-1100 and 43-˃1100 MPN per 100 ml in dry and wet season respectively exceeding KEBS and WHO limits. Adsorption of zinc and iron on CCAC and CCC was successfully represented by Freundlich and Lngmuir isotherm models. Adsorption of zinc on CCAC and CCC was best described by Freundlich with KF=2.35 mg/g, n=1.387, R2=0.9359 and KF=116.84mg/g, n=0.1634, R2= 0.9497 respectively indicating a favourable multilayer adsorption on heterogenous surface. Adsorption of iron on CCAC and CCC also Freundlich gave a reasonable fit with KF=1.1498mg/g, n=0.5826, R2=0.90703 and KF=1.8034mg/g, n=0.9063, R2=0.97692 respectively
Influence of customers’ brand perception, preferences and satisfaction on performance of airbnb facilities in Nyeri County, Kenya
(Chuka University, 2015) Kamweru Esther Waithira
The emergence of AirBnB has transformed the accommodation industry around the world by providing an accessible, affordable, and authentic local experience, making it a preferred alternative to traditional hotels. Nevertheless, its expansion in other areas like the Nyeri County in Kenya is minimal, and there has been a lack of empirical information on the impact of customer brand perception, preferences and satisfaction on the performance of AirBnB facilities. The objective of this research was to determine how these customer-related factors influence the performance of the AirBnB facilities within Nyeri County. The purpose of the study was to establish the role of brandperception on the performance of AirBnB facilities, to evaluate the influence of the customers’ preferences on the performance of AirBnB facilities and the influence of customer satisfaction on the performance of AirBnB facilities in Nyeri County. The study used mixed research design. The target population was 1600 AirBnB customers and 102 AirBnB hosts in Nyeri-county. The sample size was 200 for the guests and 41 for AirBnB owners was calculated using Cochran (1977) formula. The study employed purposive sampling to select sub-counties with AirBnB facilities, stratified random sampling to select facilities, a quota sampling for guests and purposive sampling for AirBnB owners. Structured questionnaires and interview guides were used to collect data from customers and managers, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted at a 5% significance level to test three null hypotheses. The regression analysis revealed a strong positive correlation (R = 0.907) between customer satisfaction, preferences, and brand perception, explaining 82.2% of the variance in facility performance (R² = 0.822). Brand perception showed the highest influence (β = 0.533), followed by customer preferences (β = 0.378) and satisfaction (β = 0.313). All variables were statistically significant with p-values less than 0.05, leading to the rejection of the null hypotheses. The ANOVA test confirmed the model’s overall significance with an F-statistic of 249.565 (p < 0.000), supporting the claim that these customer-related factors are integral to performance outcomes. Interviews with AirBnB managers in Nyeri County reinforced the quantitative findings, with managers emphasizing the importance of maintaining a strong brand reputation, offering competitive pricing, and providing personalized services to meet customer preferences. These qualitative insights aligned with the regression results, highlighting that customer satisfaction directly influences performance. The study underscores the critical role of aligning services with customer expectations to drive success in the AirBnB market. The findings provide actionable recommendations for AirBnB hosts, property managers, and stakeholders, suggesting that improving brand perception, catering to customer preferences, and ensuring high levels of satisfaction can significantly enhance performance and foster long-term competitiveness in Nyeri County’s hospitality industry.
A hybrid deep learning model for intrusion detection in cloud-based implantable medical devices
(Chuka University, 2015) Kirimi James
The rapidly evolving technologies in the healthcare sector, such as implantable medical devices (IMDs), require advanced security solutions that leverage the intelligence capabilities of these technologies while ensuring optimal safety and reliability. The IMD technology redefines healthcare service delivery by offering timely interventions, minimally invasive treatment options, and continuous patient condition monitoring to improve quality of life. Despite these achievements, IMDs face unauthorised access, data manipulation, and denial-of-service attacks, which conventional security solutions are limited in handling due to resource constraints within IMD ecosystems. As a result, different machine learning and deep learning frameworks have been proposed for real‐time threat detection. However, they still suffer from overfitting, slow inference, and excessive resource demands, hindering their effective integration into the IMD ecosystem. The study's primary goal was to design and develop a hybrid of deep autoencoders, convolutional neural networks, and long short-term memory (LSTM) strategies to provide a comprehensive detection model that reduces inference time for deployed models while enhancing performance. Autoencoders provide the fundamental architecture of the detection model, while convolutional neural networks are used in the encoder and decoder for simplicity and to capture nonlinear data effectively. The Long Short-Term Memory captures temporal dependencies in the model, enhancing overall detection capabilities. The study adopted an experimental approach, developing a hybrid deep autoencoder model to test its performance against convolutional neural networks, long short-term memory, and other conventional machine learning techniques. The results demonstrate that the hybrid model outperformed standalone models, achieving high accuracy scores across the datasets. The best model in the ICU dataset achieved 100% accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score, and a false positive rate of 0.00%. The WUSTL had an accuracy of 79.32%, a recall of 79.92%, a precision of 79.41%, a specificity of 79.24%, and a false positive rate of 20.59%. The Edge IIoT dataset had a recall, F1, and accuracy of 96.87%, a precision of 96.94%, a specificity of 96.88%, and a false-positive rate of 3.12%. The model’s inference time was substantially reduced compared to the standard deep autoencoder model across the datasets, providing a lightweight detection environment for the intrusion detection system.
Analysis of persuasive and politeness strategies used in sermons by pentecostal preachers in Nyeri County
(Chuka University, 2015) Kibuchi Robert Warui
Language is used to persuade, dissuade, manipulate, and develop diverse power and political beliefs. Politicians, lobbyists, corporate experts, and religious speakers, among others, achieve enormous power, influence, and profit by skillfully employing words.This research sought to discover the persuasive strategies and politeness used by religious preachers in their discourse within the church context. The purpose of this study was to analyze persuasive and politeness strategies used in sermons by Kenyan Pentecostal preachers in Nyeri county. The objectives that guided this study were; to describe the persuasive strategies used by Pentecostal preachers to execute their persuasion agenda and to analyze politeness strategies used by Kenyan Pentecostal Preachers in Kenya. The data source was audio recordings from the sermons of three preachers. The population of study was all the sermons with politeness and persuasive strategies. Purposive sampling was used to select five sermons with persuasive techniques and politeness. The research design of this study was qualitative. A card was used in this study by isolating the persuasive strategies and politeness strategies applied in the discourse of the Pentecostal preachers. Two theories were used to analyze data. Politeness theory was used to analyze data for the first objective while Aristotle theory of persuasion was used for the second objective. The study revealed that preachers employed different persuasive techniques to influence belief, evoke emotion and t encourage action. It was also found that the preachers strategically used a range of politeness strategies and they relied on the frameworks of the negative politeness, and positive politeness, bald-on-record and off-record communication. Indirectness, hedging, apologies depersonalized addressing characterized negative politeness strategies that are oriented towards maintaining the autonomy of the hearer. the preachers strategically used a range of politeness strategies and they relied on the frameworks of the negative politeness, positive politeness, bald-on-record and off record. The study is of relevance to sociolinguistics and pragmatics because it provides information on how politeness and persuasion works in the church discourse. In addition, the results offer helpful information to the interlocutors on the use of proper strategies to ensure successful and decent communication, where everybody during the contact feels listened to and appreciated. The results may form basis for effective sermon preparation to achieve different communicative goals. Further research can be done by doing a comparative study on the use of rhetorical devices among different denominations.
Prise en compte des identités en construction dans les interactions en classe de langue et face-work : étude exploratoire d’un atelier sociolinguistique
(Universite Grenoble Alpes, 2016) Mwakundia, Mwakazi Chrispus
Determinants of religious Tourism branding tactics in Kenya: A cross sectional study
(SAGE, 2016) Muriuki, Lemmy Mureti, Bururia,David
Shrines’ market appeal and authenticity drive religious tourism branding initiatives. Ideal packaging strate- gies further determine product performance in religious destinations. This article examined the potential contribution of market appeal and authenticity to religious tourism branding in the Kenyan Coast, Western, and Eastern regions. Multistage Cluster Sampling was used to sample 700 respondents. Surveys were con- ducted using structured interviews between February 2012 and April 2013. Questionnaires targeted commu- nities, tourists, and tourism developers. Questionnaires examined the types of shrines, utilization rate, perceived importance, and current development levels. It further assessed applicable religious tourism branding strategies within regions. Data analysis involved factor analysis, ANOVA, and t-tests. Results indi- cated that Kenyan shrines serve natural, physical, and cultural purposes, which determine their market appeal. New brands, line-extensions, and brand extensions emerged significant product branding strategies (p<0.05). Thus, it implied perceived loss of product authenticity.
A History of Social Exclusion and Poverty of the Thagichu of Igembe Sub - County, Meru County from 1907 to 1962
(INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, 2016-08) Kithinji, Caroline Mucece, Okelo,David O. and Kaburi, Muriungi Colomba
This study is on social exclusion and poverty of the Thagichu of Igembe Sub - County, Meru County in Kenya from 1907 to1962. The study traces the history of social exclusion of the Thagichu from the colonial epoch of the years1907 to 1962. Kenyan Government strategies towards alleviation of social exclusion and poverty between 2013 1nd 2015 are also explored. The study was guided by the theories of Underdevelopment, Materialistic Conception of History and Social Darwinism. The study employed the descriptive research design. Data was collected from oral, archival and secondary sources. A total of 50 people were purposively sampled and interviewed. Data from oral sources was corroborated with data from archival and secondary sources. The major findings of this research are that the Thagichu have been socially excluded by the colonial Government. This exclusion was noted in inadequate infrastructure like roads, schools, hospitals and lack of access to social services like banks compared to other areas of Meru County. The study also established that the government has come up with strategies that could help in tackling social exclusion and poverty of the Thagichu. Such strategies are building more educational facilities, provision of free primary and day secondary education, adult and continuing education, non-formal education and provision of educational funds through the constituency development fund and Affirmative Action Social Development Fund. Other strategies aimed at poverty alleviation are establishment of road networks, land adjudication, presence of NGOs, provision of formal employment, Health facilities, growth of an urban centre and Provision of electricity. This study has contributed to the Thagichu historiography
Factors Influencing Adoption of Organic Farming among Farmers in Nembure Division, Embu County - Kenya
(American journal of contemporary Research, 2016-08) Njeru,Moses Kathuri
Organic farming has been mooted as an environmentally friendly farming practice in response to the growing concern over the environmental risks associated with modern agriculture. This paper examines the factors that influence adoption among farmers in Nembure division of Embu County, Kenya. Descriptive research design was used for the study. Proportionate stratified sampling was used in selecting 37% of organic farmers in the Division. All the twelve agricultural extension officers were purposively selected for the study. Pre-testing of the questionnaires was done to ensure their validity and reliability. The reliability coefficients obtained for the farmers’ and extension officers’ questionnaires were 0.79 and 0.82 respectively. The study found that women adopted organic farming practices more than men. Contrary to existing literature, age of the farmers, their level of education; labour availability and land size did not statistically influence adoption of organic farming in Nembure division.
Influence of Student Councils Participation in Conflict Resolutionon Management of Public Boys’and Girls’Boarding Secondary Schools,Nyeri County,Kenya
(Journal of Education and Practice, 2018) Muthui,Eustace Murage, Muthaa,George M.,Barchok K. Hillary,Wamukuru,David K.
The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of students’ council’s participation in conflictresolution on management in boys’ and girls’ public boarding secondary schools. The study adopted the descriptive survey and correlation research designs. The study was conducted in 12 boys’ and 12 girls’ public boarding secondary schools in Nyeri County that were identified using purposive sampling technique. A sample of384 respondents was used. Data was collected using questionnaires. Data was analyzed usingboth descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that participation of student council in conflicts resolution had statistically significant influence on management of public boys’ and girls’ boarding secondary schools. The study concluded that a unit increase in participation of student councils in conflict resolution enhances school managementbya factorof0.887.Thestudyrecommendedthatthereisneedtoenhanceguidanceandcounseling among students, organize forums to train student councils on conflict resolution strategies and promote moral behavior and characters in order to be trusted in resolving conflicts among students.
Multivariate analysis techniques reveal significant morphogenetic variability in pumpkin landraces in Kenya
(International journal of bioscience, 2018) Kiramana,James Kirimi, Isutsa,Dorcas Khasungu
Documentedinformation on naturalizedpumpkin landraces inKenyatoidentifyusefulvariabilityis insufficient. The present study assessed variability using quantitative characters of 155 accessions, with 70 and 85 from Kakamega and Nyeri regions, respectively. The accessions were grown in one farm in a completely randomized design with three replications. Analysis of variance showed significant (P<0.05) variation in all characters. Lowest andhighest variablesinmeanandrangewereleaflength/width ratioandseednumber that were0.8 and 0.4, and 837 and 4,111, respectively. Eight factors accounted for 79.4% of total variation. The highly variable factors were fruit flesh thickness, length, width and length/width ratio, size, total weight, average weight and number, as well as seed number, 100-seeds weight, length, width, and thickness. Phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV) were slightly higher or equal to genotypic ones (GCV). High GCV and PCV, heritability and genetic gain resulted for fruit size, total fruit weight, fruits and seeds. Over 70 positive correlations in fruit size, number and seeds with total fruit weight were observed in genotypic and phenotypic variabilities. Maximum positive direct effects on total fruit weight were observed in seeds, fruit average weight, length, and size, while indirect effects were observed in fruit number, flesh thickness, length, peduncle length and days to first flower. Multivariate analysis revealed fruit size, number, total weight, and seeds were characters of great genetic variability,whichshouldbeconsideredasprimarycomponentsforachievinghighyieldsinpumpkinswhen screeningaccessionsforselectionandimprovement
ProspectiveTeachersProclivitiesinRegardto Teaching Practice as Part of Teacher Training
(International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educationa lSciences, 2018) Njagi,Mercy Wanja
Teaching practice occupies a key position in initial teacher education programme. Teaching practice provides the prospective teacher with practical experience in a school to put theories into practice. In order to achieve the standards required for qualified teacher status, a student teacherisrequiredtoundertaketeachingpracticeatleastone schoolterminKenyahenceteachingpracticeis anobligatory requirement, transformative experience and of great importance to trainee teacher. During the teaching practice the student teacher applies the fundamental procedures, techniques and methods of teaching, even the philosophy of education learned theoretically in the classroom. Thus the trainee teacher undergoes practical use of teaching methods, strategies, techniques and exercise of different activities of daily school life. The purpose of the study was to investigate the student teacher readiness for teaching practice and experience during teaching practice. The study also explored the student teachers disposition of teaching profession after teaching practice. The study adopted descriptive research design. The participants were purposively sampled from fourth year Bachelor of Education students from universities inKenyawhereasampleof132studentswasused.Thefinding ofthisresearchrevealedthatteacherpreparationisadequate, studentteachersfacechallenges duringteachingpracticeand that majority intend to join teaching profession after the course. The findings of the study may provide added knowledgetoteachertrainerstoprepare,adjustandimprove on their primary responsibility of preparing the prospective teachers.Thefindingsmayhelpteachereducationinstitutions tounderstanddiversity, intensity,complicacy andrichness of teaching practice as an integral component of teacher education programme in order to provide quality and enriching teaching practice session to train competitive educators.real school situation. Since teaching practice is an immanent component of teacher training and play a significant role in the preparation of prospective teachers thenitmustbedesignedtoenablethestudentteachertoac-
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
Dynamics of climate change adaptations on horticultural land use practices around Mt Kenya east region
(Science PG, 2018-01-16) Kinoti,Kibetu Dickson, Jackson,Colbert Mutiso,Muthoni,Mwangi Joyce
Eastern slopes of Mount Kenya experienced widespread horticultural crop production after the establishment of Horticultural Crops Development Agency (HCDA) packing facilities within the region in the early 2000s. Favourable soils and climatic conditions triggered by growing export market demands have led to the changing patterns of agricultural land use practices in Mt. Kenya east region. The focus is now shifting to agro-diversification and land use intensification practices. The growing horticultural farming business in this region is impacting subsistence production, resource use as well as livelihood systems. This paper assesses the implications of climate change adaptation measures on household food security, gender roles and land management activities within the context of horticultural production land use practices. The findings ascertain that the region’s increasing agro-diversification activities are both coping strategies to the climate related changes and the social, political as well as economic transformations ushered in by devolution
Effect of Computer Assisted Teaching Strategy on Students Achievement by Gender in Agricultural Education in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya
(International journal for innovation education and research, 2018-02-28) Muchiri,Joyline Mugero
Gender has remained relevant in education because it has been linked to achievement and participation in certain professions. Gender differences in achievement has been shown to vary according to school subject. This has partly been attributed to the teaching strategy adopted by the teacher. Computer Assisted Teaching (CAT) strategy is a method that uses computers in a learning media and strengthens student’s motivation and educational processes. Little or no information is known about the impact of the strategy in teaching agriculture and consequently it’s effect on achievement by gender. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether there is gender difference in achievement in agriculture among students exposed to CAT strategy. The study employed Solomon Four-Quasi-experimental design. The study was conducted in eight county secondary schools in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. Stratified random sampling technique was used in selecting sample schools. A sample of 327 Form One students participated in the study. The research instrument was Agriculture Achievement Test (AAT) with a reliability coefficient of 0.91. Descriptive statistics (means and percentages) and inferential statistic (ANOVA) were used for data analysis. The study showed that CAT strategy improved achievement in agriculture but male students performed better than female students after exposure to CAT strategy. The study concluded that CAT is an effective strategy in improving achievement in agriculture and therefore agriculture teachers should incorporate CAT strategy in their teaching.

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