9th International Research Conference Proceedings Chuka University, 2022

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9th International Research Conference Theme: “Exploring new frontiers in education, research and innovations for economic recovery” Proceedings
(Chuka University, 2023) Isutsa, D. K. (Ed.)
Biblical and theological basis for church involvement in community development: a case of the Anglican development services in Kenya
(Chuka University, 2022-11-24) Wambugu P. M. , Kagema D. N. and Micheni S.
The study sought to establish the biblical and theological basis for church involvement in Community Development (CD). The Anglican Development Services (ADS) of the Anglican Church was used as the case for this study. The study targeted four ADS regions namely; Pwani, Eastern, Mount Kenya East and NAIKA (Nairobi, Kajiado and All Saints). The theory of Reconstruction Theology (RT) advanced by Jesse Mugambi as a paradigm for CD was employed. A sample of 330 respondents gotten from a target population of 1,827 was used. Descriptive survey design was employed. Utilizing questionnaires, interviews, and Focus Group discussions data was gathered. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 computer software was used to analyze quantitative data in frequency and percentages while qualitative data was analyzed thematically and narrative formats in accordance with the study objectives. The findings showed that biblical and theological basis for church involvement in CD were highly valued. This compels the church to engage community in socio-economic and political development through conscientization, transformational participatory and goal-oriented empowerment. The study recommends more effort be made to disseminate biblical and theological teachings to educate communities about wholistic mission of the church. Implementation of CD be based upon proper biblical hermeneutics and contextual theologies as a demonstration of service to the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable in community. Key Words: Community Development, Anglican Church of Kenya, Anglican Development Services, Biblical and Theological Basis, Church Involvement
Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens) Larvae Meal as A Substitute Protein Source in Fish Feed
(Chuka University, 2023) Muiruri D. W.
The world fastest-growing industry for producing food is aquaculture contributing to food security. Aquaculture is currently thought to provide 50% of the food fish needs, and by 2030, it's anticipated that this percentage will increase to 60–70%. Due to the cost and food-feed competition, the use of fish meal in aquaculture is progressively becoming unsustainable; therefore, there is a need to look for an alternate protein sources. The scarcity and the prohibitive cost of the fish meal renders the fish feed expensive, halting the growth of the sector, therefore an alternative protein sources which is cheaper and sustainable to relief overreliance on fishmeal and insects such as the Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens). The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, is one of these insects that has a high protein and fat content and the micronutrients increasing its potential for use in the formulation of aqua feed. Both the protein content and the amino acid composition in H .Illucens larvae are comparable to those found in numerous protein-rich foods including fish meal. BSF has the capacity to convert organic waste into a rich supply of nutrients, including proteins, lipids, micronutrients and chitin, helps to lessen the strain on the environment and the possibility for pollution resulting from the buildup of organic waste. This review shows black soldier fly larvae as a substitute protein source in fish feed. The study recommends the farmers to adopt the use of BSF larvae meal in poultry keeping.
Characterization of Antibiotic Producing Actinomyces from River Tana and Lake Elementaita.
(Chuka University, 2023) Shikuku B. O.; Kiruki S.; Kuria E.
The aquatic environment has many Actinomyces such as Streptomyces species, that produces anti-tumors, enzymes, antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals. Actinomyces species have produced antibiotics such as chloramphenicol, streptomycin, gentamycin, among others. The increased prevalence of bacterial infections has been a major challenge to the human population with devastating high morbidity and mortality rates. This situation has been worsened by increasing antibiotic resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria, reduced effectiveness of antibiotics in the market, and the emergence of new bacterial infections. This study aimed at isolation and molecular identification of antibacterial Actinomyces species. The experiments for this study was laid out in Complete Randomized Design and replicated three times to determine the difference between the inhibition zones (mm) of isolates against the tests organisms. A total of six antibiotic producing Actinomyces species were isolated from river Tana and lake Elementaita and identified through morphological and molecular characterizations. There was significant (p<0.05) difference on antibacterial activity of Actinomyces isolates against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Staphylococcus aureus. The findings of this study can help in developing new or alternative antibiotics that can be used for treatment of pathogenic and resistant bacteria.
Characterization of Β-Lactamases and Multidrug Resistance Mechanisms in Enterobacterales from Hospital Effluents and Wastewater Treatment Plant
(Chuka University, 2023) Christopher Mutuku, Szilvia Melegh, Krisztina Kovacs, Peter Urban, Eszter Virág, and Zoltan Gazdag
Antimicrobial resistance presents a global challenge to the fight against infections in modern time. It is projected that, close to 2.4 million people are likely to die globally by the year 2050 due to infections linked to antibiotic resistance. Antimicrobials indiscriminately discharged into wastewater promote the emergence of antibiotic resistance, facilitated by selective pressure and transfer of resistance genes. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance profiles of enteric bacteria from wastewater and to establish the prevalence of plasmid borne β-lactamases and other mechanisms conferring multiresistance. Enteric bacteria, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter cloacae, and Citrobacter species (n = 126) from hospital effluents and proximate wastewater treatment plant in the city of Pecs, Hungary, were assayed for susceptibility to four antimicrobial classes. The β-lactamase encoding genes harbored in plasmids were genotyped and the plasmid DNA was subjected to the next generation sequencing. A multidrug resistance phenotype was found in 72% (n = 58) of E. coli isolates, 70% (n = 43) of Klebsiella species isolates, and 40% (n = 25) of Enterobacter and Citrobacter species. 86% (n = 50) of E. coli, 77% (n = 33) of Klebsiella species and 25% (n = 4) of Citrobacter species isolates phenotypically expressed extended spectrum β- lactamase (ESBL). ESBL genes, blaCTX-M-27 and blaTEM-1 were found in E. coli, while Klebsiella species harbored blaCTX-M-15, blaCTX-M-30, or blaSHV-12. Genes coding for aminoglycoside modifying enzymes, adenylyltransferases (aadA1, aadA5), phosphotransferases (aph(6)-1d, aph(3")-Ib), acetyltransferases (aac(3)-IIa), (aac(6)-Ib), sulfonamide/trimethoprim resistant dihydropteroate synthase (sul), and dihydrofolate reductase (dfrA) were also identified. Mobile genetic elements namely; plasmids and integrons acquired via horizontal gene transfer are vehicles for multiresistance in enteric bacteria from wastewater. Monitoring wastewater from human sources for acquired resistance in clinically important bacteria may provide a cheaper alternative in regions facing challenges that limit clinical surveillance.
Citizens’ satisfaction with police recruitment exercise: a case study of Bomet County, Kenya.
(Chuka University, 2023-11-24) Rotich, K.1, Mbuba, J. M. and Kiboro, C. N.
Previous studies have examined citizens' perceptions of the police. However, studies on the citizens’ perception of police recruitment are scarce. Thus, this study aimed at evaluating citizens' attitudes toward the recruitment of new police officers into the national police service. The study's objective was to determine citizens' satisfaction with the way police recruitment exercise is carried out in Bomet County, Kenya. The target population for the study was 875,689 citizens. This study used a descriptive research design. The simple random sampling method was used to pick three Sub-Counties in Bomet County and the respondents for the study from those selected sub-counties. A questionnaire with a series of statements on the Likert Scale was used to collect data. Analysis of the data was done through frequencies, percentages, and Chi-Square. The results were presented through frequency distribution tables. The study found that the respondents were not satisfied with the way police recruitment is done. The police recruitment exercise is still affected by police illegitimacy and other various vices such as bribery, nepotism, favoritism, and discrimination. The conclusion was that police the recruitment process is still below the recommended fairness, accountability, and transparency standards. These low standards during recruitment make citizens feel dissatisfied with police recruitment exercises. Keywords: Citizens’ satisfaction, police recruitment exercise
Deep Learning in African Languages Translation-A Review
(Chuka University, 2023) Gitari T. M., Kinyori S., Mwathi G., Too E. C. and Ireri H. K.
Machine translation (MT) is the use of computers to automatically translate one language to another. Africa has approximately 2,000 spoken languages, however, only 30 African languages have been machine translated. The main technical factor for the low-rate adoption of MT in Africa is the poor translation accuracy of existing machine translators from one African language into English. Currently, there are two approaches to MT in Africa. The first approach is the classical approach; this approach utilizes the direct mapping of input texts to produce a translated output. Examples of classical MT approaches include: statistical-based machine translators (SBMT), rule-based machine translators (RBMT) and hybridized machine translators (HMT). Classical approaches are the most widely adopted MT approach for African languages, the main reason for the wide adoption is the low cost of computing power in utilizing classical approach. However, classical approach has high-levels of inaccuracy due to language structures differentiation. The second approach is the use of Deep learning (DL) MT. Deep learning MT is a field in artificial intelligence concerned with the application of artificial neural networks to mimic the human brain learning process in language translation. Deep learning MT has the advantage of understanding phrases, complex sentence structures, and even slang when compared to classical MT approach. Deep learning has produced results 60-90% more accurate than the classical approach in translating structured languages such as French into English. However, DL has shortcomings in MT, including, high-costs of training and evaluating models, and, DL is data intensive. These review aims to analyze the current status of machine translation approaches in Africa and provide an output recommendation for universalizing applicable MT in African languages translation. The results of these review will be in both graphical and tabular format.
Effect of contract cost control on operational efficiency of commercial state corporations in Kenya
(Chuka University, 2023-11) Njue F.K.; Thogori M; Galo N
Commercial state corporations are formed to offer essential goods and services to the general public. Despite governmenteffortstoimprovetheireffectiveness,commercialstatecorporationshavecontinuedtoperformdismally characterized by poor resource utilization leading to massive losses, increased customer complaints and frequent bailouts by the government over defaulted loans. Some studies have associated this with poor contract cost control howeverthemagnitudeofitseffectonoperationalefficiencyhasnotbeenestablished.Theobjectiveofthestudywas toestablishtheextenttowhichcontractcostcontrolaffectsoperationalefficiencyofcommercialstatecorporationsin Kenya.DescriptiveCross-sectionalresearchdesignwasused.Thetargetpopulationofthisresearchcomprisedthirty- three commercial state corporations in Kenya and a census was undertaken. The study utilized primary data. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data among the thirty-three commercial state corporations in Kenya. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between variables and t-statistic at 5% significance level was employed in testing hypothesis. The overall significance was tested using F-test. The study established a positive significant effect of contract cost control on operational efficiency with regression coefficient of0.181 withap-value of0.006. Corporationsthatimplementcontractcost controlare ableto preventcostoverruns and complete contracts within the agreed budget thus providing rational utilization of resources and minimizing wastage thus increasing operational efficiency. The study recommends that to ensure effective contract cost control andguaranteethatcontractsarefulfilledwithinthesetcontractprice,anticipatedcostsshouldbeassessedandincluded in the budget.
Effect of contract costcontrol on operational efficiency 0f commercial state corporations in Kenya
(Chuka University, 2023-11) Njue F.K; ThogoriM; GaloN.
Commercial state corporations are formed to offer essential goods and services to the general public. Despite governmenteffortstoimprovetheireffectiveness,commercialstatecorporationshavecontinuedtoperformdismally characterized by poor resource utilization leading to massive losses, increased customer complaints and frequent bailouts by the government over defaulted loans. Some studies have associated this with poor contract cost control howeverthemagnitudeofitseffectonoperationalefficiencyhasnotbeenestablished.Theobjectiveofthestudywas toestablishtheextenttowhichcontractcostcontrolaffectsoperationalefficiencyofcommercialstatecorporationsin Kenya.DescriptiveCross-sectionalresearchdesignwasused.Thetargetpopulationofthisresearchcomprisedthirty- three commercial state corporations in Kenya and a census was undertaken. The study utilized primary data. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data among the thirty-three commercial state corporations in Kenya. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between variables and t-statistic at 5% significance level was employed in testing hypothesis. The overall significance was tested using F-test. The study established a positive significant effect of contract cost control on operational efficiency with regression coefficient of0.181 withap-value of0.006. Corporationsthatimplementcontractcost controlare ableto preventcostoverruns and complete contracts within the agreed budget thus providing rational utilization of resources and minimizing wastage thus increasing operational efficiency. The study recommends that to ensure effective contract cost control andguaranteethatcontractsarefulfilledwithinthesetcontractprice,anticipatedcostsshouldbeassessedandincluded in the budget
Effect of Cooking Temperature and Cleaning Methods on Levels of Mancozeb and Ethylenethiourea in Tomato.
(Chuka University, 2023) Karanja E. K., Murungi J. I. & Nyambaka H.
Pests and diseases in vegetables are controlled using pesticides which include fungicides in the class of dithiocarbamates (DTCs) such as mancozeb which are injurious to the environment, animals and human at high concentrations. Cooking degrades DTCs to metabolites such as ethylenthiourea (ETU) known to be carcinogenic, while proper cleaning removes the residue considerably. This study determined the effect of temperatures achieved by cooking and cleaning methods on the residue levels of mancozeb and the metabolite ETU on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) sprayed with mancozeb. Samples were subjected to different temperature and cleaning treatments before extraction and method validation together with analysis by HPLC. The method of analysis had The R2 values (0.948- 0.999) and recoveries ranging from 91.26-95.89 %.The ETU residues rose from a mean of 9.43±0.03 mg/kg at 25℃ to a mean of 12.43±0.38mg/kg at 90℃, while mancozeb levels decreased from 5.23±0.02 mg/kg at 25℃ to non detectable levels at 60℃. The levels of ETU reduced from 46±0.71m/kg to 0.05± 0.00 mg/kg (99.9±0.00 %) when cleaned with sodium hypochlorite while, water alone reduced ETU to 0.27±0.08 mg/kg (99.4±0. 00%).Mancozeb levels in tomato cleaned with sodium hypochlorite, reduced by 95.2±0.00% while cleaning with water alone removed 16.3±0.64%. Cleaning with sodium hypochlorite showed a highly significant removal of fungicides compared to cleaning with water only. The results from this study indicates exposure of mancozeb and ETU in fresh and cooked tomato, hence a need for cleaning with chlorine and rinsing with water before consumption and a need for more alternatives of chemical cleaning.
Effect of information sharing practices on performance of food processing firms in Nairobi County, Kenya
(Chuka University, 2023-11) Perez L. M; Thogori M. N; Wabwire J. M.
The information sharing practices account to about fifty percent of the profitability and better performance of any firm. The food processing subsector performance has been declining thus its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product has reduced to 10% thus leading to operation inefficiency. The objective of the study was to probe the effect of information sharing practices on performance of food processing firms in Nairobi County. The study was premised on the Complexity theory in logistics. Descriptive research design was employed. A population of 172 food processing firms and a sample size of 120 firms was determined. Stratified and simple random sampling were used to select specific firms while data were collected using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics aided in describing the primary characteristics of the data. Regression analysis aided to ascertain the effect of information sharing 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-statistic was used to establish the overall significance of the model. The study established information sharing practices was found to be positively correlated to performance, (regression coefficient regression coefficient 0.247, p-value 0.029). The study concluded that information sharing practices had substantial impact on performance on Food processing firms and recommends that food processing firms should firms should invest more in information sharing platform such as the EDI to enhance free flow of information. Keywords: Information Sharing Practices, Performance and Food Processing Firms.
Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates On the Establishment and Yield of New Sugarcane Cultivars in Kibos, Kisumu County
(Chuka University, 2023) Omoto G.,; Jamoza J.; Otieno V.
Sugar industry plays an important role in economic development of Kenya. Nitrogen is the primary nutrient limiting sugarcane production throughout the world. A study was conducted in Kibos during the year 2015-2018 on the effect of nitrogen fertilizer rates on the yield of new sugarcane. The aim was to determine the optimal nitrogen rates for the new sugarcane cultivars and to analysis the cost benefits of N fertilizer rates on new sugarcane yields. The treatments consisted of 11 cultivars KEN 98-367, KEN 98-530, KEN 98-533, KEN 98-551, KEN 00-13, KEN 00-3548, KEN 00-3811, EAK 73-335, KEN 82-121, KEN 82-601, KEN 82-493 and 3 levels of N fertilizer rates; 0kg Nha-1, 80kg Nha-1 and 160 kg Nha-1 as top-dress at five months after planting. The experiment was laid out as 11 x 3 factorial in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) having three replications with a gross plot size of 5 rows 6m long and spaced at 1.2 m apart. Clean seedcane aged 10 months was used. The trial was harvested at 17 months for plant crop (PC) and 16 months for ratoon1 (R1). Data was analyzed by ANOVA. The results showed that significant differences were noticed in girth, stalk heights, R1sugarcane yields and nitrogen rates of R1. Stalk population, pol% juice and nitrogen rates of PC did no differ. KEN00-3811 out yielded all the other cultivars and EAK 73-335 was the worst performer. Therefore, there is a need for further evaluation on Kibos soil before appropriate nitrogen fertilizer rate is recommended. And the cultivar recommendation should be site specific.
Effect of procurement planning on service delivery at public universities in Kenya
(Chuka University, 2023-11) Kinyua J.K; Thogori M.N; Wabwire,J.M.
Procurement in Kenyan public universities has been recognized as essential in.service deliverysince it affects how goods are procured and ensures tenders are awarded at the right time to ensure smooth running of the university. However, this has not been the case because even though most of the public procurement reforms have been achieved and procurement policiesandinstitutionsareinplace,thelevelofqualityservicedeliverybytheuniversitiesisstilllow.Thisstudytherefore soughttodeterminetheeffectofprocurementplanningonservicedeliveryamongpublicuniversitiesinKenya.Thisstudy wasanchoredbyagencytheory,resource-basedtheoryandknowledge-basedtheory.Descriptiveresearchdesignwasused. Primary data was collected using questionnaire. The target population of the study was 31 public universities in Kenya. The study adopted census technique since the population is small in size. A total of 31 Head of procurement department were the respondents. A multiple regression model was employed to bring out the effect of each independent variable on the dependent variable with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. The hypotheses of the studyweretestedusingt-testwhiletheoverallsignificanceofthemodelwastestedusingF-testat5%levelofsignificance. The studyestablished a positive significant effect ofprocurement planningon service deliverywithregressioncoefficient 0.591witha p-value 0.000.The studyconcluded that procurement planninghad a significant effect onservice deliveryof public universities in Kenya and recommends that firms should do timely procurements. This study contributes to procurement discipline by providing a model that captures procurement planning aspects and measuring their effect on service delivery. Based on the study findings it is recommended that companies should encourage implementation of procurement planning for the business needs at an early stage
Effectiveness of Computer Based Teaching in Enhancing Student’s Interest to Learn Agriculture in Secondary Schools in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya
(Chuka university, 2023-11-25) Muchiri J. M
Interest plays a key role in learning. Interest motivates students and this enhances successful learning. Students’ interest to learn is affected by the teacher’s style of teaching. Students get interested in learning when they become engaged and actively involved in the learning process. In Computer Based Teaching (CBT), students have hands on activities and are actively involved in the learning process and this increases their interest to learn. Taking into account that agriculture is the backbone of Kenya’s economy, students should develop an interest to learn the subject. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness CBT in enhancing students’ interest to learn agriculture. The study employed Solomon Four-Quasi-experimental design. Target population was the 1,779, 876 secondary school students in Kenya. The study was conducted in eight county secondary schools in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. Stratified random sampling technique was used in selecting participating schools. A sample of 327 Form One students participated in the study. The research instrument was Interest Towards Agriculture (ITA) questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.78. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used in data analysis. Statistical significant values were accepted at α level of 0.05. The findings indicated that CBT strategy improved students’ interest to learn agriculture. The study concluded that CBT is an effective strategy in enhancing interest to learn agriculture and therefore agriculture teachers should be encouraged to incorporate CBT strategy in their teaching.
Effectiveness of Prison Decongestion Programs in Selected Prisons in Kenya: An Empirical Analysis
(Chuka University, 2023) Mosoti D.; Mbuba J. M.; Kiboro C. N.
This paper analyses prison decongestion programs in Kenya and their effects on prison populations in the country. The analysis is based on primary data collected from a sample of 266 prison officers and 16 probation officers. The analysis shows that overall, prison decongestion programs contribute to a reduction of prison population. Based on the evidence generated, the paper recommends adoption of community-based sentences especially on petty crime offenders to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
Effectiveness of the existing strategies in enhancing gender responsive wildlife management and conservation in Narok county, Kenya
(Chuka university, 2023-11-24) Mercyjoy Karoki Mugambi
Gender equity and women’s empowerment are prerequisites to effective biodiversity conservation, climate action and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. In view of its ecological, social and economic value, wildlife is an important renewable natural resource. Its significance is felt in areas such as rural development, land-use planning, food supply, tourism, scientific research and cultural heritage. A better understanding of the different roles, knowledge, needs and aspirations of women and men with regard to wildlife management and conservation can help us achieve the twin goals of better conservation outcomes and increased gender equity. This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the existing strategies in enhancing gender responsive wildlife management and conservation in Narok County, Kenya. The study was carried out in four Maasai Mara wildlife conservancies. Descriptive survey and sequential explanatory mixed method approach were adopted for the study. A sample size of 167 respondents comprising of wildlife managers, conservancy landowners and conservancy rangers participated in the study. Data collection was done using questionnaires, Focused Group discussion and interviews. The data collected quantitatively was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the findings were presented using percentages, graphs and tables. The findings showed that the measures put in place to enhance gender responsive wildlife management and conservation in Maasai Mara conservancies by the wildlife stakeholders were inadequate. The strategies have failed to penetrate the cultural glass ceiling that has greatly impeded these strategies from taking root. The wildlife stakeholders have also failed to embrace and implement the existing strategies in order bring out the required change. The study recommends that the wildlife conservancies, institutions and managers should find ways of incorporating more women into wildlife management and conservation as well as employ gender advocacy and empowerment programmes to facilitate gender equity and sustainable wildlife ecosystems.
Effects of Agricultural Nutrients Influx on Water Quality in Thiba River Basin, a Sub-Catchment of Tana River Basin in Kirinyaga County, Kenya.
(Chuka University, 2023) Njue J. M., Magana A. M. & Githae E. W.
Excessive enrichment of waters with nutrients and the associated adverse biological effects leads to eutrophication, which is one of the major environmental problems across the world. Various studies have revealed the overuse of inorganic fertilizers to increase agricultural productivity in Kenya, which contributes to pollution of water bodies. In order to meet increasing demand for clean water, sustainable use and conservation of available water resources is therefore paramount. This study was done to find out effects of agricultural nutrient pollution in Thiba River, a sub- catchment of Tana River Basin, located in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The study area was divided into four distinct agro- ecological zones based on different anthropogenic activities. Ecological survey design was used in the study. Sampling was done during the wet and dry season. Water samples were analyzed for temperature, transparency, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), phosphates, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and toxic microalgae. All parameters showed both spatial and temporal variations with statistically significant differences. Temperature of the river ranged from 14.57 0C to 28.08 0C due to climatic changes along the agro-ecological zones. The pH ranged from 7.02 to 8.51. The DO values decreased from the highlands to lowland within the range of 9.00 mg/l at the reference site to 5.43 mg/l at the most polluted site. EC ranged from 20.54 µScm- 1 at the reference site during the wet season to 251.2 µScm-1 at the rice irrigation scheme site during the dry season. Water transparency ranged from 15cm to 81cm. This was low during the wet season and high during dry season. The highest values of BOD (3.49 mg/l) were recorded at the rice irrigation scheme during the wet season and the lowest (0.22 mg/l) at the forest edge reference site. The lowest levels of NH4, P, NO2 and NO3 were recorded at the forest edge reference site at 1.088 µg/l, 1.177 µg/l, 0.217 µg/l and 0.148 µg/l respectively during the dry season while the highest values for the same nutrients were recorded at the rice irrigation site at 11.439 µg/l, 4.933 µg/l, 1.518 µg/l and 2.721 µg/l in the same order. There was a high peak of all nutrient levels at the rice irrigation scheme zone which was attributed to the extensive use of inorganic fertilizers. Dam water samples were analyzed for members of Cyanobacteria group of microalgae which are bio-indicators of eutrophic waters. Out of the seven members of this group that were identified four were toxic genera. These were Nostoc, Oscillatoria, Anabaena and Microcystis. During the wet season Nostoc had the highest population followed by Oscillatoria and Anabaena. No Microcystis was observed during the wet season. There was a steady increase of all the genera during the dry season with Microcystis making appearance. Microcystis and Oscillatoria had a very high correlation. This study concludes that various anthropogenic activities especially agriculture along the study site are the main factors of Thiba River pollution hence a major threat to human, livestock and aquatic organisms. Environmental protection laws should be enforced by the government.
Effects Of Agricultural Nutrients Influx on Water Quality in Thiba River Basin, A Sub-Catchment of Tana River Basin in Kirinyaga County, Kenya.
(Chuka University, 2023) Njue J. M., Magana A. M. & Githae E. W.
Excessive enrichment of waters with nutrients and the associated adverse biological effects leads to eutrophication, which is one of the major environmental problems across the world. Various studies have revealed the overuse of inorganic fertilizers to increase agricultural productivity in Kenya, which contributes to pollution of water bodies. In order to meet increasing demand for clean water, sustainable use and conservation of available water resources is therefore paramount. This study was done to find out effects of agricultural nutrient pollution in Thiba River, a sub- catchment of Tana River Basin, located in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The study area was divided into four distinct agro-ecological zones based on different anthropogenic activities. Ecological survey design was used in the study. Sampling was done during the wet and dry season. Water samples were analyzed for temperature, transparency, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), phosphates, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and toxic microalgae. All parameters showed both spatial and temporal variations with statistically significant differences. Temperature of the river ranged from 14.57 0C to 28.08 0C due to climatic changes along the agro-ecological zones. The pH ranged from 7.02 to 8.51. The DO values decreased from the highlands to lowland within the range of 9.00 mg/l at the reference site to 5.43 mg/l at the most polluted site. EC ranged from 20.54 µScm- 1 at the reference site during the wet season to 251.2 µScm-1 at the rice irrigation scheme site during the dry season. Water transparency ranged from 15cm to 81cm. This was low during the wet season and high during dry season. The highest values of BOD (3.49 mg/l) were recorded at the rice irrigation scheme during the wet season and the lowest (0.22 mg/l) at the forest edge reference site. The lowest levels of NH4, P, NO2 and NO3 were recorded at the forest edge reference site at 1.088 µg/l, 1.177 µg/l, 0.217 µg/l and 0.148 µg/l respectively during the dry season while the highest values for the same nutrients were recorded at the rice irrigation site at 11.439 µg/l, 4.933 µg/l, 1.518 µg/l and 2.721 µg/l in the same order. There was a high peak of all nutrient levels at the rice irrigation scheme zone which was attributed to the extensive use of inorganic fertilizers. Dam water samples were analyzed for members of Cyanobacteria group of microalgae which are bio-indicators of eutrophic waters. Out of the seven members of this group that were identified four were toxic genera. These were Nostoc, Oscillatoria, Anabaena and Microcystis. During the wet season Nostoc had the highest population followed by Oscillatoria and Anabaena. No Microcystis was observed during the wet season. There was a steady increase of all the genera during the dry season with Microcystis making appearance. Microcystis and Oscillatoria had a very high correlation. This study concludes that various anthropogenic activities especially agriculture along the study site are the main factors of Thiba River pollution hence a major threat to human, livestock and aquatic organisms. Environmental protection laws should be enforced by the government.
Evaluation of Seed Quality of Jute Mallow (Corchorus Olitorius)
(Chuka University, 2023) Rutto D. K. L.; Omami E. N.
Production of high quality seeds helps to increase crop yields. Currently, there are no high quality seeds of Jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius) from breeders to farmers, resulting in farmers using re-cycled planting seed whose quality is not assured. This has resulted in low yields due to many reasons, one of them being poor quality seeds. Yields of crop has remained low 2-4 tons/ha/annum compared to expected yield of 5-8 tons/ha/annum. Farmers use up to 7kg/ha seed instead of 5kg/ha, indicating 40% extra seeds used. Though Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) are focusing her efforts on generation of appropriate strains of the vegetable, little is being done to examine seed used by farmers for its quality. Objective was to examine seed quality of Jute mallow used by farmers at planting. A field survey was conducted using structured questionnaires in five Counties of Keiyo, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, and West Pokot and Simlaw Seed Company. A sample size of 500 farmers were visited and interviewed by use of stratified random sampling method and seed simultaneously collected. Seed quality tests and data analysis on analytical purity, germination and seed vigor was done using ISTA (2004) procedures. Results showed high seed analytical purity of 99% from both Simlaw seeds and Uasin Gishu, indicating superior quality seed (above 98%). Lowest purity was from West Pokot (95%). Germination results showed Simlaw Seed (89%) was highest, while Nandi (37%) was lowest. Germination from three counties of Keiyo (57%), West Pokot (49%) and Nandi (37%) does not meet seed quality standard (above 60%). Electrical conductivity (E.C) results showed highest seed vigor was from Simlaw (2.3 μScm-1g-1) and lowest from Nandi (8.2 μScm-1g-1). It was concluded that planting seed used by farmers were of poor physiological quality and recommended they be trained on quality seed production.
Evaluation of Tomato Early Blight Pathogens’ Characteristics and Susceptibility of Locally Grown Tomato Varieties to Early Blight Infection in Kirinyaga County, Kenya
(Chuka University, 2023) Ogolla O. F.; Muraya M. M.; Onyango O. B.
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) is a highly consumed and produced vegetable crop with an annual global production of over 185 million tonnes, due to its nutritional and health benefits. However, tomato production is characterized by inconsistent quality and yields partly emanating from biotic constraints attributed to fungal foliar diseases. In Kirinyaga County, where tomato production is a significant source of livelihoods, there exists knowledge gap on the identity of pathogens causing early blight in different Agro-ecological zones (AEZs) and on the susceptibility of locally grown tomato varieties to the infection. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of early blight pathogen isolated from tomato leaves collected from different AEZs and assess the susceptibility level of some tomato varieties grown in Kirinyaga County to the early blight pathogens isolates. Pathogen characterization was carried out using morphological and molecular approaches while susceptibility of tomato varieties to fungal pathogens was evaluated by artificial inoculation. Molecular characterization for fungal pathogen involved BLASTIN analysis of DNA amplicon Sanger sequenced nucleotides and use of NCBI databases. The susceptibility assay was carried out in the greenhouse using a completely randomised design (CRD). Data on the fungal conidia lengths (µm) were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and significant means separated by Least Significance Difference (LSD) at α = 0.05. Data on the susceptibility (%) of tomato varieties to fungal pathogens isolates was subjected to ANOVA and significance means separated using LSD at α = 0.05. Morphologies of early blight pathogen pathogens differed significantly (p < 0.05) with conidia lengths from 52.8 and 204.20µm. Molecular characterization of some selected culture implicated Alternaria solani and A. alternate involvement in causing early blight. Tomato varieties differed in their susceptibility to early blight pathogens (p < 0.05). Kilele F1 was the most susceptible variety (73.84%) while Terminator F1 was least susceptible (56.48%) to early blight pathogens. It can be concluded that Terminator F1 was the least susceptible among tomato variety cultivated by farmers in Kirinyaga County and can serve as source for genetic improvement of tomato varieties for Kirinyaga pathosystem.

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