Masters Projects and Theses

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A critical analysis of the co-relationship between Nietzsche’s concept of moral relativism and same-sex sexual relationship as a contemporary moral issue.
(Chuka University, 2024) Nafuma Lusabe Lennoxie
This research delves deeply into the profound ways in which Friedrich Nietzsche's ideas on moral relativism influence contemporary perspectives on sexual morality, paying particular attention to same-sex relationships. By thoroughly exploring Nietzsche's philosophical concepts, the study meticulously dissects the intricate complexities inherent in moral discussions and the quest for personal freedom. Through an exhaustive analysis, it contrasts Nietzsche's radical thoughts with long-standing traditional moral values, illustrating how his ground-breaking ideas have significantly reshaped modern perspectives and legal frameworks surrounding same-sex relationships. In its scope, the research investigates a wide range of cultural and regional viewpoints, thus emphasizing the global significance and diverse interpretations of Nietzsche's philosophy. The study rigorously addresses potential criticisms and practical challenges associated with applying Nietzsche's relativism to modern moral debates, offering a balanced and comprehensive analysis. This nuanced examination aims to enrich the broader conversation on morality, fostering deeper critical thinking. Additionally, the research delves into historical contexts to illustrate how Nietzsche‘s philosophy interacted with and sometimes clashed with the established norms of his time, compared to its reception in today's world. It also examines the legal implications of Nietzschean thought on policies and frameworks concerning same-sex relationships across various societies. The study employs historical method complimented by phenomenological method to draw a comparison between Nietzsche‘s moral relativism and same-sex relationships as an example of an ethical issue requiring detailed insight through the use of both the philosophical-historical method and the phenomenological approach. The study underscores the importance of understanding these philosophical underpinnings to fully appreciate modern views on sexual morality. It not only aims to highlight Nietzsche‘s influence but also seeks to engage readers in a reflective dialogue about the nature and evolution of moral judgments. By doing so, it aspires to contribute meaningfully to ongoing discussions about equality, acceptance, and the ever-evolving standards of what constitutes moral behaviour in contemporary times. Through this ambitious scholarly endeavour, the research aims to spark continued interest and dialogue in Nietzschean philosophy and its application to today's moral and ethical landscape. Moreover, the study extends its analysis to a broader spectrum, exploring different dimensions and implications of Nietzsche's moral relativism across various facets of modern life. This approach not only enriches the understanding of Nietzsche's philosophy but also emphasizes its enduring impact on the ongoing debates about sexual morality, legal rights, and societal responses to same-sex relationships.
A critical analysis of Thomas Hobbes’ political theory and its relevance in public participation for effective governance under constitution of Kenya 2010
(Chuka University, 2024) Kobia Josphat Kaume
This study explored the topic of a critical analysis of Thomas Political Theory and its relevance in public participation for effective governance under the Kenyan constitution 2010.Public participation is viewed as a mechanism by which the citizens contribute towards governance and service delivery. It was informed by continuous lawsuits that quashed and overturned government’s decisions for not involving the public in considering their views before developing its policies despite the fact that public participation principle is enshrined in the constitution. Thomas Hobbes was a seventeenth century political philosopher and his political theory emphasizes on governance, formation of state and submission of the individual to the sovereign. For him, formation of the state is an initiative of the members of the public who come together and form a society with one appointed as the sovereign so as to bring checks and balances. Public participation is a basic component of democracy enshrined in the Kenyan constitution 2010. The purpose of this study was to critically examine and emphasize the role of public participation and its implication in democratic governance in Kenya and account the reason for the introduction of public participation under the Kenyan constitution 2010.The study was guided by three objectives: To analyze the theory of Thomas Hobbes on the necessity to move from the state of nature to the formation of society, To draw inferences from Hobbes’ theory with Kenyan context on public participation, To examine the nexus between public participation and good governance in reference to Kenya post 2010. Lack of proper and adequate public participation has led to misuse of public resources and increased the rate of corruption since no accountability. The assumption of this study was that though public participation has been conducted, it has not been effectively implemented as stipulated in the constitution. It was guided by Thomas Hobbes political theory. The theory emphasizes on public participation, consent and consensus in formation of government. The study was library based and the researcher used purposive sampling method to purposely sample fifteen books that were inclined to materials related to public participation and Thomas Hobbes political theory on governance in Kenya. The data were collected through reading of texts both published and unpublished Descriptive research design was used for it enabled the description of state of affairs in governance as they were in Kenya post 2010 constitution. It established that public participation contributes in effective governance, peace building and trust since citizens feel their voice is heard. It also established that corruption and misuse of public resources was contributed by lack of adequate public participation since there is no accountability. The Study was done in Chuka University, Catholic University of Eastern Africa and Consolata Institute of Philosophy libraries. The study adopted descriptive design and used critical method that questions assumptions, examine evidence, identify biases, and striving for a deeper understanding of public participation in Kenya. Critical method offered an internal or immanent criticism to the governance in Kenya under 2010 constitution. The study emphasized on the importance of effective feedback mechanisms by government to ensure implementation of decisions reached through citizen participation. It found out that public participation is an important principle of governance. It was also revealed that all county governance structures should ensure decisions reached through public participation and consensus building forums are strictly implemented. Instituting appropriate and adequate engagement forums for inclusivity, equality and effective citizen participation in management and development matters was emphasized for the development of policy that promotes effective governance. These findings significantly contributed to the understanding of the role of public participation on performance of devolved governance systems in Kenya.
A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF KENYA’S BUILDING BRIDGES INITIATIVE SPEECHES
(Chuka University, 2023-10) GITONGA EURIDISE NKATHA
Language is vital in communication between people. People understand each other through shared knowledge between the speaker and the hearer. It is a major mechanism within the process of social construction, seen as an instrument for consolidating, manipulating concepts, seek attention, create relationships in the area of power, and use it as tool to control the society. Anchored in Critical Discourse Analysis theoretically, this study shed light on the crucial use of language in the society. The study sought to explain specific linguistic ways in which language is used to represent an instrument of control and manifest symbolic power in the Kenya’s Building Bridges initiative speeches. The study developed and proposed various strategies of (de) legitimization employed by political leaders in Kenya to justify their course of action regarding the Building Bridges initiative. The study was guided by two objectives; to analyze how political actors (de) legitimize the Building Bridges Initiative in Kenya and to analyze how political actors, use language to create a Kenyan identity through the Building Bridges Initiative discourse. Qualitative research methodology was used in this study, of which the descriptive survey method was employed for the analysis of data. YouTube videos of speeches made by specific political actors regarding the Building Bridges Initiative since November 2019 to 2021 were purposively sampled, transcribed and analyzed in their written form. De(legitimization) strategies were identified until saturation point was reached where no new strategies were being generated without resulting to redundancy. These were then categorized into thematic areas in accordance to the objectives of the study. The study established that strategies used by politicians in (de)legitimizing BBI were; authorization, rationalization, moral evaluation, and mythopoeic. It also established that majority of the speakers used language to attract attention, and advance ideologies that created a Kenyan identity. The study found that Kenya’s identity was to a large extent shaped negatively in the BBI discourse with only two out of the six having a positive orientation. These included: Kenya as a nation in need of national conversation, Kenya as a country struggling with tribalism and corruption and Kenya as a peaceful country with fairness and inclusivity. The information gathered in this study is useful to linguists since it provides them with ways to understand the language of politicians world over. Politicians may use language with hidden meaning that needs unravelling. Therefore, this study offers some of the ways of understanding and disambiguating what the politicians really say in their speeches. From the findings of this research, the researcher suggests the following areas for interested scholars: A study on creation of identity using other theories for example politeness theory, speech acts theory, or conceptual metaphor theory.
A forensic linguistic study of victim impact statements of rape cases in magistrates’ courts in Meru county Kenya
(Chuka University, 2025) Kirimi Antony Kiambi
This study focuses on Forensic Linguistics which is a branch of applied linguistics that involves use of linguistic knowledge, insights and methods to the forensic context of law, language, crime investigation, trial, and judicial procedure. It is said to be language of evidence. Language is important in courtroom discourse as it enhances communication among discourse participants in court. It serves to limit, control, promote or reduce dominance since language has power. This study therefore, sought to majorly focus on Forensic Linguistic Study of Victim Impact Statements (VISs) of Rape cases at Meru County Law courts. It was guided by the following objectives; to describe the emotive vocabulary in Victim Impact Statements of rape cases and to examine victims’ use of language to establish authority in Victim Impact Statements of rape cases. The researcher adopted a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) theory. A descriptive qualitative technique was used in this study. The data was collected from written VISs(text). Purposive sampling was used and only relevant materials and documents were collected from rape cases. The sample size for this study was fifteen VISs.The three dimensions of CDA; description, interpretation and explanation were used in data analysis. The results of this study show that emotive vocabulary is used in VISs and victims use various Linguistic Markers to show power in VISs. For instance, the findings of the study reveal thatthe lexical features heavily relied on that were emotive in nature included; descriptive vocabulary, evaluative vocabulary, Specialized/legal, rare vocabulary, word collocations, modality and shared knowledge of the society and the constitution of Kenya.They also used experiential, expressive, relation value of words and ideologically significant meaning relations to emotively voice their concerns. The study also found out that the commonly used type of power was instrumental power. This was important in maintaining and enforcing authority. Linguistic markers of power used were; legal language, modal verbs, formal language, imperative sentences, personal pronouns, discourse markers, semantic field of words, assertions, metaphors, repetition, idioms and synthetic personalization. These portrayed the victims as more superior than the accused. The study concluded that emotive language is present in VISs and play a vital role in communicating the victim’s mind in his/her quest for justice. It also concluded that Linguistic markers for power are present in the VISs. Producers of the text incorporate powerful linguistic expressions which as social agents in this context elevates them above the defendant. The fact that the Law has given them a platform to air their voices during a critical stage in the proceeding (before sentencing) and no rebuttal to the same from the defendant side, shows power asymmetry. This study is important as the findings add to the body of knowledge on Forensic Linguistics which is an emerging area of study especially courtroom discourse. The findingsalso give insight to legal practitioners especially legal decision makerson use of language in rape cases’ VISs and its relation to power as rape cases are sensitive.
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
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.
A hybrid of deep auto-encoder and feature embedding model for an e-commerce recommender system
(Chuka University, 2024) Ireri Justin Murithi
Recommender systems aim to predict user interests and suggest products that are likely to be of interest. These systems are widely used across various platforms, including online shopping, streaming services, and music stores, to provide personalized suggestions. Traditional machine learning-based models, such as collaborative filtering and content-based algorithms, often face challenges like low accuracy, data sparsity, and the cold start problem. The cold start problem occurs when a system lacks sufficient data to make accurate recommendations for new users or items. This study specifically focuses on addressing the visitor cold start problem, where the system does not have prior information about the new user’s preferences or behavior, making personalized recommendations difficult. To address this issue, a model was developed using deep auto-encoders integrated with feature embedding (DAE-FE), designed to improve item prediction accuracy for new users in an e-commerce recommender system. The model introduces an embedding layer after the dropout layer in the deep neural network, which automatically captures user data points such as time and location. These data points help in constructing a user profile necessary for prediction. This feature not only improves the accuracy of item predictions but also speeds up the process by filling in missing data for new users, allowing the system to proceed directly to prediction. An experimental research design was employed to compare the performance of the developed model with previous models that relied solely on provided datasets. In the experiment, user location and time of login were used as independent variables, while model accuracy served as the dependent variable. The model was trained and tested using the MovieLens 100k dataset, which was adapted to meet the requirements of the DAE-FE model. The hybrid model achieved a mean squared error of 0.0241 and a root mean squared error of 0.1443, indicating minimal deviation from the actual values. As a result, the model attained approximately 96% accuracy in predicting recommendations for cold start users. Overall, the model demonstrated strong performance and appears to be a promising solution for the cold start problem in ecommerce systems. The research found that incorporating more side information from users and items on the dataset during the model's training will yield more accuracy in item prediction.
A hybrid of residual network and inception neural network model for wildlife detection and identification
(Chuka University, 2025) Malach Obisa Amonga
Machine learning has significantly transformed various domains, with deep learning architectures playing a crucial role in computer vision applications. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have demonstrated remarkable success in image classification and object recognition tasks. However, traditional CNN architectures often exhibited limitations in handling complex feature extraction and generalization, particularly in wildlife identification where intra-class variations were high. The challenge in wildlife identification arose due to factors such as varying lighting conditions, occlusions, background clutter, and pose variations, which made it difficult for sinle model architectures to achieve high accuracy and robustness. This study sought to address these challenges by first designing and implementing individual Residual Network (ResNet) and Inception models to establish baseline performance, and then developing a hybrid ResNet-Inception model aimed at enhancing feature extraction, optimizing classification performance, and improving generalization capabilities in wildlife identification tasks. The Animals with Attributes 2 (AwA2) dataset was used to train and evaluate the models, and their performance was assessed using standard classification metrics, including accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. The WildlifeReID-10k dataset served as an external validation set. The hybrid approach leveraged ResNet’s ability to mitigate vanishing gradient problems through residual learning and Inception’s capability to capture multi-scale spatial features, thereby creating a more robust and efficient architecture. The results demonstrated that ResNet101 achieved an accuracy of 93.5%, Inception v3 achieved 95.6%, while the proposed hybrid model achieved 98%, confirming its superior performance in distinguishing visually similar species and enhancing generalization. The findings of this study provide a practical contribution to biodiversity conservation by enabling improved automated wildlife identification systems that support ecological monitoring, species recognition, and anti-poaching surveillance. By addressing the limitations of singlemodel approaches and demonstrating the advantages of hybrid deep learning architectures, the study sets a new benchmark in wildlife identification and reinforces the integration of artificial intelligence into environmental conservation practices.
A lexico-pragmatic interpretation of Gi-gicugu Euphemism
(Chuka University, 2025) Maguh Miriam Wangui
This research argues that language functions not only as a tool for communication but also as a medium for expressing attitudes, emotions, and worldviews. It contributes to the field of pragmatics and sociolinguistics, with a specific focus on lexico-pragmatic analysis within African languages. The study focused on the Gĩgĩcũgũ dialect of the Kikuyu language. It examined the lexico-pragmatic interpretation of euphemism, particularly how politeness is linguistically constructed across various social contexts. The main objectives were to analyze the functions of euphemized lexical items in conveying meaning, to identify possible communication barriers arising from their use, and to explore how both positive and negative politeness strategies reflect the social values of the Gĩgĩcũgũ speaking community. The study employed a descriptive survey research design, which focused on understanding the meanings, experiences, and social contexts of language use rather than quantifying data. It aimed to capture the richness of speakers' expressions and attitudes through focus group discussions and recording of natural speeches. The study adopted a descriptive linguistic approach, which systematically described the language used in specific social settings, particularly how euphemisms function in communication within the Gĩgĩcũgũ speaking community. Purposive sampling was used to select native Gĩgĩcũgũ adult speakers from the rural Rung’eto region, ensuring fluency in the dialect and familiarity with cultural norms. The researcher used these speakers to obtain the euphemistic words and expressions used in the Gĩgĩcũgũ dialect. Data was collected through focus group discussions and recording of natural speeches. The primary instrument of data collection was researcher designed guide for capturing euphemistic expressions used in relation to key social domains such as birth, circumcision, marriage, diseases, sex and relationships, church activities, and death. Data analysis was conducted thematically in line with Brown and Levinson’s (1987) Politeness Theory, examining how euphemisms serve both communicative and social functions. The study revealed that Gĩgĩcũgũ speakers employ euphemisms to maintain politeness, manage face-threatening acts, and reinforce social cohesion. It also revealed that the use of such expressions at times leads to miscommunication or ambiguity due to generational, social and cultural differences. Ultimately, the study shed light on how euphemism in the Gĩgĩcũgũ dialect operates as a culturally embedded strategy of meaning-making and politeness.
A pragma-semiotic analysis of always sanitary pads advertisements in Kenya
(Chuka University, 2024) Njenjere, Karambu Fridah
Pragma-semiotic analysis combines pragmatism and semiotics. Pragmatism, in this study, looks at politeness strategies employed in Always Sanitary pads advertisements as well as meanings of the various semiotic resources used in these multimodal images. In order to investigate the complex interactions between pragmatic functions and semiotic resources in the meaning-construction process within multimodal texts, this study conducts a pragma-semiotic analysis of Always Sanitary Pads advertisements in Kenya. Through an analysis of linguistic and non-linguistic components, the study sought to clarify the ways in which signs are utilized to accomplish communicative intentions in various settings. Studies on pragma-semiotics have been conducted on advertisements of Nike-air shoes, beauty products in printed magazines, in telecommunication and in banking industry. However, particular attention has not been given to combine multimodality with pragmatic acts for the analysis of advertisements in Kenya. The present research filled up this gap by exploring the ways in which Always Sanitary Pads advertisers utilize different semiotic resources such as visuals and language choice to create persuasive messages that resonate with their customers guided by two theoretical frameworks which comprises Multimodal Theory by Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen, alongside the Theory of Politeness by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson. The research design utilized non-probability sampling. A guiding card served as the instrument to sort out the adverts for sampling as well as for data analysis. This research found out that Always Sanitary Pads advertisements use politeness strategies to lessen threats to face, and that these advertisements contain multimodal components composed of semiotic resources that are interacted creatively hence contributing in the shaping of the perceptions of feminine hygiene products
A pragma-semiotic analysis of communication strategies in vaccination campaigns against mpox in Kenya
(Chuka University, 2025) Chemiati, Rebecca Chemutai
The success of any public health campaign is dependent on its ability to strategically utilize various modes of communication to effectively convey complex health messages. Meaning-making in public health campaigns is dependent on the strategic integration of language and other modes of communication. Integration of these two linguistics fields provides a comprehensive understanding of how public health campaigns navigate through the complexities of effective communication in a multi cultural society. The motivation behind this study is based on the need to understand how semiotic and pragmatic elements collaboratively work to create meaning. The study focused on analysis of meanings and the functionality of speech acts in vaccination campaigns against Mpox in Kenya. This study adopted a descriptive research design guided by the Multimodal Theory by Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen and John Searle’s Theory of Speech Act. The study population comprised all publicly available communicative materials used in the vaccination campaigns against Mpox in Kenya. Purposive sampling was used to identify campaign materials that possess linguistic elements only relevant to the study. A total of thirty campaign materials were sampled. However, the final sample size was dependent on the point of saturation. The data was sourced from official websites of institutions of public health and digital media platforms. An integrated pragma-semiotic approach was utilized during data analysis where visuals were classifieds as icons, indexes and symbols to examine their communicative functions while speech acts were analysed according to Searle (1976). This document is made up of six chapters; chapter one, two and three comprise the introduction, literature review and research methodology respectively. Chapter four highlights meanings in vaccination campaigns against Mpox in Kenya. The study finds that the campaigns made use of various semiotic resources such as icons, indexes, symbols, spatial arrangements, layouts and colour schemes which carried multiple meanings. The icon of a vaccine bottle for instance connotates hope through the administration of the vaccine which is a lifesaving substance. This reinforces the idea that the relevant authorities are concerned with the protection and preservation of life. Symbolically, this icon is a representation of defence and immunity.Chapter five engages speech acts in vaccination campaigns against Mpox in Kenya. The findings of the pragmatic analysis reveal the use of five types of speech acts as categorized by Searle (1976) and hierarchical structuring which operate as complex illocutionary arrangements. Chapter six contains the summary of findings, conclusions and recommendations. This study has validated that the union of pragmatic and semiotic elements in the campaigns against Mpox generated an integrative communicative power which not only informed the population regarding Mpox pandemic but also advocated certain preventive methods, primarily vaccination among high-risk groups. The study demonstrates how verbal and visual elements interact dynamically to produce persuasive messages that impact behaviour change. This study advances the theoretical frameworks utilized by demonstrating how various illocutionary acts are reinforced and modulated through semiotic resources to inform, create awareness and promote vaccination uptake. It bridges the gap between theory and applied communication practices. The integration thus provides a comprehensive understanding of the process of meaning-making. It offers insight on the role of communication strategies in the design of more effective public health campaigns.
AB INITIO STUDY OF STRUCTURAL AND PIEZOELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF HAFNIUM DOPED BISMUTH SODIUM POTASSIUM TITANATE
(Chuka University, 2023-10) MWANZIA BONFACE MUTUKU
Piezoelectric materials have gained increased attention in the recent times due to their significant technological applications. These materials are widely used to make ultrasound transducers, sensors, actuators and others are used for energy harvesting. Due to its brilliant piezoelectric properties, Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) is mostly used with a piezoelectric constant of 𝑑33 = 374 𝑝𝐶/𝑁 from experimental reports and 306 − 314 𝑝𝐶/𝑁 from theoretical studies. However, due to the toxic nature of lead oxide which is formed when PZT is being manufactured, there is increased effort in development of lead-free materials. Several classes of materials have recently been studied and are now being considered as potential alternatives to PZT. Lead free perovskite systems such as Bismuth Sodium Potassium Titanate (BNKT) have been developed, with a piezoelectric constant 𝑑33 = 157 𝑝𝐶/𝑁 . However, the main drawback of this system is that it is highly corrosive and has a low piezoelectric constant compared to PZT. In the quest to provide suitable alternatives, dopants such as zirconium have been used, which improved the piezoelectric constant of BNKT up to203 𝑝𝐶/𝑁. Hf which possesses similar physico-chemical properties as zirconium has led to an improvement in the piezo electric constant of other piezoelectric systems such as in hafnium doped Barium Titanate (BT). It has an added advantage of being extremely resistant to corrosion, which is expected to mitigate the corrosive nature of BNKT. In this study, hafnium has been incorporated in BNKT so as to engineer an alternative material suitable for piezoelectric applications. Density Functional Theory (DFT) method was used to predict the structural and piezoelectric properties of hafnium doped BNKT, starting with those of Bismuth Sodium Titanate (BNT) and BNKT. The exchange and correlation was taken as the Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA). The optimal lattice parameters for BNT were found to be 𝑎 = 5.57 Å and 𝑐/𝑎 ratio of 2.50 for the conventional cell, having space group R3c space group number 161. Piezoelectric constant for this system was found to be 97.67 pC/N. This structure was adopted for doping and further calculations. Potassium doped bismuth sodium titanate was modelled using VESTA software and its optimized lattice parameter was found to be 𝑎 = 5.60 Å. Piezoelectric constant for this system was found to be 147.42 pC/N. Hafnium doped BNKT had an improved piezoelectric constant of 205.52 pC/N for 3% hafnium doping, which decreased to 163.22 pC/N at the level of 6% doping. The results shows that small amounts of hafnium improved the piezoelectric constant of BNKT from 147.42 pC/N to 205.52 pC/N. Elastic and elastic compliance full tensors for these systems was also generated with elastic constants of C33 = 286.48 Gpa, 282.13 Gpa, 257.193 Gpa and 276.43 Gpa for BNT, BNKT, 3% Hf doped BNKT and 6% Hf doped BNKT respectively. This study concludes that doping BNKT with hafnium indeed improves the piezoelectric properties of BNKT. This makes this material more useful in energy generation since high piezoelectric constant leads to efficient mechanical – electrical energy conversion in the piezoelectric materials.
Access and Utilization of Seasonal Climate Forecast Among Small Holder Farmers in Masinga Sub-County, Machakos County, Kenya
(Chuka University, 2019-09) Masesi, Gideon Kyalo
Climate change in Kenya and other East African countries is expected to manifest itself in shifts in seasons and increased frequencies of extreme weather events, such as droughts, heavy rainfall and associated flooding. As climate continues to change, seasonal forecasts will become even more crucial as one way of informing farmers of short-term weather dynamics, impending seasons of below- or above-normal rainfall and extreme rainfall events. Kenyan government has invested considerable resources into the development of understanding and technologies to meet the expected demands of its citizens for improved climate forecasts. Regrettably, many of the benefits of these investments have not yet been realized as farmers do not use this forecasts information to make agricultural sound decisions, hence benefits to the nation are considerably less than they might be otherwise. This therefore called for a study to evaluate the access and utilization of seasonal climate forecast among households in Masinga Sub County, Machakos County in Kenya. A cross-sectional survey research design was used. A systematic random sampling procedure was employed to select 274 respondents in the four sub locations of Masinga Sub County. Structured questionnaires were used to elicit required information from the respondents. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Pearson‟s correlation coefficient was utilized to establish relationship between some socioeconomic characteristics and utilization of climate forecasts. Results indicated that 82% of the respondents were able to access climate forecasts through radio, and television. Majority of the respondents indicated that their major interest was to know the start and the end of rain (63%). Radio was the major source of climate forecast (38%) with 90% of the respondents getting information from radio and 60% from television. Above 60% of the respondents indicated that the climate forecast information received from dissemination channels was inaccurate. Over 60% indicated that bulletins used very difficult and complicated language while chief “Barraza‟s” was considered to use simple language (56%). Inadequate extension officers (84%) was a limitation to access to climate forecast information. Majority of the respondents (54%) use both indigenous knowledge on climate forecast and seasonal climate forecasts, however 61% stated that they were very unsatisfied with scientific forecasts. Inaccuracy of forecasts (98%) was a key factor affecting adoption of climate forecast. Over 80% of the respondents felt that climate forecasts cover a wide area making it difficult for them to relate the climate reports to their specific local areas. It was noted that seasonal climate forecast information given by the relevant institutions are coarse thus providing little or no detail on the local characteristics of a season, and do not reflect the localized pattern of rainfall. Moreover, difficult terminologies used in climate forecasting limit their usability and usefulness to farmers and other users. Majority of farmers lack confidence in forecasts issued by KMD and perceive them to be incorrect. Most of the climate forecasts broadcasts are done at the wrong time of day, when the households were out in the fields or in their daily activities. This hinders usability of climate forecasts by the targeted groups. The study further established a significant relationship between land, income, age, education level and gender with utilization of climate forecast. Therefore, based on the major findings of this research it is recommended that, (i) climate forecasts should be downscaled into regional level and should be location specific to increase utility (ii) disseminate climate forecast through local media in local languages so that information can reach local farmers (iii) probabilistic nature of seasonal forecasts should be given with technical guidance to help farmers interpret vii easily and respond to the forecast and (iv) climate forecasts should be issued in the evening between 6.00 p.m-9.00 p.m. to reach a large audience.
Adaptive leadership practices and management of teachers in public secondary schools in tharaka south sub-county, tharaka nithi county, kenya
(Chuka University, 2024) Mugambi Gatawara Irene
Effective teacher management is widely recognised to be vital in the thriving of education systems leading to the dispensation of positive education outcome. Schools are vulnerable to modern challenges that can affect effective teacher management. Principals are the heads of management in public secondary schools thus are expected to oversee teacher management functions in schools. There is a growing concern that principals are lacking adaptive leadership skills needed to navigate the complex education environment. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between principal’s collaborative problem solving strategies and teacher management in public secondary schools, Tharaka South sub-county, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya; To examine the relationship between principals’ support for a culture of continuous learning and teacher management in public secondary schools Tharaka South sub-county, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya; To establish the relationship between principals’ effective communication strategies and teacher management in public secondary schools Tharaka South sub-county, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya and to establish the relationship between principals’ conflict resolution strategies and teacher management in public secondary schools Tharaka South sub-county, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The study was conducted in public secondary schools in Tharaka South sub-county. The sub-county has 24 public secondary schools, with a target population of 402 subjects comprising 24 principals, 377 teachers, and 1 Quality Assurance Officer. Simple random sampling was used to sample the principals and the teachers while purposive sampling was used on the Quality Assurance Officer. The researcher used Krejcie and Morgan table to realise a sample size 201 comprising of 6 principals, 194 Teachers and 1 Quality Assurance Officer. The researcher used questionnaires and interview schedules as the instruments for data collection. Piloting was carried out in Neighbouring Tharaka North sub-county, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya among 21 respondents. The data collected was analysed using chi square and Statistical Packages for Social science (SPSS) version 26. The study analysed both qualitative and quantitative data and presented the results in tables. The findings of the study implied a significant relationship between adaptive leadership practices and management of teachers in public secondary schools in tharaka south sub-county, tharaka Nithi County, kenya. The study concluded that public secondary schools should emphasize on effective collaborative problem solving strategies through allowing teachers to have open communication channels, include them in decisionmaking process and problem solving culture and lastly team building. The findings of this study are expected to be helpful; to the Teachers Service Commission as they may get insights on how to address various inadequacies in teachers’ management among public secondary schools in Kenya. Principals and the teachers also may learn the various adaptive leadership practices and management of teachers. Scholars and researchers interested in the area of adaptive leadership practices and management will find this study a valuable reference point.
Adherence to focused antenatal care guidelines among nurses and midwives working in selected hospitals in Imenti South sub-county, Meru county, Kenya
(Chuka University, 2024) Mwiti Glory Kanyiri
Focused antenatal care is essential to improving neonatal and maternal health by preventing, identifying, and treating medical conditions that endanger a pregnant woman’s health besides a fetus. Maternal mortality ratio and morbidity remain and one of the strategies to reduce maternal mortality ratio is the effective implementation of focused antenatal care. This study aimed to determine nurses’ and midwives’ adherence to focused antenatal care guidelines among nurses and midwives working in selected public health facilities in the Imenti-South Sub-County, Meru County. The study adopted an analytical cross-sectional research design. It involved all 55 nurses and midwives working at the antenatal clinic in the level 4 hospitals, level 3, and level 2. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Chuka University Institutional Ethics Committee. Permit to collect data was obtained from the NACOSTI, the County director of medical services, Meru County, Imenti South health coordinator, and an informed consent signed by the respondents. Data was collected using an observational checklist and a researcher-administered questionnaire. Data was cleaned, coded, and entered in the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) (V.27) for analysis. Descriptive statistics like mean, frequencies, median, percentages, and range were used to summarize, data was presented in tables and graphs. A chi-square test was used to show the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and adherence to focused antenatal care guidelines. Regression analysis was used to determine predictors of adherence. The mean age of the participants was 35.91 ±10.92 SD with more than half being less than 36 years (56.4%). The majority were females (60%). About threequarters had a diploma in nursing. Average years of experience was 10.45 ±10.05 SD while working in the ANC department was 3.89 ±3.71 SD. The majority of the facilities were level II (60%). More than half of the nurse-midwives had no in-service training on FANC (72.7%). Most nurse-midwives had poor knowledge of FANC guidelines (67.3%). More than half of the facilities had adequate resources to offer ANC services (58.2%). There were slightly more participants with good adherence to FANC guidelines (50.9%) than those with poor adherence (49.1%). Adherence was significantly associated with the level of the facility. There was no significant association between adherence and knowledge level of FANC guidelines (p>0.05). However, there was a significant association between adherence and availability of resources (p= 0.012, COR= 4.364; CI = 95% 1.383,13.772). Nurse-midwives have poor knowledge of FANC guidelines. The percentage of nurse-midwives with good and poor adherence to FANC guidelines was almost equal. Adherence to FANC guidelines is significantly associated with the availability of resources. There is a need to train the nurse-midwives on the current FANC guidelines as well as provide continuous monitoring and evaluation to enhance adherence. The county government in collaboration with the national government should ensure there are adequate ANC services resources in the facilities. An interventional study should be carried out to determine if the in-service training for the nurse-midwives will improve their knowledge of FANC guidelines.
Adoption of financial technology and performance of micro-electronics enterprises in Kiambu county, Kenya
(Chuka University, 2025) Chege Charity Wairimu
Kenya's digital economy is growing leading to an increase in number of established micro-electronics enterprises that contribute to employment and GDP. However, the performance of consumer electronics enterprises has recorded a declining trend compared to other sectors which have improved growth patterns in recent years. In this subsector, inventory management challenge has also been of significant concern. Therefore, this study sought to establish the effect of adoption of financial technology on the performance of micro-electronics enterprises in Kiambu County in Kenya. The specific objectives that guided this study were to determine the impact of digital payment, digital borrowing, and digital current asset management on the performance of micro-electronics enterprises in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study also established the moderating effect of enterprise age on the relationship between the adoption of financial technology and the performance of micro-electronics enterprises in Kiambu County, Kenya. Existing literatures indicates that adoption of financial technology can improve operational efficiency, customer’s retention and sales volume, however few studies have been done in the context of microelectronics enterprises. The study was anchored on the technology acceptance model and the diffusion of innovation theory. A descriptive research design was adopted to describe feature of enterprises. A questionnaire was used to gather data from owners or designated supervisors of enterprises. A census approach was used in the study. The target population was 108 registered micro-electronics enterprises operating in Kiambu County. Data analysis was done using descriptive analysis, multiple regression and correlation analysis. Presentation of data was done using tables and figures. Out of 108 respondents, 100 responded making a 93% response rate. The study revealed statistically significant positive effect of digital payment (R2=0.544, t-value=5.819, p=0.000), digital borrowing (R2=0.634, t-value=6.930, p=0.000) and current asset management (R2=0.572, t-value=7.425, p=0.000) on enterprise performance with F-statistics as (33.863, 48.020 and 55.128) respectively The study further found that adoption of financial technology jointly comprising of digital payment, digital borrowing and current asset management on enterprise performance had greater influence on enterprise performance. The age of enterprise did not significantly moderate the relationship between adoption of financial technology and enterprise performance where p value of 0.610 was greater than 0.05 significance level. Therefore, the study recommended that microelectronics enterprises need to maintain and consistently optimize adoption of financial technology in order to improve performance. The study also recommended that owners of enterprises should involve their employees in the adoption process and use of financial technology to promote a culture of digital skills and smooth operations within the enterprises.
An assessment of christians’ perception of christian marriage in the catholic church, our lady of visitation deanery, diocese of Embu, Kenya
(Chuka University, 2025) Mbogo, Gladwell Karimi
Marriage is one of the most important social institutions in the society. In the Catholic Church, it holds a profound religious and social significance. The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is one of the seven sacraments. It emphasizes on monogamy and indissolubility of marriage. There is lack of comprehensive research examining Christian’s practice of Christian marriage within Our Lady of Visitation Deanery. This study sought to assess Christians’ perception of Christian marriage in the Catholic Church, Our Lady of Visitation Deanery, Diocese of Embu, Kenya. The study was guided by the following objectives; to examine the role of the church teachings in shaping perception of Christian marriage, to evaluate factors influencing Christians’ perception of Christian marriage, to determine strategies for expanding the perception and practice of Christian marriage and to analyze the impact of societal changes on Christian marriage practices in Our Lady of Visitation Deanery. This study adopted structural functionalism theory to provide a better understanding of marriage as a social institution that fulfils key societal functions such as preservation of marital norms and values. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The target population was 5020 people. A sample of 357 respondents including the Clergy, married couples, members preparing to marry and unmarried members were selected through stratified random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. The researcher used questionnaires, interview schedule and focus group discussions to gather information. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 29 to generate descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, while qualitative data from the Clergy and unmarried members was analyzed thematically using coding, categorization and identifying of emerging patterns to interpret meanings and relevance to the research. Key findings of the study showed that most Christians in our Lady of visitation deanery value Church marriage as a sacred covenant that symbolizes faith, love and divine blessing. The study concluded that although church teachings shape Christians perception of church marriage, there is a gap between doctrinal teachings and practice of marriage. It recommended strengthening marriage catechesis and premarital counselling, continuous marriage formation, integration of culture and faith and Community sensitization in order to enhance the practice of church marriage. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on social-anthropological aspect of religion by showing how religion interacts with culture in shaping marriage practices and family relations.
An efficient detection model of zero-day web application attacks based on convolution neural networks and deep auto encoders
(Chuka University, 2024) Tuei Kevin Kirui
The need for secure and trustworthy information systems has taken center stage and proven critical in supporting teleworking, online teaching, and research services. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the primary driver of the 6th generation of computing, and innovations with applications of AI in computer vision, gaming, robotics, and security. Zero-day web application attacks take advantage of web application software weakness for as long as the developer is unaware and has not developed a mechanism to eliminate the weakness. Zero-day attacks leave vulnerable users grappling with data loss and have the propensity to push an organization out of business. Current zero-day attack detection methods built on signature-based or anomaly-based methods are inefficient in combating these attacks since they rely on previously detected weaknesses for signatures and a deviation from normal behavior for anomaly detection. These methods result in detection rates below 80%, meaning the propensity of Zero-day attacks going undetected is 20% or lower. The application of machine learning techniques has proven to be efficient because these techniques can continuously learn from the code as well as its execution to detect security breaches and trigger an alarm. With the need to improve these techniques, a novel classification model needs to be developed to increase the detection rate further and reduce the false alarm rate. This study applied a hybrid of two machine learning methods, Convolution Neural Networks and deep autoencoders, to develop a classification model that significantly increases the detection rate of zero-day attacks. The KDD'99 Dataset is a comprehensive repository of fully labeled intrusion detection records that was used to develop, test and validate the model. This dataset simulated real-world scenarios and assessed the model's performance under different intrusion scenarios. The Average Detection Rate, Accuracy and F1 score metrics were used to evaluate the model. The hybrid CNN-Deep Autoencoder model had a detection rate of 0.895 against 0.887 of the Fully Connected Network (FCN) with sampling and 0.885 of the pure CNN model. The accuracy and F1-score of the hybrid CNN-Deep Autoencoder were 0.973 and 0.971 respectively. The Hybrid Model of CNN and Deep Autoencoder is efficient in detecting Zero-Day Attacks making it possible for Software Developers to patch their systems sooner resulting in minimal dwell time.
An enhanced convolutional neural network model for translating Kenyan sign language into text in english
(Chuka University, 2024) Muthui Nancy Njoki
Most people communicate effectively and socialize through verbal means, such as talking. However, mute and deaf people cannot interact with society through speech. So, they use the non-verbal modes of communication. Non-verbal communication is a sort of usual body movements, hand gestures, and facial expressions like sign language, and this needs translation according to the specific patterns that the gestures and facial expressions or positioning of the hands, fingers, and arms carry with them during sign language. While it bridges a gap between those who can hear and those who cannot, it is by no means universally comprehended, thus standing as a barrier that leads to frustration and social exclusion of deaf people. As such, a translation tool may help convert sign language into easily understandable written language that will facilitate smooth communication between hearing and hard-of-hearing persons. While lots of research is going on in the area, little attention has been given to translating Kenyan Sign Language into some of the commonly spoken languages in Kenya. Besides, most translation tools face several challenges due to changing environmental conditions and the movement of a person while performing sign language, leading to changes in background lighting. This work translates KSL into English text through the experimental approach using a deep learning CNN model, DenseNet121, preprocessed by Contrast-Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization. This architecture has been developed, trained, and tested on the dataset provided by the Kenyan Sign Language Classification Hackathon with an accuracy of 91.5%. The proposed model will bridge communication gaps and help include people who are hard of hearing in educational, health, and employment opportunities.
ANALYSIS OF AGRONOMIC, PRODUCTION COST AND COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT ON EARNINGS OF SMALLHOLDER COFFEE FARMERS IN RUNYENJES SUB-COUNTY, EMBU COUNTY, KENYA
(Chuka University, 2020-12) Ndirangu, Samuel Gitonga
Coffee is an important crop globally but many farmers get relatively low earnings from this enterprise. This has contributed to many farmers opting out of coffee production for other enterprises which has further weakened the coffee industry. This study was aimed at assessing the factors that affected the earnings of smallholder coffee farmers in Runyenjes Sub-county, Embu County, Kenya and was carried out between February and September, 2020. Data on agronomic practices, production cost and management of coffee cooperative societies was collected using questionnaires from a sample of 384 smallholder farmers and 30 cooperative management officials from the 10 coffee cooperative societies. Data collected on cooperative management and production cost was analyzed using ordinal logistic regression model. Chi-square statistics were used for hypothesis testing for data on agronomic practices in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The results revealed that agronomic practices affected the earnings of smallholder coffee farmers. Fertilizer application, spraying and manure application, weeding and pruning had a strong effect on earnings with Cramer’s V coefficients of 0.67, 0.61 and 0.31, respectively. Pruning and weeding had a small effect on earnings with Cramer’s V coefficients of 0.06 and 0.07, respectively. Resource management and strategic planning were significant positive predictors (p=0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). Transport cost and cost of improved cultivars were also significant positive predictors of earnings (p=0.003 and p=0.002, respectively). The study concluded that agronomic practices, production cost and cooperative management affected smallholder farmers’ coffee earnings. The study recommended that cooperative societies should develop a follow-up procedure on the farm level to ensure adherence to the husbandry practices and that the government should formulate policies that enable smallholder farmers to access farm inputs at subsidized prices for increased earnings and reliance on coffee production. The study also recommended that cooperatives should help put up factory managed nurseries that will establish high quality cultivars for farmers at lower costs.

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