Department of Social Sciences

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    INFLUENCE OF LAND USE ACTIVITIES ON GEOMORPHIC PROCESSES IN RUPINGAZI WATERSHED, EMBU COUNTY, KENYA
    (Chuka University, 2021-11) NYAGA, PAUL NJUE
    Landforms are part of every part of the earth. The study aimed at finding ways by which land use activities contribute substances which effectively influence changes in landform along the Rupingazi watershed in Embu County, Kenya. The main objectives of this study were to assess the influence of agriculture, urban settlements, mining and abstractive activities on landform dynamism in the context of geomorphic parameters of denudation, and to determine their impacts. This was done by considering geomorphic processes such as weathering, erosion, deposition and mass movement. The study was guided by the theoretical framework of the nine-unit slope model suggested by Doornkamp and King; that an initial landform in a climatic and geological region evolves through geomorphic dynamism on varying slope forms. From this notion, the conceptual framework was developed on the assumption that the same denudational processes are operational on Rupingazi watershed and form the relevant variables: Crop farming, livestock rearing, urban settlements, abstractive and mining activities were the independent variables; climate and rocks as the intervening while the geomorphic processes were the dependent variables. Applied Research design, both quantitative and descriptive was adopted for the study. Data was collected from 21 sampling stations (SS) fixed through stratified systematic point sampling. Observations and field measurements on various land uses were used to obtain data. Satellite data and images were also used to compare with field observations. In addition, water and soil samples were collected for further analysis to corroborate field observations. The soil samples were tested for soil pH, porosity, organic contents and main chemical elements. Farming practices influenced geomorphic processes in that there was a very strong positive correlation (coefficient of 0.91) between the angle of farm slope and the distance of soil moved downslope when tilling. On average soils moved the furthest (123 cm) when tilling was done on farms with slope of 260 while tilling on farms with a slope of 6 0 caused soil to move by about 70 cm. Further, use of hand hoe moved about 800 kgs of soils materials in one season per acre. An African mole rat (mainly found where there was farming of napier grass and sweet potatoes) loosened about three kilograms of soil materials. On less steep paths (8 0 ), 1.8 m3 of soil was moved while 9.36 m3 of soil materials on slopes of about 220 was moved as result of livestock. All urban centers are located less than three kilometers from the Rupingazi river. Organic and solid wastes associated with urban settlements were found in sampled waters of the Rupingazi river. An increase of 50% of PO4 and NO3 was observed in sampled waters. The Mg was no increases by 92.3%. Surface run off from these settlements accelerated the impact of erosion and weathering. More than three quarters (76.7%) of the abstractive activities are in the lower reach of the River Rupingazi between SS 16 and 21. Mining and abstractive activities breakdown rocks, thereby accelerating geomorphic processes. Regolith development on any slope plays an important role in the slope evolution because it affects such bedrock characteristics as the strata dip (angle and direction) rock joints, and the effect on the weathering rates and amounts. The study recommends concerted effort and environmental education to control human activities along the watershed to ensure the landform equilibrium in the Rupingazi watershed. Further studies can be carried out to examine and determine the influence ecological zones on the geomorphic processes.
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    LIFE INCARCERATION AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF INMATES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MALE AND FEMALE LIFERS IN SELECTED PRISONS IN KENYA
    (Chuka University, 2020-12) CONNY KAARI, KIBAARA
    Life incarceration is a way of confining a lawbreaker in prison, to separate them from the society. This ensures societal security, and the offender’s chance of rehabilitation. Although the number of life-incarcerated inmates is on the rise worldwide, there is scanty information in records concerning the psychological and social plight of lifers, based on gender in Kenya. The total isolation from one’s environment, society and family is likely to impact on the mental health and social relationship of the male and female life-sentenced inmates. The inmates may portray behaviours related to stress and rejection such as distress, withdrawal and violence, and this is likely to be influenced by gender. Therefore, this study intended to investigate the effect of life incarceration on the lifers’ psychological well-being and social relationships, by a comparison based on gender. The study was guided by four objectives, and four hypotheses. The study adopted the causal-comparative research design, which allowed for the comparison of the male and female lifers. The study was carried out in selected prisons in Kenya covering four geographical regions. The prisons of study included Nyeri Main Prison, Naivasha Maximum Prison, Lang’ata Women’s Prison and Kisumu Main Prison. The study population was 2816 life-imprisoned inmates in the four selected prisons. A sample size of 172 respondents was obtained from the population of study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 86 female respondents, while proportionate sampling technique was used to obtain a sample size of 86 male respondents for comparative purpose. The male respondents of the study were selected using simple random sampling technique. In addition to the lifers, one prison counsellor and six prison constables were purposively selected from each of the selected prisons to participate in the study. Therefore, the total number of respondents was 202. Data was collected using questionnaires and an interview schedule. A pilot study was conducted at Embu prison to establish the reliability of the research instruments. The reliability was estimated by use of Cronbach Coefficient Alpha. Reliability coefficients of 0.902 and 0.750 for lifers and constables questionnaires respectively were obtained. The validity of study tools were ascertained through the help of the expert judgment of the university supervisors and other research experts. The analysis of the data was done by use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The researcher also used descriptive statistics to analyze qualitative data thematically. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 was used for data analysis. Research hypotheses were tested at α=0.05 level of significance using regression and correlation analysis. The findings of this study indicated that life incarceration influences on the inmates psychosocial wellbeing, leading to deprivation, stress, identity loss and trauma. The lifers social relationship is also influenced at the family, inter-prisoners and staff-lifers level. The study established that there was a statistically significant difference on the effect of life incarceration based on gender. It was recommended that the prisons department should provide appropriate counseling services through professional counsellors to deal with lifers psychosocial needs. The ministry of defence needs to facilitate the organization of programmes tailored specifically for the life incarcerated inmates. These programmes should also address the issues of gender in order to take care of their unique plight. The society needs to be sensitized on the plight of the lifers to expand their knowledge and understanding of their experiences. This may help restore and enhance the social relationships.
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    Strategies of Water Resource users Associations in Promoting Sustainable Water Projects: A Case of Tana Catchment Area, Kenya
    (Chuka University, 2019-09) Mworia, Kirimi Lilian Mukiri
    Sustainability of Water Supply initiatives have been launched around the world with the aim of managing water resources. In Kenya, the enactment of the Water Act 2002 and its subsequent revision in 2016, introduced the involvement of Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) in water resource management in the Tana Catchment Area. The WRUAs are community based associations for collective management of water resources and resolution of conflicts concerning use within a river basin. Information from the Water Resource Authority show that although WRUAs have been in existence for a long time, equitable water distribution has not been achieved in rural areas and water flow in the river basins shows decreasing trends. Previous studies conducted on water in Tana Catchment Area mainly examined water governance, water utilization and participation of users but did not focus on the effectiveness of strategies used by WRUAs in the promotion of sustainable water projects. This study sought to assess the strategies used by WRUAs in promoting sustainable water projects. Specific objectives of the study examined the relationship between resource mobilization strategies, infrastructure maintenance strategies, conflict management strategies, and catchment management strategies in promoting sustainable water projects. The study also examined the moderating effect of institutional support on the relationship between WRUA strategies and the sustainability of water projects. Five hypotheses in line with the five specific objectives were tested to determine the relation between the variables. The theoretical framework to guide the study were: the theory of common pool resource management and institutional analytical framework. The study used convergent research design and mixed methods approach to conduct the study. A sample of 377 respondents comprising of 5 officers of the Water Resource Authority, 48 WRUA committee members and 324 water users were selected using cluster, purposive and random sampling techniques. Questionnaires and interview schedule were used in data collection. Cronbach‟s Alpha Co-efficient test of reliability from 0.621 to 0.901 was applied for all variables. The data obtained was analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics aided with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 19.0). Chi-square test for independence was used to determine the significance of relationship between each WRUA strategy and sustainability of water projects. Binary logistic regression models constructed at a 5 % level of significance was used for testing the moderation effect of institutional support. The study‟s findings revealed that there was a significant association between three WRUA strategies (resource mobilization, infrastructure maintenance and conflict management) and sustainability of water projects. Water catchment management strategy was found to be insignificantly associated with sustainability of water projects. Institution support had a positive significant moderation effect on the relationship between water catchment management and sustainability of water projects. These study concludes that WRUA strategies should be adequately implemented to augment the sustainability of water projects. The study recommended that WRUAs should leverage on mobilizing support from all stakeholders to mobilize resources in order to promote sustainable water projects.