Articles: Postgraduate student articles

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    Behavioural Patterns and Responses to Human Disturbances of Wild Somali Ostriches (Struthio molybdophanes) in Samburu, Kenya.
    (2016-08) Mutiga, Mariciano Iguna; Muoria, Paul Kimata; Kotut, Kiplagat; Karuri, Hannah W.
    Somali ostrich has suffered a drastic decline in its population and range mainly due to hunting over the years for meat, skin and feathers. Urgent conservation measures should therefore be taken to reverse this trend particularly in their current population stronghold, the Samburu landscape. In this range, the magnitude and consequences of human disturbance on the ostrich has not been established. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the behavioural patterns and assess the impacts of human disturbance to the bird. Focal animal sampling was used to establish ostrich‟s behavioural activity budget while the magnitude of human disturbance was assessed by determining and comparing flight initiation distances in the protected and partially protected areas. Somali ostrich spent most of their diurnal time in feeding and moving, and are more sensitive to human disturbance in the protected areas than they are in the partially protected areas. The results of this study imply that the ratite does not differ in behavioural patterns from other extant ostrich species and human disturbance is not posing a significant threat to its survival within Samburu landscape. Further studies are recommended for better understanding of the conservation status of the newly published species.
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    Effect of Corporate Environmental Disclosure on Financial Performance of Firms Listed at Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya.
    (Science Publishing Group, 2016-08) Gatimbu, Karambu Kiende; Wabwire, Joseph Masinde
    Corporate environmental disclosure entails reporting on the impact of company activities on the natural environment such as waste management, recycling, carbon management, emission, pollution, wetland and wildlife conservation. Conventional accounting systems are limiting since they fail to directly address sustainability concerns. They have failed to address economic growth against social and environmental needs in order to balance the different needs of various stakeholders. Sustainability has become a major pillar of today’s business activities. This study consequently aimed at assessing the effect of corporate environmental disclosure on financial performance of listed firms at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya. This study made use of longitudinal secondary data from the annual reports and financial statements of listed companies at the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Content analysis of sampled listed companies’ annual reports was undertaken to examine environmental disclosure practices. A checklist of environmental disclosure items and categories was developed and environmental disclosure indices computed. Casual research design was employed to determine the cause-effect relationship between corporate environmental Disclosure and financial performance. Target population of the study was 61 listed companies. Purposive sampling was employed in selecting firms that have been listed for entire period of study and whose annual reports are available at the Nairobi Securities Exchange. This resulted into a sample size of 32 listed companies. Coefficient of Skewness was used to test the normality of data. Homoscedasticity and auto-correlation assumptions of the regression model were tested using scatter plots and Durbin Watson test. Linear regression model was used to determine the casual relationship between environmental disclosure and financial performance. The overall model was found to be significant with F=8.514, P-value ˂0.05. The predictor variable explained 47.7% of changes in financial performance. Firm size and leverage have no effect on environmental disclosure. Findings reveal that environmental disclosure with P-value ˂0.05 has a positive significant effect in the mean financial performance. The study recommends that firms should engage in environmental disclosure because it leads to increased financial performance. The study would be useful to the government and also managers to ensure policies are put in place to ensure present generations meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. The study also forms basis for further research and adds knowledge to existing body.
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    Genetic Diversity of Aphid Species Attacking Amaranth and Nightshades in Different Agro-Ecological Zones of Kenya and Tanzania
    (University of Embu, 2016-09) Kipnyargis, Alex C.
    Aphids are the major pests of vegetables leading to a significant yield loss in African indigenous vegetables including amaranth and nightshades. Information on the types of aphids that infest these vegetables and their genetic diversity in Kenya and Tanzania is scanty. This is an important diagnostic component in developing management strategies such as integrated pest management and early detection and control of invasive species. This study used a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene region called the barcode region to characterize the species of aphids that attack amaranth and nightshades in different agro-ecological regions of Kenya and Tanzania. Individual aphid samples were collected in 22 localities of amaranth and nightshade growing zones of the two countries, representing low, mid and high altitude agro-ecological zones. Total DNA was isolated and amplified using universal barcoding primers targeting the 5’ end of the COI barcode region. There was a strong homology (≥ 98% identity) in nucleotide sequences of the barcode region using the Basic Local Alignment Search tool for nucleotides (BLASTn) in the GenBank to four main species of aphids namely: Myzus persicae, Aphis fabae, Aphis craccivora and Macrosiphum euphorbiae. Further, three subspecies of the black bean aphid were identified as A. fabae fabae, A. fabae ciirciacanthoidis and A. fabae solanella. Intra-specific nucleotide diversity indicated that M. euphorbiae had no genetic diversity (0.0%); while A. fabae had the highest diversity (0.8%). The lowest inter-specific diversity was observed between A. fabae and A. craccivora (6.3%) while the highest was observed between A. craccivora and M. persicase (10.6%). The phylogenetic tree constructed using the maximum likelihood model showed each individual species clustering in robust clades irrespective of the host crop or the locality from which it was collected. This confirmed the BLASTn results. The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and the haplotype network analyses further confirmed these results by showing species clustering together in their space and haplotypes, respectively. Overall, COI successfully identified the species of aphid infesting amaranth and nightshades. This forms an important diagnostic tool for management strategies, early detection of newly evolving biotypes, deployment of resistant crop cultivars and containment of invasive species.
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    Interest rate regulation and sustainability of microfinance institutions in Nairobi County, Kenya.
    (2017-05) Kathomi, Ann; Maina, Kimani E.; Kariuki, Samuel N.
    Microfinance Institutions services have continued to play an important role in Kenyan economy. It is viewed as the provision of financial services to the poor and low income group. Microfinance Institutions in Kenya have gained wide recognition since 1990’s for the role they play in providing financial services to the low-income households, and their contribution to poverty alleviation. Despite this vital role, the interest rates charged by the MFIs in Kenya have been relatively high ranging between 20% - 30%. This has raised concerns with policy makers on how MFIs can fulfill their social obligations while charging their clients interest rates that are higher than those offered by non-microfinance institutions such as traditional commercial banks and SACCOs. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of interest rate regulation and sustainability of microfinance institutions in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was guided by liquidity preference theory. The study employed a cross - sectional descriptive survey research design. The target was 49 microfinance institutions operating in Nairobi County, Kenya. A census was conducted on all the 49 microfinance institutions in Nairobi County. The primary data was collected by use of questionnaires whereas secondary data was collected by use of a record survey sheet. Pretesting was done to determine the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study established that changes in interest rates by the government affected sustainability of MFIs. The Pearson correlation and ANOVA results showed that the relationship of lending rate and sustainability of MFIs is negative and statistically significant. This means that increasing the interest rate reduces the return thus rendering the MFIs unsustainable. The government and other policymakers should come up with better interest rates policies that will make MFIs more sustainable.
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    Product innovations and financial performance of savings and credit co-operatives societies in Kirinyaga County,
    (2017-05) Ngure, Francis Kimani; Maina, Kimani E.; Kariuki, Samuel N.
    Product innovations are crucial to sustain organizations’ financial performance and raise their competitive strengths. SACCOS are the main drivers of economic and social development in rural areas of developing countries. In Kenya 81% of the population rely on the SACCOs to access financial services. However the use of SACCOs by Kenyans as a financial service provider has been declining. The SACCOs are faced with challenges of survival due to decline of members. The decline is attributed to the competition from banks which have embraced financial innovations. The study therefore investigated the effect of product innovations on financial performance of SACCOs in Kenya. The study adopted cross sectional descriptive survey research design. The target population was 60 SACCOs registered by SASRA to operate in Kirinyaga County. Stratified simple random sampling technique was used to obtain the sample size of fifty two SACCOs for the study. Primary data was collected using self-administered questionnaires while secondary data was obtained from audited financial statements. Primary and secondary data was analyzed using SPSS. The findings of the study revealed that product innovations were positively correlated to financial performance. The study will be of great importance to Policy maker in developing SACCO’s financial innovations regulatory framework. SACCO Managers will be able to adopt the product innovations that will improve financial performance of the SACCOs and their competitiveness. The study will further enlighten researchers with relevant information regarding product innovations. The study recommends that SACCOs should embrace product innovations in order to improve their financial performance. SACCOs should therefore introduce new deposit accounts in order to increase the amount of deposits. The SACCOs should also introduce credit cards and debit cards in order to increase their revenue. Similarly, the SACCOs should introduce electronic fund transfer since they have a positive effect of increasing commission fee based income
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    Effect of technology and information systems on revenue collection by the county government of Embu, Kenya.
    (2017-05) Karimi, Harriet; Maina, Kimani E.; Kinyua, Jesse M.
    Improvement of revenue collection in counties is the key to meeting their financial obligations leading to realization of their mandate to offer quality and timely services to the residents, the demand for which may exceed the available resources. Many counties have adequate revenue bases to finance the current level of services, but revenue collection levels are often low. According to reports by the Controller of Budget, revenue collection by 14 counties in Kenya fell below amounts generated by the former local authorities under their respective jurisdictions during the 2013/2014 financial year. In addition, the analysis showed that most counties failed to meet their local revenue collection targets. Several counties have been slammed with labour strikes and go-slows among their workforce due to delayed salaries and/or poor remuneration of employees working under the county governments. The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of technology and information systems on revenue collection by County governments in Kenya. The study was guided by technology acceptance theory. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. The target population of the study comprises all county government employees in Kenya. Purposive sampling and simple random sampling was used to select 102 respondents for the study. Content Validity was used as a validity test while Cronbach alpha coefficient was used for reliability test where a reliability coefficient of 0.7 was obtained and accepted. Data was collected using self-administered semi-structured questionnaires. Overall; it was found that technology and information systems had the effect on revenue collection. The study recommends a revision of the County’s Act and the integration of information systems in the management activities of Embu County. The findings of this study shall be beneficial to county governments as they were in a position to establish corrective measures and formulate policies to harness revenue collection.
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    Equity financing and financial performance of small and medium enterprises in Embu Town, Kenya.
    (2017-05) Njagi, Irene K.; Maina, Kimani E.; Kariuki, Samuel N.
    Capital structure comprise of a mix of debt and equity. Managers used various combinations of debt and equity that increases the net worth of business at the same time reduces the cost of obtaining finance. Financial decisions affected the financial performance of SMEs but vary from one firm to another. This is due to the limited access to finances and ability of the manager to fully utilize the resources available. SMEs are of significance to the economic development of any state regardless of the development status. Despite their importance SMEs are characterized with slow growth rate and three out of five SMEs fail in their first three years of operation. The continued poor performances have led to decline in growth and eventually death of the SMEs. The growth of the SMEs highly depended on the investment decisions made by the entrepreneurs and lack of access to finances has created financial gaps that have fueled the challenges that SMEs face. The study therefore analyzed the effect of equity financing on financial performance of SMEs in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population of study was 300 SMEs from which a sample size of 60 SMEs was drawn. Pretesting of the research instrument was done to determine the reliability of the questionnaire by use of Cronbach alpha coefficient. Content validity of the questionnaire was used to ensure that the questionnaire answered the research questions. The primary data was collected using self-administered questionnaire while secondary data was obtained from audited financial statements and analyzed by use of SPSS. Data analyzed capture descriptive statistic which included mean, standard deviation and variance. Inferential statistic included Pearson’s correlation and multiple regressions. The study revealed that SMEs had greater preference for contribution from friends and ploughing back profit as a source of equity finance. Angel investors as a form of equity financing has not gained acceptance as a source of finance. From the study it was evident that equity finance had a positive relationship to financial performance of the SMEs. Equity offered a lifelong financing option with no or minimal cash outflow inform of interest. The study also noted that the performance of the SMEs was largely affected by the source of finance and the liquidity position of the business. The study therefore recommended that SMEs should embrace angel investors as equity financiers since they provide the start-up capital to the SMEs. Angel investors also provide managerial and book keeping skills to the entrepreneurs thus enhancing the accountability and efficient use of the financial resources at hand. The financial institutions need to create awareness and educate the entrepreneurs on other products available to finance the SMEs.
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    Working Capital Management Practices and Financial Performance of tea Processing Firm in kenya
    (2017-05-11) Kiptoo, Isaac K.; Kariuki, Samuel; Kimani, Maina E.
    The tea sector is the most important agricultural sub-sector in Kenya contributing about 26 percent of the total foreign exchange earnings. The sector has been listed by the government as one of the pillars of achieving Vision 2030. Despite the great contribution, the performance of the tea processing firms has not been satisfactory to the farmers due to wide variation of bonus payment from one firm to another. KTDA attributes this variation to working capital management. Management of working capital aims at maintaining an ideal balance between each of the components of working capital which include management of inventory and payables. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of working capital management practices on the financial performance of the tea processing firms in Kenya. The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive research design. The target population was 54 tea processing firms in Kenya managed by KTDA. A sample of 48 tea processing firms was used in the study. Stratified random sampling method was used to select the sample. Primary data was collected by use of a questionnaire whereas the secondary data was collected by use of a record survey sheet. Pretesting was done to determine the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study found that tea processing firms have established an inventory and payment management policies to guide the firms in managing their inventory. The Pearson correlation and ANOVA results showed that inventory management has a negative significant relationship with the financial performance of tea processing firms. The study therefore recommends tea processing firms to ensure the total numbers of days taken before inventories are sold is minimized in order to boost the returns of the firms. The longer the period taken to settle account payables therefore increased profitability of a firm. The firms should also prepare inventory budgets and review the budgets in order to maintain adequate inventory for smooth operations of the firm. In addition, the inventory level should be reviewed regularly to ensure optimal stock is maintained at all times. Firms should also set the level of economic order quantity to ensure sufficient inventory is ordered at minimal costs and establish an inventory control system to assists in efficient management of inventory. Firms should regularly review payables management policies to ensure optimal credit is maintained at all times
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    Organizational Factors that Influence Implentation of Strategic Plans in Private Secondary Schools in Nairobi
    (2017-06) Nyagemi, Abel; Njeru, Winnie; Kinyua, Jesse M.
    The study sought to establish organizational factors influencing implementation of strategic plans in private secondary schools Nairobi. Specifically, the study aimed at determining the effects of top management commitment, coordination of activities, employee skills and responsibilities and organization culture on implementation of strategic plans. A descriptive cross sectional study was used. The study population was 101 private secondary schools. A random sample of 50 private secondary schools was considered. A structured questionnaire was administered. Data was analyzed using inferential and descriptive statistics such as frequencies; percentages and graphs. Exploratory factor analysis was used in determining the influencing factors. The study established the following group of organizational factors as having an influence on implementation of strategic plans in private secondary schools in Nairobi: resource constraints (human and financial), overlapping activities, interference from the local government, work pressure, conflict of interest, poor attitude, overlapping plans and tight timeframes. The conceptual model was tested and found to be having a statistically significant relationship among the implementation of strategic plans, top management commitment, coordination of activities, employee skills and responsibilities and organization culture. The study recommends a further study on the specific factors should be done in particular sub-counties to explicate on how those factors affect implementation of strategic management plans in private schools in other counties in Kenya.
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    Performance Target Setting and Employee Service Delivery at Kirinyaga University, Kenya
    (Scholars Academic and Scientific Publishers, 2017-06) Serebwa, Petronilla S.; Njeru, Winnie; Maina, Kimani
    Organizations are eager to monitor and increase the productivity of their employees. One such means with the potential of increasing service performance and delivery is performance contracting. Performance contracting through performance target setting has seen accelerated effort in research as a new concept of management in Kenya. Most studies have focused on performance management, performance measurement, commitment, and target meeting. The objective of this research is to understand how much of target setting, target implementation and monitoring and evaluation influences positive service delivery. The research was done at Kirinyaga University, a public university in Kenya. The study adopted descriptive cross-sectional research design with a population of 272 staff members. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire that included both closed and open-ended questions. Secondary data was collected from journals. Pilot study was conducted in order to determine validity and reliability of research instruments. The Statistical Package for Social Science package was used in the data analysis. Descriptive statistical tools including the mean, mode standard deviation, and variance were used to analyze qualitative data. Inferential statistics was done by use of correlation and multiple linear regression analysis in order to establish the relationship between independent variable and the dependent variable. The results revealed that performance contacting parameters significantly (t = 3.407, p < 0.05) affected service delivery of the University. It was also revealed that target implementation significantly (t = 2.633, p < 0.05) influenced service delivery. However, it was established that target setting (t = -1.816, p < 0.05), monitoring and evaluation (t = 0.617, p < 0.05) did not significantly influence service delivery at Kirinyaga University. In conclusion, proper target setting, monitoring and evaluation, and target implementation are necessary in achieving employees and organizations’ goals as well as satisfactory delivery of services to customers.
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    Strategic Determinants of Intrapreneurial Orientation at the Kenya Institute of Management, Kenya
    (SAS Publishers, 2017-06) Mbaka, Zephaniah; Njeru, Winnie; Gitonga, Samuel N.
    The global business environment is today faced with uncertainty and various complexities. Innovation, taking risk and ability to pioneer has been proven to contribute immensely to the financial wellness and strategic value of big corporations as well as small and medium enterprises. The study objective was to assess the strategic determinants of intrapreneurial orientation at the Kenya Institute of Management. The study population comprised employees with strategic roles at the Kenya Institute of Management. A Census survey was used. Primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire measured on a five point Likert type scale. Out of the 108 questionnaires administered, 81 usable questionnaires were received representing a response rate of 75%. Descriptive and inferential analysis where used to analyse the data. The results revealed that intrapreneurial orientation is composed of three indicators; proactiveness, innovation and risk taking. The results suggest that the main strategic determinants of intrapreneurial orientation are management support, rewarding intrapreneurial effort, work discretion, time availability and organizational boundaries. The study concluded that. Future research should assess additional strategic determinants and intrepreneurial orientation.Further studies on intrapreneurship need to be conducted in different sectors.
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    Working capital management practices and financial performance of tea processing firms in Kenya.
    (University of Embu, 2017-08) Kiptoo, Isaac Kibet
    The tea sector is the most important agricultural sub-sector in Kenya contributing about 26 percent of the total foreign exchange earnings. The sector has been listed by the government as one of the pillars of achieving Vision 2030. Despite the great contribution, the performance of the tea processing firms has not been satisfactory to the farmers due to wide variation of bonus payment from one firm to another. KTDA attributes this variation to working capital management among other factors. Management of working capital aims at maintaining an ideal balance between each of the components of working capital which include cash, receivables, inventory and payables. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of working capital management practices on the financial performance of the tea processing firms in Kenya. The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive research design. The target population was 54 tea processing firms in Kenya managed by KTDA. A sample of 48 tea processing firms was used in the study. Stratified random sampling method was used to select the sample. Primary data was collected by use of a questionnaire whereas the secondary data was collected by use of a record survey sheet. Pretesting was done to determine the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study utilized both descriptive and inferential statistics. In descriptive analysis, mean, standard deviation and percentages of the responses were calculated. Under inferential statistics, Pearson’s correlation, regression and ANOVA analyses were adopted. The findings of the study indicated that working capital management practices significantly affected the financial performance of tea processing firms. In particular, receivables and inventory management practices had a negative and significant effect on the financial performance of tea processing firms. Similarly, payables and cash management practices had a positive and significant effect on the financial performance of tea processing firms. The study therefore recommends tea processing firms to minimize the number of days accounts receivable is outstanding and inventory turnover in order to increase profitability. The firms should also lag creditors’ payments and increase the cash conversion period in order to improve the financial performance. Managers and policy makers should also come up with desirable working capital management practices that will enable the firms to hold optimal levels and maximize the shareholders’ interests
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    Influence of Institutional Factors on Implementation of E-Procurement in County Governments in Kenya
    (University of Embu, 2017-08) Toroitich, John K.
    Public procurement approaches and processes have been under review over many years with the aim of improving efficiency and cost savings. In Kenya, the Government introduced an electronic procurement system with the aim of promoting openness and accountability in the use of public money. Despite these efforts by the national government and the benefits of e-procurement, the system has not been fully implemented by the county governments. This study therefore, assessed the influence of institutional factors on the implementation of e-procurement by county governments in Kenya. The specific objectives were to determine the influence of employee competence, availability of ICT infrastructure and the influence of management support on the implementation of e-procurement in the selected county governments in Kenya. The study will be guided by diffusion of innovation theory, technology acceptance theory and human relations management theory. Descriptive research design was used and the target population was the 47 county governments in Kenya. A sample of 5 county governments was used in the study. The sample was selected using simple random sampling technique. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data from the sampled population. In order to determine the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, pretesting of the research instruments was conducted. To establish the validity of the research instrument, content validity was used while internal consistency method was used to determine the reliability. The data collected was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences. The data was analyzed through descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive findings were presented through percentages, means, standard deviations and frequencies. Pearson’s correlation, regression and ANOVA analysis were adopted in inferential statistics. The study found that the county governments have not fully implemented e-procurement. The study also found that institutional factors have a significant positive influence on the implementation of e-procurement in county governments. County governments should therefore train staff on the use of e-procurement tools in order to enhance the implementation of e-procurement. The institutions should also employ qualified staff and avail them with electronic procurement manual to guide on e-procurement processes and assist in the implementation of e-procurement. County governments should procure infrastructure such as high speed computers and internet services in order to facilitate e-procurement implementation. The organizations should also ensure that it integrates the e-procurement system to the financial management and establish an information and communication technology section with competent staff in order to provide technical support during the implementation of e-procurement. Management should institute a project management team to spear head the e-procurement system implementation. The management should also review the organization structure to suit the e-procurement environment and introduce policies and change management programs for the users that facilitate the implementation of e-procurement.
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    From Shiny Shoes to Muddy Reality: Understanding How Meso-State Actors Negotiate the Implementation Gap in Participatory Forest Management
    (Routledge, 2017-11) Kairu, Anne; Upton, Caroline; Huxham, Mark; Kotut, Kiplagat; Mbeche, Robert; Kairo, James
    Recent research on participatory forest management (PFM) in the global south has highlighted the existence of a widespread “implementation gap” between the ambitious intent enshrined in legislation and the often partial, disappointing rollout of devolved forest governance on the ground. Here, through an ethnographic case study of forest officers (FOs) in Kenya, we draw on a framework of critical institutionalism to examine how key meso-level actors, or “interface bureaucrats,” negotiate and challenge this implementation gap in everyday forest governance. We go beyond consideration of institutional bricolage in isolation or as an aggregate category, to analyze how bricolage as aggregation, alteration, and/or articulation is variously driven, shaped, and constrained by FOs’ multiple accountabilities and agency. Our analysis highlights the locally specific, contingent, and mutually reinforcing nature of accountability, agency and bricolage, and their explanatory power in relation to the performance and nature of “actually existing” PFM.
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    Tomato Leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) (Meyrick 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) prevalence and farmer management practices in Kirinyanga County, Kenya
    (Academic Journals, 2018-08) Nderitu, Peris Wangari; Muturi, Jamleck; Otieno, Mark; Arunga, Ester E.; Mattias, Jonsson
    Pest invasion is one of the limiting factors affecting food production. Tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) (Meyrick 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an invasive insect pest of tomato. However, In Kenya, there is limited information on the level of invasion of the pest in tomato producing areas in the country. We assessed the level of invasion of T. absoluta and farmer management practices in Kirinyaga County. Tomato farmers were interviewed using questionnaires aimed at identifying the management practices used by farmers to control T. absoluta and their awareness on the insect pest. Two hundred and eight tomato farmers were interviewed, 90% of the respondents rated T. absoluta as a major pest of tomato. Results show that 94% of the respondents use synthetic chemicals in the control of T. absoluta with an average frequency of 12 times per growing season of three months with the highest frequency being 16 times. Increased use of synthetic insecticides was associated with a negative impact on the natural enemies. Among the interviewed farmers, 52 and 46% of respondents stated that after chemical spraying natural enemies disappear and are killed respectively, while 2% did not know what happened to them. It is therefore imperative to design an integrated pest management program that integrates biological control and environmentally friendly chemicals for sustainable control of T. absoluta populations.
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    Student Social Identity and the University Image: A Case of Selected Public Universities in Kenya
    (University of Embu, 2018-09) Waruita, Anne G.
    University students identify themselves and are identified by others as members of the social community within the university. The development of social identity is a process enhanced by engagement with the various activities and components of the university. Students’ social identity plays a great role in the development of the peoples’ perceptions about a given university. The purpose of this research was to determine the role of student social identity in the formation of the university image in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the research was all the Chartered public universities in Kenya. Out of the thirty-one chartered public universities, six universities were sampled for the study, from which 150 fourth year students were selected. The formation of an organizational image requires a long time; therefore students in their fourth year of study were chosen as the sample of the study. The data was collected by use of questionnaires developed by the researcher. A pilot test was conducted to ascertain the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used at the pilot stage for reliability test. The results of the reliability test produced overall Cronbach Alpha correlation coefficient value of 0.79 which is above the 0.7 threshold and therefore the instruments were reliable. The content validity technique was used in validating the research instruments. Primary data was analyzed using mean, standard deviation, analysis of variance and correlation. The findings of the study revealed that the relationship between internal university factors that affect development of students’ social identity and the university image was positive and statistically significant (r=0.578, p<0.05). Further, the results indicated a positive relationship between external university factors that affect development of students’ social identity and the university image (r=0.372, p<0.05). In addition, the relationship between the students views and the university image was positive and statistically significant (r=0.343, p<0.05). The regression analysis results showed that the value of R2 was 0.404 indicating that variation of 40.4% in university image can be ascribed to student social identity. Based on the findings, the study concludes that internal and external university factors affect students’ social identity development which in turn affects the university image. Consequently, students’ view of the university plays a significant role in shaping the university image. The study therefore recommends that institutions of higher education should enhance the relationships between students, staff and administration. Thus, universities should strive towards creating their own unique niche that will make them outstanding in the market. Moreover, corporate branding of the universities should be clearly communicated to the students. The study also recommends further studies on student social identity and the university image among private universities in Kenya.
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    Infestation Levels and Molecular Identification Based on Mitochondrial COI Barcode Region of Five Invasive Gelechiidae Pest Species in Kenya
    (Oxford University Press, 2018-11) Kinyanjui, G.; Khamis, F. M.; Ombura, F. .L. O.; Kenya, Eucharia U.
    Invasive Gelechiidae pest species, namely Tuta absoluta, Phthorimaea operculella, Aproaerema simplixella, Sitotroga cerealella, and Pectinophora gossypiella are among the major constraints hampering agricultural economy in Kenya. Infestation levels were determined on respective host crops sampled from different localities and P. operculella recorded the highest infestation of 68.00 ± 4.92% on stored potato. Aproaerema simplixella and T. absolutaaccounted for 61.33 ± 5.35% and 51.56 ± 5.22% maximal infestation on groundnuts and tomato leaves, respectively. Stored maize was significantly infested by S. cerealella (54.33 ± 5.31%) while no infestation was observed on the freshly harvested grains. Infestation on open bolls by P. gossypiella was relatively low (6.11 ± 3.46%) compared to Anatrachyntis simplex (45.67 ± 7.84%) that emerged as the key pest of cotton. The species were discriminated based on sequence similarities, evolutionary divergences, and phylogenetic analyses. A 658-bp fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was obtained from 302 specimens. Generally, genetic variations were low within and between Gelechiid populations, with an average of 0.02% and all intraspecific divergences were less than 2% except for S. cerealella. The Gelechiids data set generated eight Barcode Index Numbers (BINs), five of which were concordant and three belonging to S. cerealella were singleton. All species were separated into distinct clusters on a maximum likelihood tree. Data on infestation levels will be useful in defining the pest status of these Gelechiids in Kenya. DNA barcoding is also presented as a valuable tool to complement traditional taxonomy for rapid and accurate identification of these species of agronomic interest.
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    A participatory epidemiological study of major cattle diseases amongst Maasai pastoralists living in wildlife-livestock interfaces in Maasai Mara, Kenya
    (Springer, 2018-12) Nthiwa, Daniel; Alonso, Silvia; Odongo, David; Kenya, Eucharia U.; Bett, Bernard
    Livestock-wildlife interactions promote the transmission of a wide range of infectious diseases that constraint livestock production. We used a participatory appraisal approach to find out and rank infectious diseases of concern to pastoralists in a zone of intense wildlife-livestock interaction and another zone with limited interactions. Four villages were selected purposively in areas with intensive cattle-wildlife interactions (zone 1), and another two in areas with low to moderate cattle-wildlife interactions (zone 2). Data were collected in focus group discussions (FGDs) using participatory epidemiological methods (PE); each group had 8–13 participants. Results of impact matrix scoring from all sites indicated that malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), anthrax, foot and mouth disease (FMD), contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), east coast fever (ECF) and African animal trypanosomiasis (ATT), in decreasing order, had the highest impact on livestock production. A Kruskal–Wallis test revealed a significant difference in FMD annual prevalence between cattle age groups (p < 0.001) and was the highest in animals > 4 years (median score of 32.5, range, 10–50). FMD had the highest impact on milk production, but based on veterinary costs (treatment costs), it was ranked second to CBPP. The study provides information on disease priorities that occur in the target zones in Mara ecosystem and which the local pastoralists must consider when accessing key ecosystem services such as water and pasture.
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    Microbial biomass and acid phosphomonoesterase activity in soils of the Central Highlands of Kenya
    (Elsevier, 2018-12) Kiboi, Milka N.; Ngetich, F.K.; Mugendi, Daniel N.; Muriuki, A.; Adamtey, N.; Fliessbach, A.
    Soil biological properties are the most sensitive soil quality indicators that respond quickly to short-term soil fertility management changes. We studied the combined effects of tillage and soil external inputs on total soil organic carbon and nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) and acidphosphomonoesterase activity (ACP). This was done in Meru South and Kandara sub-counties in Kenya for three consecutive cropping seasons. Tillage was the main factor [minimum (D0) and conventional (D15)], and soil external inputs were the sub-factors: sole mineral fertiliser (F), crop residues + mineral fertiliser (RF), crop residues + animal manure + legume intercrop Dolichos lablab L. (RML), crop residues + mineral fertiliser + animal manure (RFM), crop residues + Tithonia diversifolia + animal manure (RTiM), crop residues + Tithonia diversifolia + rockphosphate (RTiP) and an unfertilized treatment (Control). During the study period, we experienced frequent dry spells and meteorological droughts in the two sites. We found no significant effects of the tillage systems and mineral fertilisers applied alone or combined with crop residues on the biological properties. All additional organic inputs to the soils enhanced the biological soil properties. On average, MBC in the treatments with organic inputs only was enhanced by 51% in Meru South and 19% in Kandara. MBC-to-TOC ratio was significantly different (p = .0003) under soil external inputs in Meru South. On average, MBN in the treatments with organic inputs was enhanced by 66% in Meru South and 25% in Kandara. Compared with the control, ACP was higher under RML, RTiP and RTiM by 26%, 20% and 17%, respectively in Meru South. In Kandara, ACP was higher under RTiM and RTiP by 25% and 23%, respectively, compared with the control. The increase in microbial biomass indicates that application of organic inputs contributed to soil organic C, thereby stimulating the microbial growth and enzyme activity. Thus, use of organic inputs or in combination with mineral fertilisers are feasible alternatives for sustaining soil organic carbon through increased microbial biomass leading to soil organic matter build-up, which is a vital element of soil quality and fertility
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    Genetic diversity of aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) species attacking amaranth and nightshades in different agro-ecological zones of Kenya and Tanzania
    (Entomological Society of Southern Africa, 2018-12) Kipnyargis, Alex C.; Kenya, Eucharia U.; Khamis, F. M.; Ekesi, S.; Fiaboe, K.K.M.
    Aphids are major pests of African indigenous vegetables. Information on the genetic diversity and the role of host crop and environmental differentiation in their diversity in East Africa is scanty. The knowledge on genetic diversity is a critical component in the development of sound and sustainable integrated pest management strategy, from detection to control. A portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was used to characterise the species of aphids on amaranth and nightshades at different agro-ecological zones of Kenya and Tanzania. Aphid samples were collected in localities growing the vegetables in low, mid and high altitude agro-ecological zones. Total DNA was isolated and amplified using universal barcoding primers targeting the 5’ end of the COI barcode region. Nucleotide sequences of the COI barcode, using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool model, found high homology to four species of aphids: Myzus persicae, Aphis fabae, Aphis craccivora and Macrosiphum euphorbiae. Three subspecies of the A. fabae were also detected. Intraspecific diversity depicted M. euphorbiae having the lowest value, while A. fabae showed the highest diversity. Interspecific diversity between A. fabae and A. craccivora was the lowest while between A. craccivora and M. persicae it was the highest. The phylogenetic tree showed each species clustering together irrespective of the host crop or site where collected. Principal component analysis and haplotype network analyses confirmed these results. Low genetic diversity revealed by COI suggests that the environment or host crop contribute less to the genetic diversity of aphids in both countries