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Item 2nd HIV&AIDS Prevention Campaign and Wellness Clinics 2017 Report(University of Embu, 2017-06-06) HIV & AIDS Prevention Committee University of EmbuThis report covers the events of a one day HIV & Aids campaign and wellness campaign held on 6 th June, 2017 at Charter Hall, University of Embu (UoEm). The campaign aimed to sensitize all members of staff and their families on HIV&AIDS as well as healthy living. The plenary session registered 180 participants comprising of 170 UoEm staff members and 10 facilitators, the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) 78 participants, Body Mass Index (BMI) clinic 104 participants, Blood Sugar Clinic 88 participants and Blood Pressure Clinic 87 participants. The Vice Chancellor, in his address stated the commitment of the University Management to combating HIV and raising awareness on HIV&AIDS. Different speakers underpinned the importance of abstinence, using condoms correctly and consistently as well as adhering to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). The Chair of HIV & AIDS Committee gave a detailed status of HIV & AIDS awareness at the University of Embu as shown by a previous survey. The survey indicated about one third of the staff of UoEm did not know how HIV is transmitted, were uncomfortable working with infected colleagues and had a negative attitude towards key populations in HIV&AIDS epidemic. The Head of Health Services at UoEm presented basic information on HIV 7 AIDS. During the open discussion, what the University is doing to reduce exposure of female students to HIV&AIDS featured prominently. Other questions were on modes of transmission, social relations and transmission in domestic setting, ART side effects and resistance, hope for a vaccine and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among others. A representative from the Ministry of Health sensitized participants on adherence to ART, stigma and condom use. According to the clinicians who provided services in the wellness clinics, approximately 56% of staff members who attended the BMI clinic are overweight or obese and 2% of the staff members are underweight. In the blood pressure clinic, 11% of staff members who attended the clinic had a high blood pressure reading. In the blood sugar clinic, 3% of the staff who attended had high blood sugar. It is recommended that UoEm Management puts in place, comprehensive exercise, nutrition program and stress management program for staff. During the 2017/2018 it is recommended that another survey is done to on the status of HIV&AIDS awareness at UoEm. More deliberate effort will be required to continue engaging academic staff in HIV&AIDS related activities. The male voice also needs to be heard in the fight against HIV&AIDS in the University of Embu. The campaign against stigmatization of persons living with HIV & AIDS as well as key populations such as sex workers and intravenous drug users should continue. A new and effective strategy of communicating HIV&AIDS issues to students needs to be developed. The need for a mature female counselor to reach out to female students should be given serious consideration.Item Arabica Coffee Breeding: Challenges Posed by Climate Change(2015) Gichimu, Bernard M.Item Biotechnology and Genetic engineering- a key to bio-economy. 3rd National Biosafety Conference(2014-08) Njiruh, Nthakanio P.Biotechnology and Genetic engineering- a key to bio-economy. 3rd National Biosafety Conference, 11th – 14th August, 2014. Presented at Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.Item Coffee Breeding in Kenya: Achievements, Gaps and Priorities(2015) Gichimu, Bernard M.Item Determinants of Contraceptive Uptake among Youths Aged 18-25 Years in Nakuru County(2016) Maingi, Nancy; Githaiga, J.; Okova, R.; Karonjo, J.; Ndungu, E.Introduction Globally, there are over 1.8 billion young people and nearly 90 percent of whom live in developing countries. The age-range 18 to 24 is a period when most people begin to actively explore their sexuality (UNFPA, 2009). Most people become sexually active before their 20th birthday (UNFPA, 2009). One in every 10 births and one in 10 abortions worldwide and one in six births in developing countries is to women aged between 18-19 years (UNFPA, 2009). In sub-Saharan Africa, 75 percent of young women report having had sex by age 20(UNFPA, 2009).Despite continued investments in adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programs worldwide, challenges still exist in adequately meeting the SRH information and service needs of this subset of the population. These challenges are more pronounced in sub- Saharan Africa which, among the major regions of the world, has the greatest proportion of adolescent girls who have begun childbearing (Gupta &Mahy 2003). In Kenya 15% of women age 15-19 have already had a birth while 18 percent have begun childbearing (had a live birth or are pregnant with their first child). The percentage of women who have begun childbearing increases rapidly with age, from about 3 percent among women age 15 to 40 percent among women age 19 (KDHS, 2014-15). Materials and Methods Descriptive cross-section study on youths 18-25years in the Nakuru County ; Systematic random sampling was used in selection of 189 respondents. Results The findings revealed that 59% of the respondents were married while 16% were married, 55 % were self- employed, 33 % are employed either in public or private sector while 13 % were un employed. Fifty one percent of the respondents have never used family planning .The study showed that 42.3 %of the respondents use condoms while 1.1 % use implants . Fifty three percent of the respondents said they did not use contraceptives because of religion and culture, while 19 % said they are not sexually active. Seventy four percent of the respondents learnt of contraceptives from hospital/health workers. Fifty eight percent of the respondents said the distance to the hospital was 1-5km while 42 % said it is above 5km. Majority of the respondents 56% disliked the approach used by the health. Twenty nine percent acknowledged that they had been denied FP services by health care workers because of age. Discussion and Conclusion Forty four percent of the respondents were uncomfortable with environment the services were offered. This support observation of Johnross (2002) that lack of privacy can violate women's sense of modesty and make it more difficult for them to participate actively in selecting a contraceptive method. 59 % of the respondents wait for more than 1 hour,24 % for 30 minutes while17% % said they wait for one hour before being served. Availability and accessibility of different contraceptive methods influence the use of different contraceptive methods. Demographic attributes that include age, gender, level of literacy, marital status, number of children and desire for more children are major determinants of contraceptives usage. Social, cultural aspects such as religious affiliations and the stigma surrounding young people’s sexuality may deter them from seeking family planning services as some contraceptive methods go contrary to cultural beliefsItem Determinants of Place of Delivery among Women of Child Bearing Age Seeking Child Welfare Services in Kandara Sub County, Murang’a County(2015) Gachathi, Daniel Muya; Okova, Rosemary; Mwangangi, Francisca; Maingi, NancyIntroduction Worldwide, half a million women die each year from pregnancy and childbirth related complications. Over 90% of these deaths occur in developing countries, including Sub-Saharan Africa (Oguntunde et al., 2010). KDHS 2010, indicates Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) of 488/100,000 has been reported. Skilled assistance during childbirth is central to reducing maternal mortality despite it remaining below 50% since the early 1990s, (KDHS 2008/2009) Study by KNBS indicates that 43 percent of births in Kenya take place in health facilities, while 56 percent of births take place at home. Methods Data was collected using interviewer-led questionnaire on 323 women .Predictors of the woman’s most recent place of delivery were explored in an exploratory risk factor analysis using multiple logistic regressions. Data was collected from 1st April to April 22nd 2015. Results Women who had attained more education level (48.9%) preferred delivering in hospitals than at home. Majority (80%) of women were married and all of them opted for health facility delivered this could be attributed to an assured support from their husbands. A good proportion (39.3%) of the women relied on their husband for financial support. Many women 56.7% claimed that lack of information on service delivery, lack of information about services offered in hospitals encouraged many women to deliver at home. It was clear from the study findings that lack of satisfaction with service delivery discouraged most women to deliver at the hospitals. On the other hand, the findings revealed that lack of respect of cultural beliefs by the health workers encouraged women delivery at home to a moderate extent. Walking long distances to hospitals encouraged most of the women to deliver at home to a great extent. High travelling costs is a barrier to use of maternity services offered in hospitals also discouraged most77% women to deliver in hospitals. Poor infrastructure , roads encouraged most 45.2% women to deliver at home. Discussion and Conclusion The study findings indicate that there is a significant positive effect on choice of place of birth and the determinants under study namely: Socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge on safe delivery, accessibility to delivery services and attitude towards health facilities.Item Determinants of Postpartum Care Uptake among Women (18 – 49 Years) in Kandara Sub County Muranga County – Kenya(2015) Kamau, M.; Maingi, Nancy; Okova, R.; Karonjo, J.Introduction Worldwide, half a million women die each year from pregnancy and childbirth related complications. Over 90% of these deaths occur in developing countries, including Sub-Saharan Africa (Oguntunde et al., 2010). KDHS 2010, indicates Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) of 488/100,000 has been reported. Skilled assistance during childbirth is central to reducing maternal mortality despite it remaining below 50% since the early 1990s, (KDHS 2008/2009) Study by KNBS indicates that 43 percent of births in Kenya take place in health facilities, while 56 percent of births take place at home. Methods Data was collected using interviewer-led questionnaire on 323 women .Predictors of the woman’s most recent place of delivery were explored in an exploratory risk factor analysis using multiple logistic regressions. Data was collected from 1st April to April 22nd 2015. Results Women who had attained more education level (48.9%) preferred delivering in hospitals than at home. Majority (80%) of women were married and all of them opted for health facility delivered this could be attributed to an assured support from their husbands. A good proportion (39.3%) of the women relied on their husband for financial support. Many women 56.7% claimed that lack of information on service delivery, lack of information about services offered in hospitals encouraged many women to deliver at home. It was clear from the study findings that lack of satisfaction with service delivery discouraged most women to deliver at the hospitals. On the other hand, the findings revealed that lack of respect of cultural beliefs by the health workers encouraged women delivery at home to a moderate extent. Walking long distances to hospitals encouraged most of the women to deliver at home to a great extent. High travelling costs is a barrier to use of maternity services offered in hospitals also discouraged most77% women to deliver in hospitals. Poor infrastructure , roads encouraged most 45.2% women to deliver at home. Discussion and Conclusion The study findings indicate that there is a significant positive effect on choice of place of birth and the determinants under study namely: Socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge on safe delivery, accessibility to delivery services and attitude towards health facilities.Item Discrimination of Ruiru 11 Hybrid Sibs based on Raw Coffee Quality(2015) Gichimu, Bernard M.; Gichuru, E. K.; Mamati, G. E.; Nyende, A. B.Item HIV and Aids Prevention Campaign and Wellness Clinics Report(2016-06-08) HIV & AIDS Prevention CommitteeThis report covers the events of a one day HIV&AIDs Campaign and wellness Clinic held on Wednesday 8th June, 2016 at Embu University College. The Campaign aimed to sensitize all members of staff and their families on HIV and AIDs prevention as well as healthy living. The plenary session registered 146 participants comprising 140 EUC staff members and 6 facilitators, the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) 69 participants, Body Mass Index (BMI) Clinic 97 participants, Diabetes Check 100 participants and Hypertension Clinic 84 participants. The facilitators were trained counsellors and clinicians drawn from the Ministry of Health - Embu Level 5 Hospital and TENRI Children’s’ Hospital. In the opening meeting different speakers underpinned the importance of knowing one’s HIV/AIDS status by having regular medical checkups. It was noted that whereas lifestyle diseases are not stigmatized, they are potentially life threatening. Two facilitators presented two sessions where they sensitized staff on HIV and AIDs treatment and prevention. The adherence to the prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART) was emphasized. Participants were encouraged to put the knowledge they acquired into practice. After the opening meeting, all participants convened for a health break and visited the clinics in shifts to avoid leaving the work stations unattended. According to the clinicians, most of the tested parameters were within normal range except for the high BMI that was observed among EUC staff members. High BMI will eventually translate to higher medical bills for the individuals and ultimately the organization. To address the high BMI, It is recommended that EUC puts in place a comprehensive exercise and nutrition program for the staff.Item Item A Postgraduate Student’s Journey from Proposal Through Thesis to Publication(2015-07-16) Budambula, NancyItem Proceedings from 10th Annual Decolonizing Conference(2017-04) Kenya, Eucharia U.; Njiruh, Nthakanio P.; Njoki, Wane; Gitonga, Ciriaka; Muturi, Margaret; King’endo, Madrine; Riungu, NicholasHumanity continues to seek solutions to global and local challenges as well as advancing knowledge and innovations to enhance wellness. In such endeavors, there is continued misconstruction that interpretation of indigenous knowledge, customs, philosophies, ideologies, solutions and reactions must necessarily be done from an internationally defined arena which has been based on the assumption that internationalism is westernism. In the recent past, there is a growing paradigm shift and ‘detachment’ from this concept. Agitation for recognition of the indigenous concepts, ideas and innovations in enhancing and tackling challenges affecting humanity, whether from developing or developed countries, is like a stone rolling downhill with minimal barriers that must reach its destination. The Annual Decolonizing the Spirit conference examined knowledge production and resistance to colonial and post-colonial domination. This conference brought together scholars, researchers, practitioners, elders, community leaders, community/digital/media activists and artists, and educators to participate in a dialogue on (re)claiming and use of Indigenous pedagogies as tools for response to colonial fragmentations. This three-day conference provided a forum for participants to strengthen and build confidence. It indeed endeavored to address how indigenous knowledge, ideologies, philosophies, mechanisms and customs can be of importance in shaping our destiny and that of the globe.Item Proceedings from the first Annual International Conference on Decolonizing Education(University of Embu, 2020-02) Kenya, Eucharia U.; Njiruh, Nthakanio P.; Gitonga, Ciriaka; Muturi, Margaret; Kinoti, Timothy M.; Njagi, ZacharyDecolonizing formal education involves accepting indigenous and alternative ways of envisioning the world around us. For academics, it would entail accepting indigenous perspectives, ways of knowing and wisdom, and encouraging efforts by staff and students alike to reclaim indigenous knowledge as well as philosophies of teaching and learning that encompass the multiple experiences of a people. In higher education, such shift is important not only for pedagogic reasons, but also as an important part for example in African studies. On a positive note, recent developments have seen a paradigm shift and ‘detachment’ from the concept of pure formal education. Agitation for recognition of the indigenous concepts, ideas and innovations in enhancing and tackling challenges affecting humanity, whether from developing or developed countries, is like a stone rolling downhill with minimal barriers that must reach its destination. To begin a conversation geared towards drawing a roadmap for decolonizing African education, the 1st Annual International Conference on Decolonizing Education sought to examine knowledge production and resistance to colonial and post-colonial domination. Together, scholars, researchers, practitioners, elders, community leaders, community/digital/ media activists and artists, and educators engaged in a dialogue on (re)claiming and use of indigenous pedagogies as tools for response to colonial fragmentations. The three-day event prevailed upon participants to strengthen and build more confidence in indigenous knowledge, ideologies, philosophies, mechanisms and customs for continued eradication of colonial mindsets. It indeed endeavored to address human, political orientation, the triggers and factors that sustain the belief that indigenous knowledge, customs and beliefs are of less importance in shaping our destiny and that of the globe.Item Proceedings of First Annual Postgraduate Seminar Held on May 25, 2017 at University of Embu(University of Embu, 2017-05-25) The Board of Postgraduate StudiesThe First Annual Postgraduate Seminar of the University of Embu was held at the University’s Charter Hall on 25th May 2017. The one day seminar brought together thirty-five members of academic staff, one external supervisor and sixty-three postgraduate students. The Seminar was an opportunity for postgraduate students to share the progress made in their research work. In his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor affirmed that importance placed by University Management on postgraduate studies. The management has established the Board of Postgraduate Studies, appointed a Director of postgraduate studies, recruited of qualified and experienced staff as well as provided supervisors among others. The Vice Chancellor further noted that only 20% of the postgraduate students presented their research findings. He called upon Deans, Chairmen of Departments, Supervisors and Students to do more to ensure that students are progressing as expected. To improve the quality of postgraduate research output, the University of Embu has put several measures in place including; publications requirements for all postgraduate students, antiplagiarism check, training and sensitization of supervisors on effective supervision, recruitment of competent staff with excellent research, publications and student supervision experience. Impressive presentations were made by the students. Some of presentations indicate that the students may produce results that could be published in high impact journals, patented or commercialized. The importance of choosing the correct research design and data analysis tools was observed in several presentations. The need to improve the quality of slides and style of presentation was echoed throughout out the seminar. Supervisors were requested to do a bit more in helping the postgraduate students master scientific communication and the art of public speaking. This was the first seminar its kind at university level. It is envisaged that the University Postgraduate Seminar will become an annual event.Item Proceedings of the First Proposal and Thesis Writing Workshop(2015-07) Directorate of Postgraduate StudiesThe first Proposal and Thesis Writing Workshop for postgraduate students at Embu University College was held on 16th to 17th July 2015. The workshop brought together 84 postgraduate students who were trained on research proposal writing, research design, data collection & analysis and thesis writing. The participants were also sensitized on what is expected from a postgraduate student from the proposal stage, through thesis to publication stage.Item Proceedings of the Second Proposal and Thesis Writing Workshop for M.A, MSc, MBA, M.Ed. and Ph.D. Students(Board of Postgraduate Studies University of Embu, 2018-04) Budambula, Nancy; Muriuki, Susan W.; Kihagi, Edwin N.; Mwangi, Irene W.The Second Proposal and Thesis Writing Workshop was held on 26th April 2018 in the Charter Hall at the University of Embu (UoEm). The workshop aimed to equip postgraduate students with the skills required for proposal and thesis writing. It brought together 143 participants comprising senior university management, members of Senate, academic staff and postgraduate students from the Schools of Agriculture, Pure and Applied Sciences, Business and Economics as well as Education and Social Sciences. The workshop covered the chapters of the research proposal and thesis namely; introduction, literature review, materials and methods, data collection and analysis, results and discussion as well as examination of thesis. The workshop was officially opened by Prof Daniel Mugendi Njiru, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Embu. In his opening remarks, the Vice-Chancellor noted that universities were not producing postgraduates fast enough to meet the requirements of the country. He also noted that the Commission for University Education (CUE) had recommended postgraduate examination focuses on publication by the student as well as special and intensive training of postgraduate students on proposal writing. This workshop was therefore part of the effort to improve the quality and number of postgraduate students. The VC recounted with pride that in 2016/2017 four PhD students from UoEm wrote good proposals that were funded by the National Research Fund (NRF). He was hopeful more students would be funded in the 2017/2018 year. The VC emphasized the commitment of the management of UoEm to provide quality postgraduate education. During the workshop, postgraduate students requested for increasing the number of research laboratories in the University, increasing access to other research facilities and additional training on data analysis. In his closing remarks, the DVC (ARE) emphasized that every postgraduate student in UoEm has the right to choose their supervisor. Therefore no one should force a supervisor on a student. The Workshop was facilitated by; Prof Kiplagat Kotut the DVC (ARE), Prof. Nancy Budambula the Director Board of Postgraduate Studies, Dr Romano Mwirichia the Director Research and Extension, Dr Robert Mathenge Lecturer at UoEm and Dr Julius Mugweru Lecturer at UoEm.Item Proceedings of the sixth Postgraduate Students Workshop on Publishing(University of Embu, 2021-05-27) Board of Postgraduate StudiesA one-day postgraduate students’ workshop on publishing was held on 27th May 2021. It brought together 139 participants comprising 110 postgraduate students ,17 academic staff members and 12 non-academic staff members of the University of Embu (UoEm). The workshop aimed to sensitize the postgraduate students on manuscript preparation, navigating the peer review process, common challenges that face postgraduate students in research and publication, the importance data analysis in a manuscript and intellectual property especially patenting. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Embu, Prof. Daniel Mugendi Njiru, in his opening remarks, emphasized on the need for quality publications indexed by reputable indexing bodies such as Scimago. He acknowledged the students who had published in high impact journals and thus contributed to the webometric ranking of the University. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (ARE), Prof. Kiplagat Kotut, emphasized the importance of students applying the knowledge from the workshop in preparing their manuscripts. Dr Hellen Njura who graduated from UoEm in 2020, walked the participants through her struggles, endurance, resilience and triumph in her journey of publishing. The importance of having SMART objectives and data analysis dominated discussions during the plenary sessions. The workshop was facilitated by; Prof. Romano Mwirichia the Director of Research and Extension, Prof. Nancy Budambula the Director of Board of Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Daniel Nthiwa and Dr. Julius Mugweru lecturers in the Department of Biological Sciences, Mr. James Njue the University Librarian and Dr. Hellen Njura, a PhD graduate from UoEm.Item Proceedings of the Third Publishing Workshop for MSc, MBA, M.Ed. students and Ph.D. Students(Board of Postgraduate Studies University of Embu, 2017-12) Budambula, Nancy; Mwangi, Irene WambuiThe Third Postgraduate Publishing Workshop was held on 19th December 2017 in the Computer Laboratory at the University of Embu. The workshop aimed to equip postgraduate students with the skills required for thesis writing and publishing to enable them to complete their work and graduate on time. The workshop brought together 82 participants comprising senior university management, member of Senate and postgraduate students from the Schools of Agriculture, Pure and Applied Sciences, Business and Economics as well as Education and Social Sciences. The workshop covered the fundamentals of publishing, online publishing, plagiarism, referencing tools and additional E-resources. In his opening remarks, Prof Daniel Mugendi Njiru, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Embu noted that publishing was one of the key avenues of disseminating research findings. He reminded the postgraduate students that at UoEm it is a requirement for Master’s students to publish one paper and PhD students to publish two papers. The Vice-Chancellor further observed that there is need to improve the research output in the social sciences. He called upon the students to attend the workshops organised for them so that they learn how to write, use E-resources and cite the latest literature. During this workshop the importance of a writing plan and a good study design was emphasised. The students were encouraged to write good quality papers that can be published free of charge by leading publishers. The Third Postgraduate Publishing Workshop facilitated by; Mr James Njue the University Librarian, Ms Victoria Nyaga the Deputy Librarian and Prof. Nancy Budambula the Director Board of Postgraduate Studies.Item Quality Teaching and Learning, Assessment Technology and Innovativeness in Virtual Environments(UoEm, 2023-11-02) University of Embu Committee MembersQuality Teaching & Learning, ,