Districts In Kenya Research Articles

Managerial relations in Kenyan health care: empathy and the limits of governmentality

This article describes relationships between a team of mid-level government health managers working in a rural Kenyan district and those whom they managed: health workers based at rural health facilities. In this context, managerial expertise was heavily informed by personal biography and a moral obligation to empathize with the difficult working conditions and familial responsibilities of junior staff. Management should be studied seriously in anthropology, as a powerful social and bureaucratic form. This focus must extend beyond a concern with tactics and technologies of governance to consider how modalities of managerial expertise are also shaped by biography, intersubjectivity, and professional identity.

Charcoal contribution to wealth accumulation at different scales of production among the rural population of Mutomo District in Kenya

Charcoal is among the most important domestic fuels in many countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Its production has been conventionally considered as an agricultural off-season activity to supplement household income and cope with harvest failures. This study used primary data at the household level from an important charcoal supplying dryland region in Kenya to evaluate if income from charcoal contributes to wealth accumulation. The findings show that small-scale producers were more dependent on income from charcoal and casual labor, the two sectors whose income was uncorrelated to wealth index. This group was the poorest among the producer groups and vis-à-vis non-producers in terms of both total income and wealth level. In contrast, large-scale producers derived about half of their income from charcoal production but had more diversified livelihood sources especially in business and agriculture. Despite the fact that charcoal income was not directly correlated with the wealth index, large-scale producers derived absolutely large income from charcoal activities which made them well-off among all the categories of households. The findings challenges the dichotomous policy debates on either promoting or banning charcoal production but necessitate better targeted policy interventions, which explicitly consider differences in charcoal producers to properly target social goals.

Factors affecting youth entrepreneurship development within Kibera, Kenya: the perspective of entrepreneurship education

All over the world there has been an increased interest in entrepreneurship education and the society in general. Kenya was among the first countries in Africa to introduce aspects of entrepreneurship education in its education and training systems. Entrepreneurship and business creation are a growing alternative for young people in different economies whose age group often faces a labor market with double digit unemployment rates. This study seeks to investigate and report on the factors affecting youth entrepreneurship development with specific reference to entrepreneurship education in Kibera, a district of Kenya. Two objectives are identified, namely (i) to determine the government’s provision and access to the entrepreneurship education and training among the Kenyan youth, and (ii) to determine whether there is a relationship between the level of education, training and development of youth entrepreneurship. A sample of three hundred entrepreneurs (aged 18-35) within the Kibera district in Kenya is drawn to participate in this study. Structured survey questionnaires are used to collect primary data from business owners in the Kibera district. Findings revealed a strong positive correlation between the provision of entrepreneurship education and development of youth entrepreneurship and the level of education has a very weak positive correlation to youth entrepreneurship development. This study concludes with recommendations on how youth entrepreneurship can be improved in Kibera and the rest of Kenya. A total of 300 questionnaires were administered via e-mails with a total response rate of 83.3% (250) returned for analysis

Impact of Dupoto-e-Maa education project on dropout rate and academic performance

Background: A study conducted in the Kajiado Central District of Kenya in 2006 showed that there was a high dropout rate among primary schoolgoing children and that their academic performance was poor. The Dupoto-e-Maa education project was implemented in 2007 to address issues related to drop out rate and academic performance.Objectives: The evaluation therefore investigated the extent to which the project had influenced dropout rate and academic performance in the public primary schools in Kajiado Central District.Method: The evaluation adopted a mixed methods approach: cross-sectional survey and case study designs. The benefit of the approach is the richness of information obtained through triangulation. The respondents included head teachers, school management committees, teachers, pupils, quality assurance and standards officer and project staff. A sample size of 183 respondents was selected using purposive sampling and stratified random sampling procedures. Head teachers of the sampled schools participated as key informants. The instruments of data collection included questionnaires, an interview guide, a document analysis guide, a focus group discussion guide and an observation guide. Results: The findings indicate that the Dupoto-e-Maa education project had influenced dropout rates. The direction of the findings seems to suggest that academic performance trends are unpredictable since fluctuations are evident, though the programme could have encountered some challenges that may have limited its achievement on this variable.Conclusion: The study recommended that there is need to increase the number of non-governmental organisations modelled around the Dupoto-e-Maa education project so as to reduce dropout rate and improve pupil academic performance. The findings could also inform government policy in terms of recruitment and placement of teachers in schools in arid and semi-arid lands. Project funding could be increased to improve visibility and sustainability of project activities.

Does contract farming improve smallholder income? The case of avocado farmers in Kenya

Purpose– Contract farming (CF) is seen as a tool for creating new market opportunities hence increasing incomes for smallholder farmers. Critics, however, argue that CF is likely to pass risks to small scale farmers, thus favouring large scale farmers at the expense of smallholder farmers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of CF on smallholder farmers’ income using a case study of avocado farmers in Kandara district in Kenya.Design/methodology/approach– The study uses data collected from 100 smallholder avocado farmers in Kandara district in Kenya and employs an instrumental variable model (Probit-2SLS) to control for endogeneity in participation in the contract and examine the effect of CF on household, farm and avocado income.Findings– The results indicate that participation in CF is not sufficient to improve household, farm and avocado income. Question remains regarding efficient implementation of CF arrangements to promote spill over effects on other household enterprises.Research limitations/implications– The research was carried out using farmers in Kandara district in Kenya as a case study, findings might therefore not reflect the status of CF in all countries.Originality/value– The paper contributes to the growing debate on the effect of value chain upgrading strategies such as contracting on smallholder farmers’ welfare. The form of contracting studied in this paper differs from the standard contracts in that the key stakeholders (producers) are loosely enjoined in the contract through officials of their groups.

VYGOTSKY’S SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND INTERACTION THEORY: IMPLICATIONS TO THE TEACHING OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM IN KENYA

Language is very important in our lives. Through language, we convey our feelings, desires, and thoughts. Of importance is English language in Kenya which is the medium of instruction from upper primary school and beyond. English is taught as a Second Language in schools in Kenya and has implications to the school curriculum and education in general. This paper is a discussion of the Social Development and Interaction theory advanced by Vygotsky (1978) and its implications for English language teaching in Kenya. This theory formed the theoretical framework for a study that looked at the teaching of English oral communication skills in upper primary school in a particular district in Kenya in the year 2009. This paper is drawn from part of the literature review that guided the study and the recommendations that the study arrived at. The study utilized a qualitative research approach with a heuristic methodology. The research population consisted of primary school teachers teaching English in upper primary classes and standard six pupils. Data was collected using structured and focused group interview schedules, observation checklists, and document analysis. In the light of the findings, the study concluded that the kind of new language items, learning activities and methods of conveying the meaning of new language items that the teachers selected were inadequate and ineffective in enhancing interaction. So were the practice activities adopted by the teachers and the strategies used in motivating learners in the teaching and learning of oral communication skills. The argument advanced in this paper is that effective teaching of English language in Kenya demands an interactive approach. In other words, English teachers should use interactive strategies in their teaching because as Vygotsky (1978) argues, children learn language best through interaction. Article visualizations:

Charcoal production through selective logging leads to degradation of dry woodlands: a case study from Mutomo District, Kenya

Provision of woodfuel is an important ecosystem service of dry forests and woodlands. However, charcoal production through selective logging of preferred hardwood species has the potential to alter the physiognomic composition of the residual or re-growth woodlands and may lead to their deterioration and degradation. This study, conducted through forest inventory in Mutomo District in Kenya, assessed the impact of charcoal production on unprotected dry woodlands in terms of tree density, targeted species basal area, species richness, evenness and Shannon diversity. The parameters of the disturbed woodlands were evaluated for significant differences with those of the neighbouring protected Tsavo East National Park, which served as a reference for an ecologically undisturbed ecosystem. By evaluating a consequence of tree harvesting for charcoal production, this study confirmed the overall significant differences between the protected and unprotected woodlands in all the tested parameters. To confirm if the differences in the land-covers of the woodlands had any influence on their degradation, all mentioned parameters were compared between the four differentiated classes and their respective control plots in the protected areas. At the “land-cover level”, the statistically significant difference in the basal area of tree species preferred for charcoal production between the protected and unprotected open trees confirms that the class with a high density of large mature trees is the prime target of charcoal producers. In addition, there seems to be a general trend of lower values of tree species richness, evenness and Shannon diversity for the unprotected woodlands subjected to charcoal production. On the other hand, the disturbed woodlands display the potential to recover through their comparably high saplings density. The findings make an important contribution to the discourse on the impact of charcoal production in dry woodlands, a topic that is highly controversial among researchers.

Genomic signatures of population decline in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae.

BackgroundPopulation genomic features such as nucleotide diversity and linkage disequilibrium are expected to be strongly shaped by changes in population size, and might therefore be useful for monitoring the success of a control campaign. In the Kilifi district of Kenya, there has been a marked decline in the abundance of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae subsequent to the rollout of insecticide-treated bed nets.MethodsTo investigate whether this decline left a detectable population genomic signature, simulations were performed to compare the effect of population crashes on nucleotide diversity, Tajima’s D, and linkage disequilibrium (as measured by the population recombination parameter ρ). Linkage disequilibrium and ρ were estimated for An. gambiae from Kilifi, and compared them to values for Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles merus at the same location, and for An. gambiae in a location 200 km from Kilifi.ResultsIn the first simulations ρ changed more rapidly after a population crash than the other statistics, and therefore is a more sensitive indicator of recent population decline. In the empirical data, linkage disequilibrium extends 100–1000 times further, and ρ is 100–1000 times smaller, for the Kilifi population of An. gambiae than for any of the other populations. There were also significant runs of homozygosity in many of the individual An. gambiae mosquitoes from Kilifi.ConclusionsThese results support the hypothesis that the recent decline in An. gambiae was driven by the rollout of bed nets. Measuring population genomic parameters in a small sample of individuals before, during and after vector or pest control may be a valuable method of tracking the effectiveness of interventions.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-016-1214-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

English

Survey on the Utilization of Weather Information and Products for Selected Districts in Kenya

A Global History of Asian’s Presence In Kisumu District of Kenya’s Nyanza Province

Introduction The idea of globalization and global history is not a recent phenomenon. As early as the first century, East African Coast had already started witnessing the emergence of traders from Asia especially the Chinese who brought porcelain and other trade items along the coast of East Africa. Towards the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, globalization took a new dimension due to imperialism and colonialism. These two processes opened up the worl...

Between tradition and modernity: girls’ talk about sexual relationships and violence in Kenya, Ghana and Mozambique

ABSTRACTThis paper interrogates the influence of a tradition-modernity dichotomy on perspectives and practices on sexual violence and sexual relationships involving girls in three districts of Kenya, Ghana and Mozambique. Through deploying an analytical framework of positioning within multiple discursive sites, we argue that although the dichotomy misrepresents the complexity of contemporary communities, it is nonetheless deployed by girls, educational initiatives and researchers in their reflections on girls’ sexual practices and sexual violence. The analysis examines variations between communities in patterns of and perspectives about sexual relationships, transactional sex and sexual violence. It illuminates ways in which features of ‘modernisation’ and ‘tradition’ both exacerbate and protect girls from violence. Across contexts, girls actively positioned themselves between tradition and modernity, while positioning others at the extreme poles. Education initiatives also invoked bipolar positions in their attempts to protect girls’ rights to education and freedom from violence. The paper concludes by considering the implications for educational intervention and the potential for the analytical framing to generate richer, more contextualised understandings about girls’ perspectives, experiences and ways of resisting sexual violence.

Reducing routine vaccination dropout rates: evaluating two interventions in three Kenyan districts, 2014.

BackgroundGlobally, vaccine preventable diseases are responsible for nearly 20 % of deaths annually among children <5 years old. Worldwide, many children dropout from the vaccination program, are vaccinated late, or incompletely vaccinated. We evaluated the impact of text messaging and sticker reminders to reduce dropouts from the vaccination program.MethodsThe evaluation was conducted in three selected districts in Kenya: Machakos, Langata and Njoro. Three health facilities were selected in each district, and randomly allocated to send text messages or provide stickers reminding parents to bring their children for second and third dose of pentavalent vaccine, or to the control group (routine reminder) with next appointment date indicated on the well-child booklet. Children aged <12 months presenting for their first dose of pentavalent vaccine were enrolled. A dropout was defined as not returning for vaccination ≥2 weeks after scheduled date for third dose of pentavalent vaccine. We calculated dropout rate as a percentage of the difference between first and third pentavalent dose.ResultsWe enrolled 1,116 children; 372 in each intervention and 372 controls between February and October 2014. Median age was 45 days old (range: 31–99 days), and 574 (51 %) were male. There were 136 (12 %) dropouts. Thirteen (4 %) children dropped out among those who received text messages, 60 (16 %) among who received sticker reminders, and 63 (17 %) among the controls. Having a caregiver with below secondary education [Odds Ratio (OR) 1.8, 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) 1.1–3.2], and residing >5 km from health facility (OR 1.6, CI 1.0–2.7) were associated with higher odds of dropping out. Those who received text messages were less likely to drop out compared to controls (OR 0.2, CI 0.04–0.8). There was no statistical difference between those who received stickers and controls (OR 0.9, CI 0.5–1.6).ConclusionText message reminders can reduce vaccination dropout rates in Kenya. We recommend the extended implementation of text message reminders in routine vaccination services.

Predictive Factors and Risk Mapping for Rift Valley Fever Epidemics in Kenya.

BackgroundTo-date, Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreaks have occurred in 38 of the 69 administrative districts in Kenya. Using surveillance records collected between 1951 and 2007, we determined the risk of exposure and outcome of an RVF outbreak, examined the ecological and climatic factors associated with the outbreaks, and used these data to develop an RVF risk map for Kenya.MethodsExposure to RVF was evaluated as the proportion of the total outbreak years that each district was involved in prior epizootics, whereas risk of outcome was assessed as severity of observed disease in humans and animals for each district. A probability-impact weighted score (1 to 9) of the combined exposure and outcome risks was used to classify a district as high (score ≥ 5) or medium (score ≥2 - <5) risk, a classification that was subsequently subjected to expert group analysis for final risk level determination at the division levels (total = 391 divisions). Divisions that never reported RVF disease (score < 2) were classified as low risk. Using data from the 2006/07 RVF outbreak, the predictive risk factors for an RVF outbreak were identified. The predictive probabilities from the model were further used to develop an RVF risk map for Kenya.ResultsThe final output was a RVF risk map that classified 101 of 391 divisions (26%) located in 21 districts as high risk, and 100 of 391 divisions (26%) located in 35 districts as medium risk and 190 divisions (48%) as low risk, including all 97 divisions in Nyanza and Western provinces. The risk of RVF was positively associated with Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), low altitude below 1000m and high precipitation in areas with solonertz, luvisols and vertisols soil types (p <0.05).ConclusionRVF risk map serves as an important tool for developing and deploying prevention and control measures against the disease.

Perceptions and uptake of health insurance for maternal care in rural Kenya: a cross sectional study.

IntroductionIn Kenya, maternal and child health accounts for a large proportion of the expenditures made towards healthcare. It is estimated that one in every five Kenyans has some form of health insurance. Availability of health insurance may protect families from catastrophic spending on health. The study intended to determine the factors affecting the uptake of health insurance among pregnant women in a rural Kenyan district.MethodsThis was cross-sectional study that sampled 139 pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at a level 5 hospital in a Kenyan district. The information was collected through a pretested interview schedule.ResultsThe median age of the study participants was 28 years. Out of the 139 respondents, 86(62%) planned to pay for their deliveries through insurance. There was a significant relationship between insurance uptake and marital status Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 6.4(1.4-28.8). Those with tertiary education were more likely to take up insurance AOR 5.1 (1.3-19.2). Knowing the benefits of insurance and the limits the insurance would settle in claims was associated with an increase in the uptake of insurance AOR 7.6(2.3-25.1), AOR 6.4(1.5-28.3) respectively. Monthly income and number of children did not affect insurance uptake.ResultsBeing married, tertiary education and having some knowledge on how insurance premiums are paid are associated with uptake of medical insurance. Information generated from this study if utilized will bring a better understanding as to why insurance coverage may be low and may provide a basis for policy changes among the insurance companies to increase the uptake.

Schistosoma haematobium and soil-transmitted Helminths in Tana Delta District of Kenya: infection and morbidity patterns in primary schoolchildren from two isolated villages.

BackgroundSchistosomes and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) (hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides) are widely distributed in developing countries where they infect over 230 million and 1.5 billion people, respectively. The parasites are frequently co-endemic and many individuals are co-infected with two or more of the species, but information on how the parasites interact in co-infected individuals is scarce. The present study assessed Schistosoma haematobium and STH infection and morbidity patterns among school children in a hyper-endemic focus in the Tana River delta of coastal Kenya.MethodsTwo hundred and sixty-two children aged 5–12 years from two primary schools were enrolled in the study. For each child, urine was examined for S. haematobium eggs and haematuria, stool was examined for STH eggs, peripheral blood was examined for eosinophilia and haemoglobin level, the urinary tract was ultrasound-examined for S. haematobium-related pathology, and the height and weight was measured and used to calculate the body mass index (BMI).ResultsPrevalences of S. haematobium, hookworm, T. trichiura and A. lumbricoides infection were 94, 81, 88 and 46 %, respectively. There was no significant association between S. haematobium and STH infection but intensity of hookworm infection significantly increased with that of T. trichiura. Lower BMI scores were associated with high intensity of S. haematobium (difference =−0.48, p > 0.05) and A. lumbricoides (difference =−0.67, p < 0.05). Haematuria (both macro and micro) was common and associated with S. haematobium infection, while anaemia was associated with high intensity of S. haematobium (OR = 2.08, p < 0.05) and high hookworm infections OR = 4.75; p < 0.001). The majority of children had eosinophilia, which was significantly associated with high intensity of hookworm infection (OR = 5.34, p < 0.05). Overall 38 % of the children had ultrasound-detectable urinary tract morbidity, which was associated with high intensity of S. haematobium infection (OR = 3.13, p < 0.05).ConclusionPrevalences of S. haematobium and STH infections among the primary school children were high and the parasites were responsible for significant morbidity. A clear synergistic interaction was observed between hookworm and T. trichiura infections. Increased coverage in administration of praziquantel and albendazole in the area is recommended to control morbidity due to these infections.

Does strengthening technical capacity of smallholder farmers enhance adoption of conservation practices? The case of conservation agriculture with trees in Kenya

Despite decades of agricultural extension programmes, participatory research projects and efforts to encourage knowledge integration and sharing, few smallholder farmers are adopting natural resource management (NRM) practices. Using an agroforestry (AF)-based conservation practice known as conservation agriculture with trees as a case study, this study aims at contributing to the growing debate that a properly designed training programme enhances adoption of knowledge intensive NRM practices by providing resource poor farmers with the opportunity to learn, test and adapt such practices to suit their resource needs. To control for endogeneity in participation in training and assess the effect of training on adoption, we estimate an instrumental variable probit model using cross sectional data collected in 2013 from 198 farm households in Machakos district in Kenya. One key message emanating from the study, which is critical for development practitioners who are keen on up-scaling AF based conservation practices through training, is that strengthening technical capacity of smallholder farmers is necessary but it is not in itself sufficient to stimulate adoption of conservation practices. Instead, institutional factors like good road infrastructure that help reduce transaction costs associated with the search for information on technologies and markets and resource endowments in form of labour and land provide synergistic effects. Consequently, complementary strategies such as the introduction of cost effective labour saving technologies and the provision of enabling environment through public–private partnerships for farmers to access the technologies and inputs that are critical for implementing the skills acquired during the training are prerequisites for adoption.

First Record of the GenusBloszykiellain Kenya with the Description ofBloszykiella tertiasp. n. (Acari: Uropodidae) from aPinus radiataD. Don Plantation

The third species of the genus Bloszykiella Kontschan, 2010 was found in Kenya in a Pinus radiata D. Don plantation. This is the first record of this genus in this country. The new species is described as Bloszykiella tertia sp. n. from Nyandarua district of Kenya, and differs from the other previously described species in the absence of strongly sclerotised dorsal lines, the shape of the dorsal setae and the type of dorsal ornamentation.

English

Survey on the Utilization of Weather Information and Products for Selected Districts in Kenya

Information and Communication Technologies in Early Childhood Education Teacher Training Colleges

Governments all over have undertaken ambitious programs to introduce technologies to all children joining class mainstream school in all public school in various countries. This has been reinforced by government budget allocation for the programs. These programs, however noble, can only succeed if the teachers within the schools have adequate skills and knowledge on how to use Information and Communication Technologies in their instruction to ensure the children reap maximum benefits. Children should be prepared on how to use the technologies from pre-school so that they can fruitfully make use of the government ICTs once they join mainstream schooling. Lack of teachers with the correct skills in ICT usage in instruction will greatly affect the success of introduction of ICTs in primary schools. This research aims to establish the availability and use of ICTs in ECDE teacher training colleges within Igembe Districts in Kenya. The researcher aimed to establish the availability and use of ICTs in the Districts, factors influencing use of ICTs, challenges and possible solutions to challenges in the use of ICTs in ECDE colleges. The study was based on Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and the Self-efficacy Theory. The researcher adopted a descriptive survey design to carry out the research. The population for this research were the ECDE teacher training colleges within Igembe Districts encompassing the teacher trainers (tutors) and student teachers. Random sampling was used to select the sample to avoid bias. A questionnaire and an observation schedule were the main data collection tools used for this study to test the availability and use of ICTs in the ECDE colleges. The data collection instruments were piloted before they were used in the field to attest their validity and reliability. Data was collected from 30% of the population with a 98% return rate of the questionnaires. The data was collected, analysed, tabulated, classified and presented using frequency distribution tables, bar graphs, charts and summary paragraphs. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to prepare data for analysis. T-test and Chi-square test were used to test the data collected to ensure its credibility. From the research findings, there are very few ICTs available in the ECD TTCs and the few available are inadequate. Tutors and students too have limited ways in which they use ICTs. Availability of ICTs and limited knowledge of the ICTs are among the many factors hindering use of ICT in the colleges. The researcher has made conclusions from data collected that negative attitudes by teachers and lack of government intervention are among factors affecting the use of ICTs in the colleges. The researcher has proposed a raft of measures to ensure the use of ICTs in colleges such as attitude changes by all stakeholders, government interventions such as coming up with an appropriate curriculum to help train teachers in ICT, tax incentives to make the ICTs affordable, collaboration with development partners and supervision among others. All these will be geared to having ICT savvy teachers and the same knowledge, skills and attitudes will eventually be transferred to the children in the ECD centres before they transition to mainstream schooling.

Assessment of the biomass related indoor air pollution in Kwale district in Kenya using short term monitoring

Indoor air pollution remains an important health problem in some countries. Although research data on this issue is available, routine monitoring in affected areas is limited. The aims of this study were to quantify exposure to biomass-related indoor air pollution; assess the respiratory health of subjects; and explore the feasibility of routine monitoring in Kwale district, Kenya. We sampled 125 rural houses using short-term monitoring for levels of CO, CO2 and TSP. Additional exposure information was obtained using a checklist. Respiratory health was also assessed using a questionnaire, and electronic spirometer in 172 inhabitants. The overall median levels of CO in the sampled houses on all study sites ranged from 5.9 (IQR 3-14.5) to 10 (5.5-21.2) mg/m3, levels of CO2 ranged from 774 (IQR 724-846) to 839 (IQR 749-961) mg/m3) and the levels of TSP ranged from 295 (IQR 79-853 to 1384 (IQR 557-3110) µg/m(3) which indicates that safe levels recommended by WHO and USEPA could be exceeded. Relatively high incidences of respiratory illness or symptoms were reported and the spirometry readings suggested impaired lung function in over 80% of respondents. Our results quantify that the use of biomass fuel can give rise to high levels of indoor air pollution. Given that poor lung function contributes to public health problems in rural regions of East Africa, such as Kwale in Kenya, our findings create grounds for more detailed investigations of the problem and may provide motivation for community based interventions.