Kenyan Policy Makers Research Articles

Two COVID-19 Lessons that Were Long Overdue to Kenya’s Justice Sector

The two decisions made by policymakers in Kenya’s because of COVID-19 were timely but were bound to happen. they are direct economic benefits for reducing the prison population and use of technology in courts. If the Prison population is reduced at least by 10%, the prison population will reduce by 22,372 prisoners. Using the GDP Per Capita as of 2018, we estimate that income gained would be equivalent to Ksh 4.3 billion whereas a 30% prison population reduction would be 67,115 prisoners and equivalent to Ksh 12.9 billion. The mechanism of technology must allow for more accountability.

Refugees, Foreign Nationals, andWageni: Comparing African Responses to Somali Migration

Abstract:Host governments have responded to the migration of Somali refugees throughout Africa in recent decades in different ways. Kenyan policymakers have treated Somalis primarily as a security threat, imposing restrictions on them that especially target this group. In South Africa, where economic and political competition fuel xenophobia, Somalis are part of a larger foreign national population that is seen as having disproportionate economic influence. However, Somali Bantus have been welcomed in Tanzania, which granted them citizenship even as it limited the mobility and activities of other refugees. A comparative analysis suggests that the relative balance among security, economic, political, and normative considerations shapes the extent and scope of host government policies.

Fiscal Asymmetric Decentralization and the Influence of County Fiscal Autonomy on Household Effects in Kenya

Fiscal asymmetric decentralization is seen as the panacea in solving persistent income inequalities facing developing economies. Despite efforts to finance County governments, about 42% of Kenyan’s 47.6 million people still live below the poverty level. This study evaluates the influence of County fiscal autonomy on household effects in Kenya. Both primary and secondary data, collected from households in 47 county governments and the Commission on Revenue Allocation, respectively. A Sample of 4,813 households was drawn from 96,251 lists of households developed by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Cochran's correction formula was used. The result finds an insignificant negative correlation between county fiscal autonomy and household effects in Kenya. Further studies are recommended with diverse indicators. Findings in this paper are generalizable and a point of reference for policymakers in Kenya.

WHERE IS KENYA BEING HEADED TO? EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE BOX-JENKINS ARIMA APPROACH

Using annual time series data on GDP per capita in Kenya from 1960 to 2017, the study analyzes GDP per capita using the Box – Jenkins ARIMA technique. The diagnostic tests such as the ADF tests show that Kenyan GDP per capita data is I (2). Based on the AIC, the study presents the ARIMA (3, 2, 1) model. The diagnostic tests further show that the presented parsimonious model is stable and reliable. The results of the study indicate that living standards in Kenya will improve over the next decade, as long as the prudent macroeconomic management continues in Kenya. Indeed, Kenya’s economy is growing. The study offers 3 policy prescriptions in an effort to help policy makers in Kenya on how to promote and maintain the much-needed growth.

An assessment of rural electrification projects in Kenya using a sustainability framework

This research is driven by the goal to develop human survivability studies, a solution oriented, trans-disciplinary academic approach for resolving multiple complex societal challenges. Given persisting poverty and inequality in rural areas of developing countries, as well as their vulnerability to the effects of climate change, there are high expectations that rural electrification using renewable energy can contribute to their sustainable development. We therefore use a sustainability framework to assess the contributions of four electrification projects in rural Kenya in ensuring the long-term well-being of local residents and future generations. Our results show that off-grid electrification projects run by the private sector were the better performers in the assessment. While more research is necessary to improve robustness, our preliminary policy recommendations are that Kenyan policy makers should provide further support to private sector-led off-grid solar electrification efforts.

The potential and prerequisites of effective tablet integration in rural Kenya

AbstractThis study investigates how pedagogical, cultural and institutional factors interact with technical knowledge in educational technology integration and how they relate to equitable and effective technology use in low‐resource settings. In the context of a one‐to‐one tablet initiative in rural Kenya, we explore how these factors constrain or support access to technology, instructor capacity, student engagement and student learning, as well as their implications for reducing educational and digital divides. We employ a mixed methods, such as a quasi‐experimental (prepost, nonequivalent control group) research design that draws on data from classroom observations, teacher interviews, student surveys and focus groups, and assessments of student academic performance to generate evidence on classroom practices and student learning in schools with access to tablets, while also highlighting core challenges to successful technology integration. Our findings contribute to the identification of prerequisites and supporting factors for successful educational technology integration, as well as policy levers and school‐based strategies that are likely to increase equitable access to quality learning experiences in schools in low‐resource contexts. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic A lack of funding, planning and infrastructure hinder information and communication technology (ICT) integration. Procurement of educational technology and infrastructure improvement efforts has reduced digital divides, but learning divides persist in implementation. Insufficient teacher technology expertise and professional development constrain teacher's effective use of educational technology in classrooms. What this paper adds We employ mixed methods—triangulating the student assessment data with data from student surveys and focus groups, teacher interviews and classroom observations—to identify how pedagogical, cultural and institutional factors interact with technical knowledge in ICT integration in ways that support or constrain student learning in low‐resource contexts. We find that more attention is needed for cultural factors that interact with pedagogical and technical skills to ensure that the classroom instructors' attention is equitability distributed in ways that discourage in‐class “tracking” and differential access to quality learning experiences, such as some teachers' disregard of “slow learners” in the classroom. In low‐resource contexts, providing even basic levels of infrastructure (eg, a consistent power source) and access to general technical knowledge requires more creative and concerted efforts from school leadership and instructors, such as the offer of tutorials and reading clubs outside of the class to expand access and improve the use of devices. Implications for practice and/or policy We find that device sharing can have positive effects on peer‐to‐peer learning, which suggests that policymakers in Kenya should weigh the benefits of achieving one‐to‐one device access against the potential advantages of alternative investments, such as expanding professional development on the integration and use of currently available devices. Increasing opportunities for peer‐to‐peer learning and exchange (among teachers and students) and building shared capacities for ICT integration can help reduce technical issues and lost instructional time.

Policy interventions for attraction and retention of female teachers in rural secondary schools

The potential role of female teachers in achieving the Education for all (EFA) and the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting life-long learning opportunities for all (Goal 4), achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls(Goal 5 ) is well documented. Available evidence, however, suggests that attraction and retention of female teachers in secondary schools located in rural areas remains a significant and on-going challenge. In response, policy makers in Kenya have recommended three key policy interventions namely decentralization of teacher recruitment, payment of hardship allowance and provision of housing. A literature search reveals a dearth of information on the perspectives of rural educators on the effectiveness of these interventions. The paper presents findings based on one objective of a broader study which was to: Establish the views of female teachers’ and other stakeholders’ regarding the effectiveness of strategies for attraction and retention of female teachers in Makueni County. This study adopted a mixed methods design. The paper presents findings from the qualitative component of the study. Interviews were used to gather data. Based on their interpretations, the authors provide useful insights and offer suggestions on how the implementation of these policies could be improved.

Evaluating operationalisation of integrated monitoring and evaluation system in Kisumu County: Implications for policy makers

Background: Evaluation findings are increasingly becoming valuable for policy makers in Kenya. The Directorate of Monitoring and Evaluation is responsible for providing reliable data findings for decision-makers. They are in turn expected to access the data and information through the National Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation System (NIMES). Unfortunately, the directorate hardly receives timely data as required, thus is unable to make timely decision within the ministry of agriculture, livestock and irrigation in Kisumu County.Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the extent of operationalisation of NIMES through utilisation of the electronic project management information system (e-ProMIS) within the three agricultural departments.Methods: Through single-point face-to-face interviews using semi-structured questionnaires, mixed methods approach and Likert scale were applied to assess the level of operationalisation of, staff competences in, and satisfaction with NIMES. Both random and purposive sampling was used. Using mixed methods approach, primary and secondary data were collected from 10 key indicators and fitted in a binary logistic regression model to assess the level of operationalisation of NIMES.Results: This article shows that operationalisation of NIMES is unsatisfactory, and data collected are incorrectly formatted. None of the departmental personnel charged with uploading relevant data in e-ProMIS neither accessed nor utilised the platform. There were no champions supporting NIMES, thus no reports generated from the system.Conclusions: Factors hindering operationalisation of NIMES were: dysfunctional monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, limited human capacity on M&E, lack of NIMES champions, limited availability of data, unclear information flow to decision makers and inadequate integration of NIMES in planning and budgeting.

First Report of Potato Cyst Nematode Globodera pallida Infecting Potato (Solanum tuberosum) in Kenya

The potato cyst nematodes (PCN) Globodera pallida (Stone, 1973) and G. rostochiensis are key pests of potato, subject to strict quarantine regulations worldwide (EPPO 2013a). Indigenous to South America, they have spread to numerous potato-growing regions around the world. G. rostochiensis was reported from Kenya in 2015 (Mwangi et al. 2015). During a nationwide survey conducted in 2016, G. pallida was detected in Kenya at an altitude of 2,349 m above sea level in Nyandarua County (0.3150195° N, 36.48328° E). Cysts were extracted from a 200 cm³ soil sample following EPPO diagnostic protocol (EPPO 2013a), and then handpicked under a stereo microscope. The PCNs recovered showed morphometric characteristics of G. pallida and are reported here. For further studies, the Nyandarua field was resampled in February 2017 to collect additional soil samples and confirm the occurrence of G. pallida. From the collected cysts, 10 cysts were inoculated on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) ʻShangiʼ in five pots with sterile soil and sand (1:1) and grown in a screenhouse for 3 months from May to July 2017; the multiplication rate at harvest was X― = 3.6 and PCNs were recovered from potato roots and soil. Morphometric characters showed: Granek’s ratio (n = 33) ranged from 1.53 to 4.52 µm (X― = 2.78 ± 0.78 µm), and the distance from anus to vulval basin was 34.03 to 91.45 µm (X― = 52.75 ± 13.73 µm). The stylet length of the second-stage juveniles (J2s) (n = 97) ranged from 15.87 to 25.18 µm (X― = 21.87 ± 1.43), stylet knobs displayed robust tulip/anchored shape. The lengths of the hyaline tail (HT) and the true tail (TT) ranged from 15.54 to 50.44 µm (X― = 23.94 ± 4.23) and 31.02 to 79.59 µm (X― = 50.64 ± 5.71 µm), respectively. Body length (n = 40) fluctuated from 338.41 to 468.34 µm (X― = 432.23 ± 24.95). DNA amplification was performed from 14 cysts and 25 J2s using the multiplex-PCR method adapted from Bulman and Marshall (1997) and the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 regions (Tirchi et al. 2016). PCR cycling parameters were adjusted to a 5-min initial denaturation phase and 37 PCR cycles for multiplex-PCR (EPPO 2013b). The species-specific primers ITS5/PITSp4 for G. pallida (265 bp) and AB28/TW81 primers (1,188 bp) were used to amplify the small subunit of the 18s ribosomal RNA and the ITS region, respectively; PCR-amplicons were purified using the QIAquick PCR Purification Kit (Qiagen, U.S.A.) and the DNA sequences were manually edited using BioEdit Sequence Alignment Editor; in silico analyses were conducted with the NCBI-BLAST tool. The Kenyan ITS5/PITSp4 sequences (NCBI accession no. MG309873) presented 100% similarity to the G. pallida isolates KJ409623.1 and AF016869 (score = 481; E value = 5.02e⁻¹³²), while the Kenyan AB28/TW81 sequence (NCBI accession no. MG309920) showed 95 and 94% similarity to the G. pallida isolates HF583248.1 and HQ670272.1 (score = 1,218 and 1,221; E value = 0), respectively. This first report of G. pallida in sub-Saharan Africa has paramount phytosanitary and regulatory implications for potato growers and traders, national extension services, and policy makers in Kenya and the surrounding region.

Policy environment for prevention, control and management of cardiovascular diseases in primary health care in Kenya

BackgroundIn Kenya, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) accounted for more than 10% of total deaths and 4% of total Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in 2015 with a steady increase over the past decade. The main objective of this paper was to review the existing policies and their content in relation to prevention, control and management of CVDs at primary health care (PHC) level in Kenya.MethodsA targeted document search in Google engine using keywords “Kenya national policy on cardiovascular diseases” and “Kenya national policy on non-communicable diseases (NCDs)” was conducted in addition to key informant interviews with Kenyan policy makers. Relevant regional and international policy documents were also included. The contents of documents identified were reviewed to assess how well they aligned with global health policies on CVD prevention, control and management. Thematic content analysis of the key informant interviews was also conducted to supplement the document reviews.ResultsA total of 17 documents were reviewed and three key informants interviewed. Besides the Tobacco Control Act (2007), all policy documents for CVD prevention, control and management were developed after 2013. The national policies were preceded by global initiatives and guidelines and were similar in content with the global policies. The Kenya health policy (2014–2030), The Kenya Health Sector Strategic and Investment Plan (2014–2018) and the Kenya National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable diseases (2015–2020) had strategies on NCDs including CVDs. Other policy documents for behavioral risk factors (The Tobacco Control Act 2007, Alcoholic Drinks Control (Licensing) Regulations (2010)) were available. The National Nutrition Action Plan (2012–2017) was available as a draft. Although Kenya has a tiered health care system comprising primary healthcare, integration of CVD prevention and control at PHC level was not explicitly mentioned in the policy documents.ConclusionThis review revealed important gaps in the policy environment for prevention, control and management of CVDs in PHC settings in Kenya. There is need to continuously engage the ministry of health and other sectors to prioritize inclusion of CVD services in PHC.

Impact of rotavirus vaccination on rotavirus and all-cause gastroenteritis in peri-urban Kenyan children.

A monovalent rotavirus vaccine (RV1) was introduced into the National Immunization Program in Kenya in July 2014. We examined the impact of the vaccine on hospitalization for all-cause acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and rotavirus-specific AGE and strain distribution at a large referral hospital which serves a predominantly peri-urban population in Central Kenya. Data on rotavirus AGE and strain distribution were derived from ongoing hospital-based AGE surveillance. Hospital administrative data were used to compare trends in all-cause AGE. Pre-vaccine (July 2009-June 2014) and post-vaccine (July 2014-June 2016) periods were compared for changes in hospitalization for all-cause AGE and rotavirus AGE and strain distribution. Following the vaccine introduction, the proportion of children aged <5years hospitalized for rotavirus declined by 30% (95% CI: 19-45%) in the first year and 64% (95% CI: 49-77%) in the second year. Reductions in rotavirus positivity were most pronounced among the vaccine-eligible group (<12months) in the first year post-vaccination at 42% (95% CI: 28-56%). Greater reductions of 67% (95% CI: 51-79%) were seen in the second year in the 12-23months age group. Similarly, hospitalizations for all-cause AGE among children <5years of age decreased by 31% (95% CI: 24-40%) in the first year and 58% (95% CI: 49-67%) in the second year of vaccine introduction. Seasonal peaks of rotavirus and all-cause AGE were reduced substantially. There was an increased detection of G2P[4], G3P[6] and G3P[8], which coincided temporally with the timing of the vaccine introduction. Thus, introducing the rotavirus vaccine into the routine immunization program in Kenya has resulted in a notable decline in rotavirus and all-cause AGE hospitalizations in Central Kenya. This provides early evidence for public health policy makers in Kenya to support the sustained use of the rotavirus vaccine in routine immunizations.

Enhancing evidence-informed decision making: strategies for engagement between public health faculty and policymakers in Kenya

This article examines the complex interactions and strategies for engagement – both existing as well as desired – between academic Knowledge Brokers (KBs) and national health policymakers in Kenya. Based on semi-structured interviews with academic KBs and university leaders from six Schools of Public Health (SPHs) as well as national policymakers, the authors found that a delicate balance between leveraging personal individual relationships and establishing more sustained institutional partnerships is important for engagement. The authors provide a list of recommended strategies for effective and tailored engagement, and highlight the important but under-appreciated dual role of academic KBs within Kenyan universities.

Family Planning and the Samburu: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Thoughts of Men on a Population Health and Environment Programme in Rural Kenya.

Population Health and Environment (PHE) strategies are argued to improve ecosystem and human health by addressing family size and its effects on natural resource use, food security, and reproductive health. This study investigates men’s views on a PHE family planning (FP) programme delivered among the pastoral Samburu tribe in rural northern Kenya. Three focus group discussions and nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 Samburu men. These discussions revealed support for environmentally-sensitised family planning promotion. Men highlighted their dependency on natural resources and challenges faced in providing for large families and maintaining livestock during drought. These practices were said to lead to natural resource exhaustion, environmental degradation, and wildlife dispersal, undermining key economic benefits of environmental and wildlife conservation. Relating family size to the environment is a compelling strategy to improve support for FP among Samburu men. Kenyan policy-makers should consider integrating community-based PHE strategies among underserved pastoral groups living in fragile ecosystems.

EFFECT OF STOCK MARKET DEVELOPMENT ON THE GROWTH OF CORPORATE BOND MARKET IN KENYA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze how stock market development influences the growth of corporate bond market in Kenya.Methodology: The study used descriptive and causal research designs. Secondary data was used. The sample of the study consisted of daily and monthly time series covering six years beginning January 2009 to December 2014. Unit root tests using Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron tests were done. The study used Eviews econometric software to facilitate empirical analysis of data.Results: Regression of coefficients results shows that Stock market size and corporate bonds are positively and significant related (r=0.029, p=0.002), stock market liquidity and corporate bonds are positively and significant related (r=8.291, p=0.0008), Stock Market Concentration and corporate bonds are positively and significant related (r=0.014, p=0.017). Regression of coefficients results shows that Stock Market Volatility and corporate bonds are positively and significant related (r=0.000023, p=0.0001).Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This study recommends study recommends for Policy makers to come up with measures to enhance the liquidity of the stock market which will in turn encourage investment in corporate bonds. The study recommends that concerted efforts should be made to improve market concentration in the corporate bonds market so that it can operate optimally. Policy makers should be aware of and monitor the level of stock market volatility that is appropriate for promoting the growth of the corporate bond markets and indeed other financial markets. Policy makers in Kenya should find ways and means of increasing the size of the stock market to reap the aforementioned benefits.

INFLUENCE OF STOCK MARKET SIZE ON THE GROWTH OF CORPORATE BOND MARKET IN KENYA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze how stock market size influences the growth of corporate bond market in Kenya.Methodology: The study used descriptive and causal research designs. Secondary data was used. The sample of the study consisted of daily and monthly time series covering six years beginning January 2009 to December 2014. Unit root tests using Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron tests were done. The study used Eviews econometric software to facilitate empirical analysis of data.Results: Regression of coefficients results shows that Stock market size and corporate bonds are positively and significant related (r=0.029, p=0.002). The results revealed that stock market capitalization does not granger cause corporate bond market in Kenya.Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This study recommends for Policy makers in Kenya to find ways and means of increasing the size of the stock market to reap the aforementioned benefits. A large size of the stock market will cause the benefits to flow to the corporate bond market too.

The Domestic Turn: Business Process Outsourcing and the Growing Automation of Kenyan Organisations

ABSTRACTAfter observing the growth of the Indian and Filipino Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sectors, Kenyan policy-makers and managers made substantial investments in international internet infrastructure and BPO marketing campaigns. While observers continue to discuss the sector in terms of its international work opportunities, in recent years the sector has increasingly focused on contracts sourced from Kenyan and other East African clients. The government has also refocused efforts on attracting international BPO companies. This domestic turn signals both the difficulties of gaining access to overseas work due to the power of incumbents and the increasing use of the internet and ICT-enabled automation within Kenyan organisations. In effect, better connectivity has enabled a two-way globalisation of services: Kenyan BPO companies can access international work opportunities but connectivity has also contributed to the inflow of international business practices into Kenya. The conclusion examines what these shifts might entail for the sector and its workers in future.

Integrated community case management for childhood illnesses: explaining policy resistance in Kenya: Table 1.

There has been a re-emphasis recently on community health workers to provide child health care services including integrated community case management for childhood illness (iCCM). This research analysed iCCM policy development in Kenya and in particular the types of decision-making criteria used by Kenyan policy-makers in considering whether to advance iCCM policy. Data were collected through document reviews (n = 41) and semi-structured interviews (n = 19) with key stakeholders in iCCM policy including government officials, development partners, bilateral donors, and civil society organizations. Initial analysis was guided by the policy triangle with further analysis of factors affecting policy decision-making drawing upon a simple framework developed by Grindle and Thomas (Policy makers, policy choices and policy outcomes: the political economy of reform in developing countries. 1989; Policy Sci 22: :213-48.). Policy development for iCCM has been slow in Kenya, compared with other Sub-Saharan African countries. At the time of the study, the Government had just completed the Community Health Training Manual which incorporated iCCM as a module, but this was the only formal expression of iCCM in Kenya. We found technical considerations, notably concerns about community health workers dispensing antibiotics to be a key factor slowing iCCM policy development, but this also overlapped with bureaucratic considerations, such as how the development of community health worker cadres may affect clinicians, as well as initial concerns about how an integrated approach might affect vertically oriented programs. International actors through agreements such as the Millennium Development Goals helped to get child survival onto the national policy agenda and such actors were active promoters of iCCM policy change. However international funders had not committed funding to scale-up iCCM policy, and this probably constrained their influence over iCCM policy debate. Kenyan actors' concerns about iCCM underline the importance of adapting global policies to local conditions, and also generating local evidence to inform decision-making.

Kenya's ICT Policy in Practice: The Effectiveness of Tablets and E-readers in Improving Student Outcomes

Kenya is investing in information and communication technology (ICT) to improve children’s learning outcomes. However, the literature on ICT is pessimistic about the ability of ICT alone to improve outcomes, and few ICT programs have created the instructional change necessary to increase learning. The Primary Math and Reading (PRIMR) Initiative implemented a randomized controlled trial of three ICT interventions to enhance learning outcomes: tablets for instructional supervisors, tablets for teachers, and e-readers for students. All three showed significant impacts in English and Kiswahili above the results of the control group. The impacts of the three interventions were not statistically significantly different from each other. Based on the findings, we recommend that Kenyan policy makers embed ICT interventions in a larger instructional reform, using ICT to support particular instructional improvement challenges. We also suggest that policy makers incorporate empirically derived cost-effectiveness analysis into investment decisions, to ensure that ICT provides value for money. The full text of the article can be found at 10.18275/fire201502011025

Preferences for a potential longer-acting injectable contraceptive: perspectives from women, providers, and policy makers in Kenya and Rwanda

Between 1995 and 2005, injectable use doubled worldwide. However, discontinuation rates remain high, partly because of side effects but also because of missed appointments for reinjection. A longer-acting injectable (LAI) may improve compliance by reducing the required number of reinjection visits, thereby reducing unintentional discontinuation. This study examined acceptability of LAI characteristics comprising the target product profile (TPP). In 2012, we conducted qualitative case studies in Kenya and Rwanda, consisting of 19 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 177 current, previous, or never users of injectables and 46 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with providers, program implementers, and policy makers. FGDs and IDIs assessed current injectable experiences; attitudes toward potential LAI products; and perceptions of TPP attributes, including ranking preferences for the most and least important characteristics. In addition, we obtained completed electronic surveys from 28 international family planning opinion leaders about the perceived need for an LAI, important product characteristics, and challenges to LAI development or introduction. Many FGD participants and interviewees spontaneously expressed strong interest in an LAI, but there was some variation in TPP preferences. The majority of participants ranked effectiveness as the most important TPP attribute. Providers were generally more concerned about side effects than potential users; some potential users suggested that side effects were related less to the product than to their own body chemistry and that side effects were acceptable as long as they did not last a long time or disrupt daily activities. Women and providers, especially in Kenya, preferred a method with a predictable return to fertility. Some participants associated amenorrhea with delayed or reduced fertility. Most women and providers preferred delivery of the LAI in a single, prepackaged, disposable injection system to facilitate injections by providers and to reduce the risk of pain or discomfort for women. While providers and policy makers ranked cost as one of the most important issues, it was among the least important issues for most potential users. Many Kenyan, but few Rwandan, participants appeared willing to pay for an LAI, with some presuming cost savings from reduced menstruation and fewer clinic visits. Some TPP preferences for an LAI have implications for product development decisions about formulation, delivery mechanism, or presentation, while others point to the need for tailored communication and counseling approaches to ensure acceptability and adherence within clinical trials and beyond.

Corporate Governance and Level of Internet Reporting in Kenya

This paper reports the results of an investigation of the association between corporate governance mechanisms and level of information disclosed by Kenyan listed companies on their corporate websites. Using data extracted from the web sites of 48 Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) listed companies over a two year period (96 firm years) and the Internet Business Reporting Quality (IBRQ) index to quantify the level of internet reporting practices, the study found that the level of information is above average (68.2%). Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) multiple regression results indicate that there is a significant association between corporate governance mechanism (ownership structure, independent audit committee and financial expertise) and the level of information on the corporate websites. However, no significant association is found in respect of board composition. Among the control variables (company size and profitability) only profitability is significantly associated with the level of information. The results have important implications for policy makers in Kenya in their efforts to improve level of information available on corporate websites.