Kwale County Research Articles

Factors affecting market outlet choice of agroforestry based mango producers in Kwale and Kilifi counties, Kenya: The application of the Multivariate Probit model

Access to profitable market outlets for agroforestry mango producers is a major concern in Kwale and Kilifi counties. This paper is set to determine the factors affecting the choice of market outle...

Challenges And Opportunities Of The Criminal Justice System In Address Youth Radicalization In Mombasa And Kwale Counties, Kenya.

Challenges And Opportunities Of The Criminal Justice System In Address Youth Radicalization In Mombasa And Kwale Counties, Kenya. Juma, C. S., Professor Okoth, P. G; Professor Matanga, F.K. Abstract Violent extremist ideologies has become a global threat. Kenya has attempted to minimize youth radicalization following a number of terror attacks but it has yielded no fruits. Despite many youths having been arrested, prosecuted or even eliminated, youth radicalization seems to be on the rise which points to the fact that the very criminal justice system contributes to youth radicalization. Anchored on the social identity theory, the criminal justice theory and the psychoanalysis theory, the study evaluated the challenges and opportunities of the Criminal Justice system in relation to youth radicalization in the two Counties. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The target population was 320. Stratified simple random sampling was used to select respondents. A sample size of 96 was derived representing 30% of the target population. Both primary and secondary data were used. Validity and reliability of data was tested using Cronbach‟s alpha. Data was analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics; percentages, frequencies, means and standard deviations.The study found that radicalized youths cause a big challenge to the criminal justice system. The courts systems are ill-prepared to handle radicalization cases and, in most cases, justice is not served as required. The study recommends that the statutory provisions in place should be utilized to arrest and prosecute the suspects with a well-trained judiciary staff on matters of radicalization. The prisons to be used to reform the radicalized youth through de-radicalization. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jgpc.v9n1a1

A Comparative Study on Strengthened Community Health Services for Utilization of Malaria Control Intervention in Migori and Kwale Counties of Kenya

A Comparative Study on Strengthened Community Health Services for Utilization of Malaria Control Intervention in Migori and Kwale Counties of Kenya

Fishers at Night, Seaweed Farmers by the Day: Determinants of Livelihood Diversification among Marine Fisher Communities of Kwale County, Kenya

Fishers at Night, Seaweed Farmers by the Day: Determinants of Livelihood Diversification among Marine Fisher Communities of Kwale County, Kenya

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) associated with scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) on citrus trees in Coastal and Lower Eastern Counties, Kenya

A survey of citrus orchards was conducted in Kilifi, Kwale, Machakos and Makueni counties, Kenya to collect and identify ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and natural enemies associated with scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) feeding on citrus trees (Sapindales: Rutaceae). Nine ant species were found associated with nine scale insect species feeding on three citrus species (Citrus limon, C. reticulata and C. sinensis) for their honeydew. The ants associated with the scales in the study areas were: Cataulacus brevisetosus (Forel), Camponotus rufiglaucus (Jerdon), Crematogaster castanea (Smith), Cr. sjostedti (Mayr), Monomorium afrum (Andre), Myrmicaria opaciventris (Emery), Oecophylla longinoda (Latreille), Pheidole megacephalla (Fabricius), and Technomyrmex albipes (Fr. Smith). The ant Myrmicaria opaciventris was recorded attending four scale insects’ species: Coccus hesperidum, Co. viridis, Pulvinaria polygonata (Hemiptera: Coccidae) and Pseudococcus cryptus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Kilifi County. Host-plant identities and localities surveyed are also presented. These new data for citrus-growing areas in Kenya will contribute to the development of integrated pest management programs on citrus.

The impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on marine litter pollution along the Kenyan Coast: A synthesis after 100 days following the first reported case in Kenya

The contribution of COVID-19 pandemic to marine litter pollution was studied in Mombasa, Kilifi, and Kwale counties of Kenya, in June 2020 (100 days following the first confirmed case in Kenya). Standing stock surveys were conducted in 14 streets and 21 beaches while 157 transects were surveyed for floating litter. COVID-19 related items contributed up to 16.5% of the total litter encountered along the streets. The urban beaches (Mkomani and Nyali) had the highest quantities of COVID-19 related items (55.1% and 2.6% respectively) attributable to the ability to purchase single-use products and lifestyle. Most of the recreational beaches had no COVID-19 related products which could be attributed to the presidential directive on beach closure as a COVID-19 contingency measure. No COVID-19 related litter was found in the floating litter. Generally, beach closure and cessation of movement reduced the amount of litter that leaked to the marine environment.

Exploring contraception myths and misconceptions among young men and women in Kwale County, Kenya

BackgroundMyths and misconceptions around modern contraceptives have been associated with low contraceptive uptake in sub-Saharan Africa and Kenya in particular. Addressing persistent contraceptive knowledge gaps can make a significant contribution towards improved contraceptive uptake among young women. This qualitative study therefore sought to explore and understand young people’s knowledge of modern contraception and to identify their key concerns regarding these methods.MethodsWe used focus group discussions (FGD) with vignette and writing activities to explore key myths and misconceptions around the use of contraceptives. Six FGDs (three for young men and three for young women) were conducted with a total of 28 young women and 30 young men from Kwale County, Kenya. We included 10 discussants aged 18–24 per FGD, one FGD had 8 participants. Predefined codes reflecting the discussion guides and emerging issues in the FGDs were used to develop the thematic coding framework. Our analysis followed a pattern of association on the key preset themes focusing on myths and misconceptions around contraceptive use.ResultsResults are presented under four key themes: awareness of contraception, myths and misconceptions around contraception, males’ contraceptive narratives and young people’s preferred sources of contraceptives. Both men and women participants reported basic awareness of contraceptives. A mixture of biological and social misconceptions were discussed and included perceptions that modern contraception: jeopardized future fertility, could result in problems conceiving or birth defects, made women promiscuous, was ‘un-African’, and would deny couples their sexual freedom. Compared to female respondents in the study, young men appeared to be strong believers of the perceived socio-cultural effects of contraceptives. On preferred sources of contraceptives, respondents reported on two main sources, pharmacies and public hospitals, however, they could not agree on which one was suitable for them.ConclusionsThis study revealed the presence of a mixture of biological and social myths and misconceptions around contraception, with young men also strongly adhering to these misconceptions. The low level of contraceptive knowledge, particularly on contraceptive fears as revealed by the study demonstrate critical gaps in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge among young people. Improved SRH literacy to address contraceptives’ fears through appropriate and gender specific interventions to reach out to young men and women with factual SRH information may therefore contribute to increased uptake of SRH services including modern contraceptive methods.

Exploring the Relationship Between Participation in an Adult-women's Soccer League and Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Kenya.

Rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in Sub-Saharan Africa are among the highest of any region in the world. Empirical studies on the effectiveness of IPV-prevention programs in Africa, though few, suggest that successful programs have emphasized community-level engagement and attitudinal change around gender roles. This study explored the relationship between adult women’s participation in an all-women’s soccer league and IPV in rural Kenya. Nikumbuke Project is a health- and literacy-based program for 702 women in Kwale County, Kenya, that also hosts a women’s soccer league. A total of 684 Nikumbuke members completed surveys for this study, 543 of whom identified as having had a partner in the preceding 12 months and were included in this analysis. Participants in the study were, on average, in their late 30s, married with 4–6 children, a primary education or less, and no source of formal employment. Logistic regression models examined the association between a woman’s participation in the soccer league and the odds that she would have experienced recent IPV, controlling for other covariates. Women who played on soccer teams had 59% lower odds of reporting physical IPV in the preceding 12 months and approximately 43% lower odds of reporting any form of IPV during the same period compared to women who did not play soccer. Support of more gender-equitable norms was associated with lower odds of all forms of recent violence. More research is needed to identify the underlying reasons for these observed effects and to determine the presence of a causal or temporal relationship between adult women’s sports and IPV-risk reduction. Nonetheless, findings from this study point to a novel IPV intervention in communities that might otherwise be resistant to more overt attempts to address gender-based violence (GBV) or where social service agencies with the capacity for IPV-prevention programming may be limited.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Health Care, Education, and Persons With Disabilities in Kenya

The Impact of COVID-19 on Health Care, Education, and Persons With Disabilities in Kenya

Prevalence and risk factors associated with asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infection and anemia among pregnant women at the first antenatal care visit: A hospital based cross-sectional study in Kwale County, Kenya.

Prevalence of Prevalence of malaria in pregnancy (MiP) in Kenya ranges from 9% to 18%. We estimated the prevalence and factors associated with MiP and anemia in pregnancy (AiP) among asymptomatic women attending antenatal care (ANC) visits. We performed a cross-sectional study among pregnant women attending ANC at Msambweni Hospital, between September 2018 and February 2019. Data was collected and analyzed in Epi Info 7. Descriptive statistics were calculated and we compared MiP and AiP in asymptomatic cases to those without either condition. Adjusted prevalence Odds odds ratios (aPOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to identify factors associated with asymptomatic MiP and AiP. We interviewed 308 study participants; their mean age was 26.6 years (± 5.8 years), mean gestational age was 21.8 weeks (± 6.0 weeks), 173 (56.2%) were in the second trimester of pregnancy, 12.9% (40/308) had MiP and 62.7% had AiP. Women who were aged ≤ 20 years had three times likelihood of developing MiP (aPOR = 3.1 Cl: 1.3-7.35) compared to those aged >20 years old. The likelihood of AiP was higher among women with gestational age ≥ 16 weeks (aPOR = 3.9, CI: 1.96-7.75), those with parasitemia (aPOR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.31-8.18), those in third trimester of pregnancy (aPOR = 2.6, 95% CI:1.40-4.96) and those who reported eating soil as a craving during pregnancy (aPOR = 1.9, 95%CI:1.15-3.29). Majority of the women had asymptomatic MiP and AiP. MiP was observed in one tenth of all study participants. Asymptomatic MiP was associated with younger age while AiP was associated with gestational age parasitemia, and soil consumption as a craving during pregnancy.

Influence of Financing on Performance of Small and Medium Women Owned Enterprises in Kwale County, Kenya

Studies done by researchers around the world show women are in entrepreneurship in major towns and rural areas of Africa. Financial institutions have developed various products to boost their entrepreneurial spirit together with government support programmes with an aim to avail credit and increase the success rate of women owned businesses. The study sought to determine the influence of capital on performance of small and medium enterprises owned by women entrepreneurs. The main variables under focus included; access to capital, working capital structure, capital affordability and government finance programs. The study will fill a research gap as there is no known study to have been done in Kwale county. The theoretical framework forming the basis of the study consisted of; resource-based theory, dynamic trade off theory and access to capital theory. A comprehensive literature review was given for each variable and their relationships highlighted. The study adopted a descriptive research design, a population of 2000 and a sample of 600 SME owners. Furthermore, the study used questionnaires for data collection that were hand delivered to respondents after validity and reliability through pilot testing techniques. Data collected was coded, sorted and analyzed by use of simple regression model with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences application. The study was conducted in line with ethical requirements by seeking permissions from the university and government institutions before commencement of the study. Data from 501 respondents was analysed representing 83.5% of the sample. The results indicated that access to capital, capital affordability, working capital structure and government finance programs had a positive influence on performance of women owned SMES. The study concluded that for women entrepreneurs to perform well in their business, efforts should put in place to ensure capital is made accessible, affordable while enlightening them on what alternatives sources of capital are available; whether from the government or private sector, for better working capital structure. Finally, the study recommended that studies should be conducted on influence of knowledge, skills and management styles on the performance of women owned SMES in Kwale County.

Constraints to Community Participation in Tourism in Kenya: The Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary

Community Based Tourism (CBT) is among several types of tourism that have been considered sustainable and beneficial to the host populations in conservation areas. The local community participation in tourism in conservation areas is supposed to be high and its members should benefit from the tourism process. However, having been presented with opportunity to improve their livelihoods, communities are constrained in various ways and generally fail to benefit from tourism development. This study was set to investigate constraints to community participation in conservation areas. It was carried out in Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary (MES) in Kwale County, Kenya, using a descriptive survey design. Data was collected using researcher administered questionnaires and oral interviews. The results indicated that lack of coordination among stakeholders; inadequate financial resources, lack of conducive environment for tourism growth, and lack of skills/knowledge were major constraints to participation. The study concludes that to address both operational and structural constraints to community participation, the national and county governments should develop policies that compel investors to honor agreements with communities, assist communities to enter into fair collaborations with investors, and provide incentives to investors in tourism.

Genetic, morphological and acoustic differentiation of African trident bats (Rhinonycteridae:Triaenops)

AbstractRhinonycteridae (trident bats) are a small Palaeotropical family of insectivorous bats allied to Hipposideridae. Their taxonomy has been in a state of flux. Here, we use mitochondrial and nuclear sequences to evaluate species relationships, confirming the monophyly of both Triaenops and Paratriaenops. Although most Triaenops afer specimens are recovered as a group, mitochondrial analyses strongly support some Kenyan individuals as members of Triaenops persicus. Analyses of four nuclear introns (ACOX2, COPS7A, RODGI and STAT5A) strongly support the mitochondrial topology. Morphometric analysis of the skull, external morphology and echolocation calls confirm that the Triaenops from the Rift Valley in Kenya (Nakuru, Baringo and Pokot counties) are distinct from typical T. afer in coastal (Kilifi and Kwale counties) or interior (Laikipia and Makueni counties) colonies. We interpret these analyses to indicate that two species of Triaenops occur in East Africa: T. afer in coastal regions along the Indian Ocean and in the highlands of central Kenya and Ethiopia, and T. persicus in the Rift Valley of Kenya. Although they appear widely disjunct from Middle Eastern populations, Kenyan T. persicus might be more widely distributed in the Rift Valley; they are somewhat differentiated from Middle Eastern populations in terms of both cranial morphology and vocalizations.

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Teacher classroom practices have been identified as the key contributing factor to the low learning outcomes of primary school grades in Kenya. Teacher mentoring has the potential to improve classroom practices and this study sought to determine its effects on the classroom practices of primary school teachers in Kwale County, Kenya. Using One Group Repeated Measures Quasi-Experimental Design, one cohort of 40 teachers in 22 public primary schools was mentored for 20 months, from May 2016 to October 2018. A classroom observation tool was used in data collection during this period. The tool achieved a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.84, 0.81 and 0.79 in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively.  Data was analysed using Repeated Measures ANOVA and teacher mentoring had a statistically significant effect on mean classroom practice score at F=6.282, df=2, p=0.003. Significant mean differences were located between 2016 and 2017 in favour of 2017, and between 2016 and 2018 in favour of 2018. There was no significant mean difference between 2017 and 2018. In conclusion, teacher mentoring is effective in improving teacher classroom practices and should be integrated into the formal school programme in Kenya.   Key words: Teacher mentoring, classroom practices, teacher quality, learning outcomes. &nbsp

Molecular evidence confirms occurrence of Rhipicephalus microplus Clade A in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa

BackgroundThe tick vector Rhipicephalus microplus which transmits Babesia spp. and rickettsial pathogens has not been reported in Kenya since 1998. More recently, the pathogenic Babesia bovis has been detected in cattle blood DNA. The status of R. microplus in Kenya remains unknown. This study employed morphological and molecular tools to characterize R. microplus originating from Kenya and assess the genetic relationships between Kenyan and other African R. microplus genotypes.MethodsTicks were collected in south-eastern Kenya (Kwale County) from cattle and characterized to investigate the existence of R. microplus. Genetic and phylogenetic relationships between the Kenyan and other annotated R. microplus reference sequences was investigated by analysis of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. To further characterize Kenyan ticks, we generated low coverage whole genome sequences of two R. microplus, one R. decoloratus and R. appendiculatus. A B. bovis specific TaqMan probe qPCR assay was used to detect B. bovis in gDNA from R. microplus ticks.ResultsOccurrence of R. microplus was confirmed in Kwale County, Kenya. The Kenyan R. microplus cox1 sequences showed very high pairwise identities (> 99%) and clustered very closely with reference African R. microplus sequences. We found a low genetic variation and lack of geographical sub-structuring among the African cox1 sequences of R. microplus. Four complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes for two R. microplus, one R. decoloratus and one R. appendiculatus were assembled from next generation sequence data. The mitochondrial genome sequences of the two Kenyan R. microplus ticks clustered closely with reference genome sequences from Brazil, USA, Cambodia and India forming R. microplus Clade A. No B. bovis was detected in the Kwale R. microplus DNA.ConclusionsThese findings confirm the presence of R. microplus in Kenya and suggest that R. microplus Clade A is prevalent in cattle in sub-Saharan Africa. These and other recent findings of widespread occurrence of R. microplus in Africa provide a strong justification for urgent surveillance to determine and monitor the spread of R. microplus and vector competence of Boophilus ticks for B. bovis in Africa, with the ultimate goal of strategic control.

Marine macro-litter composition and distribution along the Kenyan Coast: The first-ever documented study

Macro-litter accumulation surveys were carried out in six beaches in Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale Counties. Macro litter were collected, quantified and characterized to determine their composition, distribution and accumulation rates. The results showed that the accumulation rates ranged between 1.53 ± 1.23 and 11.46 ± 7.72 (for dry zones) and 2.69 ± 2.13 and 8.93 ± 7.87 items m−1 day−1 (for wet zones). Plastics and foam were the most abundant litter categories. Local products constituted about 88% of all the collected litter. Food packaging products constituted about 91.3% of all branded litter types. Marine litter pollution particularly by plastics was widespread in all studied coastal counties. However, a significant amount of litter encountered in the beaches was of local origin, thus a local solution to waste management (that will eliminate leakage into marine environments) will considerably reduce marine litter pollution in Kenya.

Poisoned chalice or opportunity for positive impact? an analysis of the impact of ‘inherited’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments in Kenya's titanium mining industry✰

This paper critically examines the issue of ‘inherited Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) in the mining industry, specifically in the mining of ‘solid’ minerals. It focuses on the case of titanium mining in Kwale County (Kenya), a region plagued with agonising poverty, weak mining policies and laws, issues of historical land injustices, corruption, combined with weak governance. It examines the case of Base Titanium and its CSR activities in Kwale and provides an in-depth analysis of the fate of CSR programmes when mining concerns change hands. This paper follows up on the call for more research into the matter of ‘inherited CSR’ in the mining of ‘solid’ minerals in sub-Saharan Africa. The paper faults the lack of community participation in the choice, prioritisation, design and implementation of the various CSR programmes as the critical missing element that would have otherwise minimised conflict over CSR projects in Kwale.

Mixed-methods study on pharmacies as contraception providers to Kenyan young people: who uses them and why?

ObjectivesThis study sought to answer two questions: (1) what are the characteristics of young Kenyans aged 18–24 who use contraception obtained at pharmacies, and (2) why are pharmacies appealing sources...

Effects of monitoring and evaluation planning on implementation of poverty alleviation mariculture projects in the coast of Kenya

Mariculture was introduced in Kenya in 1980s to provide economic opportunities to coastal communities and address the widespread poverty and livelihood needs with varying degrees of success and failures. A cross sectional survey was undertaken in Kwale, Mombasa and Kilifi Counties of the coast of Kenya. The study aimed at assessing the effects of monitoring and evaluation planning on implementation of poverty alleviation mariculture projects with focus on examining the effect of timeliness, tracking progress, periodic reporting, mid-term evaluation and end of project evaluation on implementation of poverty alleviation mariculture projects in the coast of Kenya. The study involved the application of factor analysis, correlation analysis and regression analysis. Factor analysis revealed that outcome effectiveness was the main measure of implementation of poverty alleviation mariculture projects while tracking progress and timeliness were the main measures of monitoring and evaluation planning. A correlation analysis showed a strong positive relationship between outcome effectiveness and tracking progress and timeliness (r = 0.693 and r = 0.723, p = 0.001, respectively). Regression analysis confirmed that timeliness and tracking progress had significant positive relationship with outcome effectiveness (β = 0.538, t = 12.058 and β = 0.491, t = 10.993, p < 0.0005, respectively); where, β = standardized beta value, p = the probability of obtaining results as extreme as the observed results of a statistical hypothesis test, assuming that the null hypothesis is correct. This means there was a significant positive relationship between monitoring and evaluation planning and mariculture project implementation.

Religious, socio-cultural norms and gender stereotypes influence uptake and utilization of maternal health services among the Digo community in Kwale, Kenya: a qualitative study

BackgroundMaternal health outcomes in resource-limited settings are typically influenced by supply-side factors affecting the provision of quality health services. The extent to which demand-side factors contribute to this influence is unclear. We aimed to explore how individual and community-wide factors influenced uptake and utilization of maternal health services among the Digo community residing in Kwale County of coastal Kenya.MethodsBetween March and December 2015, we conducted 5 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 15 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with members of the Digo community predominant in Kwale county, Kenya. Respondents were sampled purposively and included female (pregnant and postpartum) as well as male adult community members. A thematic content analytic approach was used.ResultsThere were a total of 47 FGD respondents, including 15 (32%) females with a median (interquartile, IQR) age of 38 (27–55) years and 6 (3–8) children. Majority (40%) reported attaining secondary-level education. All IDI respondents were female with a median (IQR) age of 27 (24–35) years and 4 (2–5) children. Majority (80%) had attained primary-level education. We found that religious and socio-cultural norms as well as gender stereotypes were important influences on the uptake and utilization of maternal health services, including facility-based delivery and contraception. Key amongst this was the unspoken deference to the counsel of a prominent matriarchal figure in the decision-making process.ConclusionsAmong the Digo community of coastal Kenya, a unique social-cultural context comprising of a religious and gendered value belief system influences women’s reproductive health and rights. These findings highlight the important role of demand-side factors in influencing maternal health outcomes. In addition to addressing supply-side factors, programs in such settings should aim to address factors that leverage inherent social capital to drive demand for maternal health services ensuring that they are not only effective, but also responsive to the local context.