Mount Kenya Research Articles

Factors influencing blood donation practices among students of private universities in Thika Town, Kiambu County, Kenya

Background: In spite of extensive efforts on blood donation programs conducted worldwide, the availability of adequate blood supply continues to be a demanding challenge in developing countries, including Kenya. This study was conducted with the objective to assess factors influencing voluntary blood donation practices among students of private universities in Thika town, Kiambu County, Kenya.Methods: This cross-sectional study using both qualitative and quantitative methods was conducted at Mount Kenya University and Gretsa University. Multi-stage sampling was used to select 385 students from the two universities. Questionnaire was used in gathering information from students. The Pearson chi-square analysis and p value<0.05 were found statistically significant. Logistic regressions analysis was used to predict factors influencing blood donation.Results: The study found that knowledge and the time respondents received information on blood donation in university were predictive factors influencing blood donation. The study also found that 57.1% of the respondents received information on blood donation from high school. In addition, 60% of the students were identified as having no blood donation history. Respondent major reasons for not donating blood were not asked to donate (44.3%), lack of information (28.5%), and fear of needles (23.2%). Some of the donors identified negative effects of post-blood donation such as dizziness, tiredness, and feeling weak.Conclusions: The study concludes that not asking students to donate and lack of timely information on blood donation were the main reasons for low blood donation practices among students in private universities in Thika Town, Kiambu County, Kenya.

Factors Influencing Tuberculosis Knowledge among TB Patients in Gakenke District, Rwanda

Knowledge of tuberculosis has been shown to influence health seeking behaviour. The study aim was to assess knowledge of tuberculosis and identify the associated factors. This study was a cross sectional descriptive research design with quantitative approach. The target population was the TB patients visited health facilities in Gakenke District. A sample of 376 TB patients was randomly selected from three health centers. Interview-administrated structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 376 TB patients. Data was analyzed with SPSS-version 22. The study protocol was approved by Mount Kenya University Rwanda. The majority of respondents 71.0% were male, 51.6% were aged 45 years and above, 81.9% were married, and 65.2% had completed primary education. Few respondents identified a germ as the cause of TB (24.7%). This study revealed that 54.3% of TB patients had good knowledge about TB. The findings from multivariate analysis show that male were three times more likely to have good knowledge about TB compared to female (AOR=3.31, 95%CI: 1.98-5.53, p<0.001). Compared to TB patients aged 45 years and above, respondents aged 25-34 years old were more likely to have good knowledge about TB (AOR=38.71, 95%CI: 9.22-162.48, p<0.001). TB patients who live between 2-5 km from nearest health facility were more likely to have good knowledge about TB compared to those who live at more than 5 km (AOR=33.58, 95%CI: 14.95-74.40, p<0.001). The ministry of health and other stakeholders in health sector need to continue the interventions that aim to reduce TB infection.

ACTUALIZATION OF COMPETENCY BASED CURRICULUM: INFLUENCE OF SCHOOLS PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ON ATTAINMENT OF LEARNING OUTCOMES IN KENYA

07Apr 2020 ACTUALIZATION OF COMPETENCY BASED CURRICULUM: INFLUENCE OF SCHOOLS PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ON ATTAINMENT OF LEARNING OUTCOMES IN KENYA Solomon Mwaniki and Paul Aloyo Lecturer, Mount Kenya University, School of Education, Department of Edu. Management and Curr. Studies. Lecturer, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Department of Landscape Architecture.

Trends of Banana Production among Smallholders’ Farmers Due to Rainfall and Temperature variations in Mount Kenya Region County, Kenya

Unreliability and unpredictability of rainfall amount and temperature fluctuations have negative impact on agriculture production especially in Africa where coping mechanisms are limited. The future of rainfed agriculture is uncertain more so on banana production among the smallholder’s farmers due to climate variability. This study examined the extent of rainfall and temperature changes on banana production among smallholders’ farmers in Mount. Kenya region of Kenya from 2009 and 2017. The sites were purposively selected to include Imenti south (Meru County) and Mukurweini sub-counties (Nyeri County) where banana production has been practiced since 1990. A sample size of 381 respondents was identified using simple random sampling. Production and climatic (rainfall and Temperature) data were sourced from Horticultural Crop Directorate and Kenya Meteorological Department respectively for the stations adjacent to the study sites for the study period. Results showed decreasing trends on rainfall amounts while temperature increasing trend. Study found that rainfall increase does not necessarily translate to increased production while temperature level of about 18.50C gave the maximum yields. Majority of the respondents (42.8%) in the study region admitted to have changed the land use and type of crops they have been farming during the study period whereas 30% changed from other crops to banana farming. Banana acreage and production in both sub-counties have been increasing during the study period. The County and National government should provide irrigation as a coping mechanism to banana production due to the declining rainfall and increasing temperature in the region. We recommended provision of weather information on the onset of the rainfall period and distribution within the seasons in order to respond to the effects of climate variability.

Combating antibiotic resistance using guidelines and enhanced stewardship in Kenya: a protocol for an implementation science approach

IntroductionAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing problem globally especially in Sub-Saharan Africa including Kenya. Without any intervention, lower/middle-income countries (LMICs) will be most affected due to already higher AMR levels...

Assessment of Adherence of Public and Private Universities to Examination Regulatory Frameworks in Mount Kenya Region

The study focused on the assessment of the adherence of public and private universities to examination regulatory frameworks in Mount Kenya region. The objectives of the study were to: assess the extent to which universities in Mount Kenya region adhere to examination regulatory frameworks, and examine the significant differences between public and private universities levels of adherence to examination regulatory frameworks in Mount Kenya region. Descriptive research design was used. The study sampled 380 university students using Kathuri and Pals’ (1999) sampling table. Self-constructed questionnaires were used to collect data from students and university examination officers and an interview schedule from registrars. Data was analyzed descriptively by use of means, percentages and frequencies; and inferentially by computation of a t-test. Results indicated that majority of universities did not adhere to regulatory frameworks as indicated by 51.3% of respondents, students were congested in examination rooms as reflected by 47.7% of subjects, and there was weakness in identification of examinees as they entered examination rooms as shown by 55.7% of respondents. The t-test yielded a p-value of 0.887 against the α value of 0.05; hence, the null hypothesis was supported (at α =.05) and concluded that the adherence to regulatory framework for private and public universities was largely the same. The study concluded that university students did not adhere to regulatory frameworks, there was no proper spacing of students in examination rooms, and there was weakness in identification of students as they entered examination rooms. The study also found that students did not borrow materials in examination rooms, and they were not allowed to talk during examinations. Implications of the study were: both public and private universities should ensure adherence to regulatory frameworks, avail sufficient spacing in examination rooms, and ensure proper identification of students as they enter examination rooms. Results will be referred to by education policy makers to improve the management of examinations in universities.

Applying the Theory of Access to Food Security among Smallholder Family Farmers around North-West Mount Kenya

Access to productive resources such as land and water is fundamental for households that rely on crop and livestock production for their livelihoods. Research often assumes that agricultural production—and thus, food security—are favoured by tenure security of resources (as represented by a “bundle of property rights”). However, research has not yet elucidated how food security is influenced by additional factors, represented within a “bundle of powers”. Guided by the Theory of Access developed by Ribot and Peluso, we explore the main factors in the respective bundles of rights and powers that influence household food security around north-west Mount Kenya. We interviewed 76 households—38 food secure and 38 food insecure—who were subsampled from a previous food security survey of 380 households. Results show that household food insecurity was not exclusively the result of a lack of private property rights as many farmers had retained their property rights. Instead, a major factor preventing access to productive resources was the difficulty faced by food insecure households in accessing farm technology (i.e. hand tools and implements). Access to authority and via social relations were significantly correlated with access to technology, so improving the latter must take into account the former.

The new frontier of age limits, or youthoods among the Meru (Kenya)

In the much-changed context of the present-day lives of the Tigania-Igembe Meru (agro-herders living north-east of Mount Kenya who once had a political generation-set system), the article examines the differentiation of categories of youth and the modalities of age limits. Contrary to common perceptions, the transition to the next grade was neither automatic nor devoid of strong tensions, and youth was something other than that intermediate phase between childhood and adulthood, as the society and culture under consideration testifies to, through narratives, rules and a special vocabulary for the purpose. Nowadays, under the effect of widespread schooling, new youth classifications have appeared, overlapping or replacing old ones. The still-significant key question of initiations has shifted, causing a major de-synchronisation between the paths of girls and boys. The article offers a contribution to an anthropology of youth, viewed here from the perspective of its limits, and aims to put the rite of passage back in its rightful place within processes that concern both complex trajectories and the crucial junctions of existence.

Correction to: Morphological and genetic characterization of Mount Kenya brush-furred rats (Lophuromys Peters 1874); relevance to taxonomy and ecology

Brush-furred rats (Lophuromys Peters 1874) are the most abundant and widely distributed small mammals on Mount Kenya. However, their ecology is poorly known and their taxonomic status is questionable. This study investigates whether or not the morphology and genetics of the Mt. Kenya Lophuromys correspond with elevation, vegetation, and climate variables. We also investigate the taxonomic relationship of the Mt. Kenya Lophuromys to the Aberdare Range and Mt. Kilimanjaro populations using genetic and craniodental data. Specimens were captured along Mt. Kenya’s western and eastern slopes, and other specimens (from Aberdare and Mt. Kilimanjaro) were obtained from Museum collections. The datasets were analyzed using multivariate and univariate statistics, discriminant function analysis, and phylogenetic analyses. The results show that Mt. Kenya Lophuromys specimens from different habitats and elevations are significantly differentiated by external morphology but not craniodental variables, and have low genetic variation and no population genetic structure, supporting the entire population is consistent with a single species model. In addition, Mt. Kenya and Aberdare Lophuromys cluster separately from Mt. Kilimanjaro Lophuromys based on craniodental analyses while phylogenetic and haplotype analyses also support the Mt. Kenya and Aberdare Lophuromys as evolutionarily isolated from Mt. Kilimanjaro’s population. These results contradict recent studies that hypothesized the distribution of Lophuromys margarettae in lower elevations of Mt. Kenya with Lophuromys zena restricted to the higher elevations.

Potential Opportunities and Threats to a Reintroduced Critically Endangered Mountain Bongo Population and Its Habitat at Mount Kenya Forest

Three communities living in areas adjacent the western side of Mount Kenya forest and close to Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy were sampled to assess opportunities provided for by the forest, determine conservation benefits from Mountain bongo and evaluate the threats to a released bongo population and to the forest resources. Structured questionnaires were administered randomly to 120 households and interviews conducted to persons above 10 years of age. Despite a large proportion of respondents believing in community’s ownership of forest resources (48%) and it is their duty to actively protect the forest (65%), benefits received from the forest including farming (72%), livestock grazing and pasture extraction (14%), access to firewood, timber and bush meat (14%) tend to threaten the same forest. Overall, there was a significant difference (χ²=24.96 df=3, p<0.05) on benefits received from the forest by the three communities sampled. Poverty was cited as the driving force to overreliance on forest resources for livelihood support. Kanyoni and Kangaita communities, living in squatter systems, pose more danger to the forest than the small scale farmers at Kwamwea. The high prevalence of hunting in the region (55%) mainly for subsistence purposes (45%) pose a major threat to a reintroduced bongo population. All livelihood support activities from the forest are however, a threat to the success of Mountain bongo reintroduction. Nonetheless, the general feeling that presence of wild bongos would boost tourism in the region (85%) ought to be emphasized and escalate conservation education underscoring the impacts of human activities on forest resources and to Mountain bongo habitat.

Morphological and genetic characterization of Mount Kenya brush-furred rats (Lophuromys Peters 1874); relevance to taxonomy and ecology

Morphological and genetic characterization of Mount Kenya brush-furred rats (Lophuromys Peters 1874); relevance to taxonomy and ecology

Livelihoods and Food Security Among Rural Households in the North-Western Mount Kenya Region

Food insecurity remains a major concern for numerous rural households in Sub-Saharan Africa who rely on agriculture as their main source of livelihood. The assessment of the links between food security and livelihoods is central for overcoming widespread food insecurity. However, assessments remain challenging due to food security’s multi-dimensionality and the challenge of finding indicators that are comparable and applicable to various contexts. This study addresses this challenge by adapting a food security index (FSI) and uses it to assess the livelihood drivers of food security. The index captures the multi-dimensionality of food security using conventional food security indicators. The assessed indicators include measures of “food consumption score”, “household dietary diversity score”, “coping strategies index”, the “household food insecurity access scale” and “months of adequate household food provisioning”. The study covered 600 randomly selected households representative of three agro-ecological zones located close to large-scale agricultural investment in Mount Kenya region in Kenya. We used linear regression to identify livelihood factors significantly influencing food security. Spearman’s rank-order correlation and student’s T-test demonstrated a strong and significant correlation between the composite FSI index and each classical indicators of food security. Overall, 32% of the households were food secure and 68% were food insecure. Households’ ownership of productive hand tools, followed by off-farm income, consumption of own produced food, type of agro-ecological zone, farm income and number of main crops infested by pests had a significant effect on household food security. All these factors, except the number of main crops infested by pests, positively influenced household food security. Households in humid agro-ecological zone were less food secure than households in semi-humid and semi-arid zones. Household size, the size of accessible land and households’ members’ participation to large agricultural investments (as wage workers or sub-contract farmer) were not significantly influencing food security. Households of the Mount Kenya region need alternative off-farm income sources combined with further support to improve sustainable agriculture management with appropriate hand tools for increased production, and improve value chains to increase farm income.

Low floristic richness of afro-alpine vegetation of Mount Kenya is related to its small area

Diversity patterns of tropical alpine vegetation is poorly studied. We estimated vascular plant floristic richness for two typical afro-alpine communities in Mount Kenya using a series of nested plots sized from 25 to 100 m2. The α-diversity was low for all plot sizes (4.8–7.8 and 12.8 species per one and 100 m2, respectively). Comparative analysis of α-, β- and γ-diversity across 22 plant communities from five Mountain regions (Mount Kenya, European Alps, Caucasus, Tibet, New Zealand Alps) revealed that area of mountain system was the only significant variable shaping the local richness; this effect became stronger with increasing spatial scale. Beta-diversity, by contrast, showed neither latitudinal trends nor significant correlation with other geographical or climatic variables. We conclude that the total area of mountain system is one of the main factors determining the regional species pool and, ultimately, the local diversity of alpine plant communities (the “echo-effect”). Small area and isolation of Mt. Kenya are considered as the main reasons for low local richness of its afro-alpine vegetation.

Barriers to the implementation of sexual and reproductive health education programmes in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionHealth education programmes (HEPs) have been associated with a number of benefits. These include providing individuals with information on matters related to their mental, social, physical as well as emotional...

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Characterization of Forest Fires to Support Monitoring and Management of Mount Kenya Forest

Historical analysis of wildfire frequency, intensity, size, season, and type helps to determine the fire regime and the impacts of human activity in a region. Information about the temporal and spatial distribution of forest fires can help guide the formulation of integrated fire management policies. Mt Kenya Forest provides ecosystem services that sustain the livelihoods of local communities. However, forest fires have negatively affected sustainability of these services. This study describes recent fire patterns in the Mt Kenya forest. Field observations recorded by the Kenya Forest Service from 1980 to 2015 are analyzed. In addition, trends in fire occurrence over time and in relation to vegetation type are described. Key findings evidence a fire-prone period in February and March and a decrease of total burned area during the study period. Bush and grassland were the most fire-prone vegetation, and the fire regime varied in each forest station. Further, field observations were compared with satellite data. Some discrepancies between the field and satellite fire data were observed, especially for larger fires. These findings confirm the importance of monitoring efforts by the Kenya Forest Service to inform wildfire management. Recommendations are made on ways to improve fire monitoring and fire suppression efforts.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE VARIOUS MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION IN JIBIA AND KAITA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF KATSINA STATE

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE VARIOUS MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION IN JIBIA AND KAITA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF KATSINA STATE

Factors Affecting Sustainability of Donor Funded Food Security Projects in Tharaka South Sub-County, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

Project activities have been used to solve food insecurity problems. However, despite efforts made by the Government and other development partners to implement food security projects in areas of need project activities collapse after the withdrawal of support by donors limiting sustainability these projects. Therefore, this study sought to fill this gap by investigating factors which affect sustainability of donor funded food security projects in Tharaka South Sub-County, Tharaka Nithi County using there source based and stakeholder theories. The study was exploratory and was executed through a descriptive survey and targeted donor funded food security projects which included Njaa Marufuku, National Agriculture Sector Extension Policy, Food for Asset and Mount Kenya East Pilot Project for Natural Resource Management (MKEPP). The study used both simple random and purposive sampling methods in a population of 400 community project beneficiaries, Social Development Officer, project officers and opinion leaders and a sample of 238 respondents was adopted. Questionnaires with both closed ended and open-ended questions were used as the main research instruments to solicit information and the data obtained was coded and subjected to analysis using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Out of sample of 238, 227 respondents filled in and submitted the questionnaires making a response rate of 95% respectively. It was observed that community involvement and sustainability of donor funded food security projects correlated positively and significantly (r=0.548, p=0.000); Institution capacity and sustainability of donor funded food security projects correlated positively and significantly (r=0.521, p=0.000) and roles of donors and sustainability of donor funded food security projects correlated positively (r=0.534, p=0.000). Finally, the study established that donors play a very important role in ensuring sustainability of donor funded food security projects.

THEILERIOSIS IN MOUNTAIN BONGO REPATRIATED TO KENYA: A CLINICAL AND MOLECULAR INVESTIGATION.

Mountain bongo (Tragelaphus euryceros isaaci) from Kenya were exported to zoological institutions in North America and Europe in the 1970s and 1980s. In the following 20-30 years bongo numbers declined in Kenya and the Mountain Bongo Repatriation Project was launched. This resulted in 18 adult bongo, descendants of the original translocated bongo, being repatriated from the United States to Kenya in 2004. These newly arrived bongo were inadvertently exposed to heavy tick infestation on release in a conservancy on the slopes of Mount Kenya. Mortality and morbidity occurred during the third week after arrival. Theileria sp. infection was apparent from the history, clinical signs, and necropsy findings, and Theileria-like parasites were detected microscopically in samples from sick and dead animals. Four bongo died before the outbreak was controlled. In order to identify the Theileria parasite conclusively, molecular amplification techniques were used. A combination of reverse line blotting, with small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and nucleotide sequencing, identified the protozoan parasite Theileria taurotragi, suggesting this as the most probable cause of mortality and morbidity in the repatriated bongo.

Chaplaincy Services and Students’ Holistic Development in Anglican Church of Kenya Sponsored Secondary Schools in Mount Kenya Central Diocese, Kenya

The focus of educational institutions in Kenya has been largely directed towards academic achievement with little attention being given to provision of chaplaincy services which provide a critical pathway to students’ holistic development. This study assessed the influence of chaplaincy services on students’ holistic development in Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) sponsored secondary schools in Mount Kenya Central Diocese, Kenya. The study involved 36 principals, 36 chaplains and 360 students selected from 36 out of the 89 secondary schools sponsored by ACK Mount Kenya Central Diocese. Data was collected through three validated questionnaires for the principals, chaplains and students. The findings of this study revealed that majority of the principals, chaplains and students indicated that chaplaincy services promoted students’ academic performance, discipline and attitude towards life which are critical components of holistic development. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education should institutionalize and support chaplaincy services in secondary schools as an alternative pathway for addressing indiscipline issues in Kenyan secondary schools.