Nairobi Research Articles

The Moderating Role of Cultural Orientation on the Relationship between Business Networking and Organizational Efficacy among Small and Medium Enterprises in Nairobi Kenya

The Moderating Role of Cultural Orientation on the Relationship between Business Networking and Organizational Efficacy among Small and Medium Enterprises in Nairobi Kenya

Diabetes mellitus and associated risk factors among HIV infected patients on HAART

BackgroundUnderstanding the impact of disease associations is becoming a priority in Kenya and other countries bearing the load of infectious diseases. With the increased incidences of non-communicable diseases and the endemicity of infectious diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa, their co-existence poses significant challenges to patients, health workers and an overwhelmed health sector. Classical risk factors for diabetes such as physical inactivity and unhealthy diet may not solely explain the current trends, suggesting the role of novel risk factors including infections/inflammation. HIV and its treatment have been identified as potential contributors especially to patients with family history of confirmed diabetes cases. Co-infections frequently observed during HIV infection also significantly influence both the epidemiological and pathophysiological of the link between HIV and diabetes. Understanding the correlates of HIV and diabetes is crucial to inform management and prevention strategies of the twin infections. We therefore aimed to determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and risk factors in a population of HIV infected patients on HAART. This study determined the association of diabetes/impaired glucose regulation in the context of HIV-1. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a comprehensive care clinic in Nairobi (Kenya). Participants were screened for diabetes and impaired glucose regulation using random blood glucose and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) This paper describes the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Human Immunodeficiency Virus positive individuals and the associated risk factors. We have demonstrated that family history is a risk factor for diabetes. While age and BMI are known risk factors, they were not associated with diabetes in this study.

The Financing Decisions and Financial Performance of Manufacturing Firms Listed at Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya

Purpose: The main aim of the investigation was to ascertain how financing decisions affect the financial success of manufacturing companies listed on Kenya's Nairobi Securities Exchange. Materials and Methods: This study's methodology was a descriptive research plan. Ten manufacturing companies are listed on the NSE. 10 manufacturing organizations that were listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya as of December 31, 2021, made up the study's population. Because they have regularly been listed at NSE since 2012 without skipping a year, the 10 firms were targeted. The companies that are not listed in any given year between 2012 and 2021 was not taken into account by the study. Therefore, the study involved all 10 manufacturing companies. Since every company was listed throughout the time of this study, none was omitted. The researcher uses a document review checklist during the data collection to gather secondary information for use in compiling and analyzing the financial statements. Panel data made up of time series and cross sections was considered secondary data. The data that was collected was between 2012 and 2021. Findings: Outcomes depicted that liquidity decision had a satisfactory and important effect on financial success (β= 0.088, p=0.003). Outcomes depicted that dividend decision had a satisfactory and important consequence on financial success (β= 0.073, p=0.032). In addition, outcomes depicted that investment decision had a satisfactory and important consequence on financial success (β= 0.021, p=0.002). A strong dividend policy that may increase manufacturing companies' levels of return on assets and draw in investors should be in place for those listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: The report suggested that in order to increase their income base, companies listed on the NSE that are in the manufacturing and related sectors should invest in product diversification strategies. Since the financial success of manufacturing enterprises is directly impacted by investment decisions. Subsidies for manufactured goods should be taken into account by the Kenyan government as a policy through the yearly budget proclamations. It is recommended that managers closely monitor the firm's liquidity, take on projects with positive net present values, and generate cash flow to support their investment and operational endeavors.

The Impact of Educational Innovation on Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices: The Case of the ORELT Project in Kenya

This paper reports the findings of a pilot project, Open Resources for English Language Teaching (ORELT), that aimed to introduce open resources for teaching English in Kenyan junior secondary schools alongside the traditional textbooks that until now have been the only teaching resources available to teachers and learners. The ORELT materials, which consisted of open content in the form of DVDs, books, and online content were developed by the Commonwealth of Learning (CoL), Canada, for use throughout the Commonwealth of Nations. Before the rollout of these materials, English teachers from selected schools were enlisted for an in-service workshop where they were trained on the materials and the concept of open resources, and were given a hands-on familiarisation with the resources. Two ORELT workshops were conducted for four days each between 18–21 March 2013, and 6–9 May 2013 at the Kenyatta University Conference Centre (KUCC). Participants of the first workshop were drawn from secondary schools within the urban and peri-urban areas of Nairobi. Participants for the second workshop were drawn from rural schools. This article views the introduction of these open resources in Kenyan schools as an educational innovation and investigates the effects of such an innovation on teachers’ pedagogical practice. The study found that this innovation had a generally positive impact on the teachers’ pedagogical practice in terms of their pedagogical content knowledge and skills, teaching methodology, and professional growth.

Typhoidal salmonella disease in Mukuru informal settlement, Nairobi Kenya; carriage, diversity, and antimicrobial resistant genes.

Multiple studies have shown that typhoid fever is endemic in developing countries characterized by poor hygiene. A unique way of Salmonella Typhi (S.Typhi) pathogenicity is establishing a persistent, usually asymptomatic carrier state in some infected individuals who excrete large numbers of bacteria in faeces. This study aimed to determine the isolation rate of S.Typhi from blood and stool samples among cases and asymptomatic individuals in the Mukuru informal settlement and identify antibiotic resistance patterns within the same population. We recruited 1014 outpatient participants presenting with typhoid-like symptoms in selected health centres in Nairobi, Kenya. Bacterial isolation was done on Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate agar (XLD) and Mac Conkey agar (Oxoid), followed by standard biochemical tests. Identification was done using API20E, and S.Typhi was confirmed by serotyping using polyvalent antisera 0-9 and monovalent antisera d. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used to test the antimicrobial susceptibility of S.Typhi isolates, while Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) strains were characterized using conventional PCR. Of 1014 participants, 54 (5%) tested positive for S.Typhi. Thirty-eight (70%) of the S.Typhi isolated were from stool samples, while sixteen (30%) were from blood. Three (0.2%) of the isolates were from asymptomatic carriers. Of the 54 S.Typhi isolates, 20 (37%) were MDR. Resistance to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid was 43% and 52%, respectively. Resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (a beta-lactam inhibitor) was 2%. The BlaTEM-1 gene was present in 19/20 (95%) MDR isolates. MDR S.Typhi is prevalent in Mukuru Informal settlement. The sharp increase in nalidixic acid resistance is an indication of reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones, which are currently the recommended drugs for the treatment of typhoid fever. This study highlights the need for effective antimicrobial stewardship and routine surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to inform policy on the prevention and control of MDR Typhoid disease.

Abstract No. 595 How To Successfully Build an International Interventional Radiology Fellowship: An Update on RAD-AID International’s Sustainable Collaboration with the University of Nairobi in Kenya

Abstract No. 595 How To Successfully Build an International Interventional Radiology Fellowship: An Update on RAD-AID International’s Sustainable Collaboration with the University of Nairobi in Kenya

Digital Skills and the Use of Digital Platforms in the Informal Sector: A Case Study Among Jua Kali Artisans in Nairobi in Kenya

Context: For many businesses, one of the key indicators in their management is the adaptation of Information Technology in their operations. In Kenya, there has been a phenomenal growth in access to mobile phones, by June 2023, over 66 million mobile phones were connected to various telecommunication operators of which 58.3% were smart phones constituting 67.1% of internet connections. There are many digital technologies which can be adapted to facilitate the processing, dissemination, and access of information. The modern world has become competitive due to the uptake of Information Technology as one of the main business management skill, with the availability of smart phones and many applications that are easily available and easy to use. One of the main beneficiaries of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) is the Jua Kali artisans who are a key player in the Kenyan economy. Entrepreneurial competencies help the growth of businesses along the dimension of innovation. Kenya intends to entrench the use of Information Technology for public service delivery, business, skills, and innovation. The Jua Kali sector cannot be ignored, it contributes more than 80% of the total employment in Kenya. Approach: This research was carried out in the Eastlands of Nairobi, Kenya. Data were collected using a questionnaire, an interview and observation schedule. The study used an interview schedule to collect data from Jua Kali artisans carrying out their artisan businesses in the Eastlands of Nairobi and a questionnaire survey to collect data from a sample of identified Nairobi residents who had engaged an artisan to work for them six months prior to the research. Findings: The research established that most Jua Kali artisans acquired their skills in the Jua Kali sector by apprenticeship (86.3%) while a small percentage (12.7%) trained in Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions while a further one percent were trained by their former employers. Most of the artisans had attained the basic formal education qualifications i.e. primary education (27.9%) and secondary education (47.6%). The Chi-square (χ²) test was used to test the relationship between use of the basic social media digital platforms in business management and the formal education attained by artisans owning artisan businesses. Conclusion: At 0.05 level of significance (α) the research established that there is a significant relationship between the adaptation of digital platforms in business management and the formal education attained by the artisans.

Dimensionality of the Swahili version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in a Kenyan population: A confirmatory factor analysis.

The current study evaluated the Kiswahili version of General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in a Kenyan context comprising of women exposed to gender-based violence. Participants were randomly drawn from community sampling using household screening methods in peri-urban areas in Nairobi. A total of 1,394 participants with varying levels of literacy (years of education: mean [M] = 9.42; standard deviation [SD] = 3.73) and aged between 18 and 89 years were recruited for the study. The observed factor structure of the GHQ-12 was evaluated using six most tested models querying the dimensionality of the instrument insofar as the impacts of positive and negative wording effects in driving multidimensionality. Results from the confirmatory factor analysis supported a bifactor model, consisting of a general distress factor and two separate factors representing common variance due to the positive and negative wording of items. Overall, the findings support the use of the Kiswahili version of the GHQ-12 as a unidimensional construct with method-specific variance owing to wording effects. Importantly, GHQ-12 responses from a sample of Kenyan women with relatively low levels of literacy are congruent with the factor structure observed in other cross-cultural settings in low- and-middle-income countries.

Factors associated with opportunistic infections (OIs) among HIV/AIDS patients attending comprehensive care clinic (CCC) at Mbagathi District Hospital, Nairobi Kenya: a cross-sectional study

Factors associated with opportunistic infections (OIs) among HIV/AIDS patients attending comprehensive care clinic (CCC) at Mbagathi District Hospital, Nairobi Kenya: a cross-sectional study

Influence of Augmented Artificial Intelligence Platforms on Talent Management in Energy Parastatals in Nairobi, Kenya

This purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of augmented artificial intelligence platforms (AAIPs) on talent management in Energy Parastatals in Nairobi, Kenya. The study employed a descriptive research design, in which questionnaires were used to collect data from Human Resource (HR) managers from four energy parastatals, in Nairobi, Kenya. The study target population was 246, from which stratified random sampling was used to obtain a sample size of 152 HR managers. The study employed both descriptive and inferential analysis methods to analyze the data using Statistical Packages for Social Scientists version 25. The statistical method was used to determine measures of central tendencies, data distribution, and descriptive statistics. Inferential analysis including correlation and regression analysis was also done. The study revealed a mean of (M=3.72) and a correlation coefficient of (R=0.75). This statistic indicated that, respondents strongly support the use of AAIPS and recognize their significant influence on talent management. The revealed linear regression and ANOVA values indicated that, AAIPs have the significant contribution to talent management as shown by β= 0.762 and (β=0.762, p<0.05) scores respectively. These findings highlight the significance and importance of augmented artificial intelligence platforms in enhancing talent management practices within the energy parastatals in Nairobi Kenya. The findings of this study will immensely contribute to the growing body of literature on the impact of artificial intelligence on talent management, particularly in the context of energy parastatals in Nairobi, Kenya. It is also inferred that augmented artificial intelligence platforms, have a positive linear relationship with talent management. Moreover, the findings have revealed that the deployment of augmented artificial intelligence platforms yield significant influence on talent management.

E-Learning and Psychological Wellbeing of Postgraduate Learners in Selected Universities in Nairobi Kenya

This study explores the impact of various e-learning modes on the psychological wellbeing of postgraduate learners in selected universities in Nairobi County. Utilizing the PERMA framework, which assesses Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment, the research evaluates how different e-learning approaches—namely Pure Online Teaching, Distance Learning with access to video recordings, a Combination of Online and Video Recorded Sessions, and Blended Learning (Online and In-Person)—affect psychological wellbeing. A total of 246 postgraduate students participated in the study. Results indicate that Pure Online Teaching yielded the highest overall psychological wellbeing (M=7.40), followed by Blended Learning (M=7.29). Distance Learning with video recordings and the Combination mode showed similar results (M=7.03 and M=7.04, respectively), while Blended Learning exhibited the lowest impact on engagement and the highest levels of loneliness. A One-Way ANOVA revealed that loneliness was significantly affected by the mode of e-learning (p=0.014). These findings suggest that while Pure Online Teaching offers substantial psychological benefits, the effectiveness of e-learning modes in promoting psychological wellbeing varies. This variation has important implications for designing future e-learning frameworks, emphasizing the need to address psychological outcomes to enhance student experiences and support mental health in educational settings. By tailoring e-learning strategies to foster positive emotions and engagement, institutions can better meet the psychological needs of their learners.

Strategic Training Practices and Firm Performance among Human Resource Management Consultancy Firms in Nairobi Kenya

Firm performance is essential for competitiveness, but many firms struggle with executing functional strategies, resulting in poor outcomes. In a dynamic market, strategic training is critical to maintaining superior performance, especially with growing global competition. Despite significant investments in employee training, the effect of strategic training on firm performance among HR consultancy firms in Nairobi, Kenya, remains underexplored. This paper aimed to examine the role of strategic training practices in firm performance. The study examined the effects of employee motivation to learn, the impact of perceived supervisor support and the effect of employee training attitudes on firm performance in HR consultancy firms. The study was grounded on learning organization theory. An explanatory research design was adopted, utilizing questionnaires to collect data from 185 human resource management consultancy firms in Nairobi. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods to draw meaningful insights. The study highlighted the crucial role of strategic training and employee commitment in enhancing firm performance. Additionally, motivation to learn, supervisor support, and positive training attitudes showed strong positive correlations with performance in Nairobi’s HR consultancy firms. The regression analysis indicates these variables explain 2.3% of the variance in firm performance (R² = 0.023). The motivation to learn (β=0.079, p=0.009), supervisor support (β=0.128, p=0.022), and training employee attitude (β=0.196, p=0.013) were found to be statistically significant predictors of firm performance. In conclusion, strategic training practices such as motivation to learn, supervisor support, and employee attitudes significantly enhance firm performance. The study recommends that HR consultancy firms in Nairobi prioritize fostering employee motivation through continuous professional development and training. Strengthening supervisor support via leadership programs and promoting positive attitudes toward training, aligned with employee career goals, will enhance both individual growth and firm performance.

Challenges of Crime in City Slums: A Case Study of Mathare Slum in Nairobi County, Kenya

This study focuses on the challenges of crime within Mathare slum in Nairobi County, Kenya. It has been necessitated by the continued concern on the constant presence of crime within the slum areas of Nairobi. Although there have been studies carried out on various challenges in slums, this study provides a detailed analysis of the security challenges faced by Mathare slum dwellers. The study sought to examine five major thematic areas; major causes of crime in Mathare slum, types and trends of crime within Mathare slum, crime reporting, criminal gangs in Mathare slum and fear of crime within Mathare slum. Questionnaires and key informant interviews were used to obtain data from respondents who included Mathare slum residents, police officers, area chiefs and community policing committees’ chairpersons from the thirteen villages in Mathare slum. The challenges of crime in Mathare slum were found to be a combination of multiple factors working in congruence to influence the commission of crime.

Empirical Investigation on Influence of Employee Skill Development and Continuous Service Improvement on Service Delivery in Huduma Centres in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Although Total Quality Management (TQM) programs help to improve customer service delivery, state-owned corporations like Kenya's Huduma Centres have continued to face significant difficulties in meeting the evolving needs of its clientele. Despite the Kenyan government's efforts to enhance the provision of public services by opening Huduma centers, empirical evidence reveal customer dissatisfaction continues to prevail. The goal of the study was to determine how overall quality management strategies affected the provision of services in Huduma Centers in Kenya's Nairobi City County. Determine the impact of employee skill development and continuous service improvement on service delivery in Huduma Centers in Nairobi City County, Kenya, was one of the study's particular goals. Theory of overall quality management served as the study's foundation and backed up by the gap analysis model and the notion of dynamic capacities. The problem was investigated using a descriptive research design in the study. The study's sample size was 185 respondents, with a target population of 343 employees from the five Huduma Centers functioning in Nairobi City County. While secondary data was gathered from documented human resource records, primary data was gathered utilizing questionnaires. The researcher will assess the research's validity by consulting with lecturers from Kenyatta University's department of business administration and experts in quality management, while the Cronbach Alpha method will be used to assess the reliability of the research instrument. While content analysis was used to evaluate qualitative data, descriptive and inferential statistics like correlation and regression were employed to study quantitative data. Tables were used to present the examined data. According to the study's findings, service delivery in Huduma Centers in Nairobi City County, Kenya, was positively impacted by employee skill development and ongoing service improvement.

Health perceptions of smart meter liquefied petroleum gas users in Nairobi's Informal Settlement

Introduction : Household air pollution (HAP) from cooking with polluting fuels increases the risk of developing respiratory diseases. The use of a smart-meter liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model that eliminates cost barriers may increase the use of LPG, reduce HAP exposure, and lower the burden of respiratory diseases. Lack of awareness of the effects of HAP is a barrier to the exclusive use of LPG. This cross-sectional study examined smart meter users' awareness of air quality and perception of health risks associated with HAP among PAYG customers in Mukuru informal settlement, Nairobi Kenya.
 Materials and Methods : The study targeted household customers who have been cooking with PAYG LPG for at least two years. Surveys (n=330) and focus group discussions (FGDs) (n=32) participants were selected using multistage and purposive sampling techniques respectively. Quantitative and qualitative data were descriptively and thematically analyzed using STATA and NVIVO respectively.
 Results : The majority, who cooked with no separate kitchen room 147(60%) were worried about kitchen smoke (p-value=0.038). Also, 129(65%) of those who used smart meter LPG with other polluting fuels (p-value =0.021), and most 79(63%) who had experienced respiratory symptoms were concerned about kitchen smoke (p-value<0.05). Results further revealed participants' overall low awareness of indoor/outdoor pollution and little concern about respiratory health risks associated with HAP, due to a focus on more immediate issues, like; food security. The motivation to use LPG was more linked to economic considerations than health benefits.
 Conclusion/Recommendation : Results highlighted the potential for the smart-meter LPG (PAYG) model for exclusive adoption of LPG especially in the informal settlement and recommended the need to create awareness of the negative effects of HAP.

Effect of Strategic Patnership on Perfomance of Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi Kenya

This study aimed to investigate the influence of strategic partnerships on the performance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Nairobi, Kenya. The research employed a cross-sectional descriptive research design and data was collected from 296 NGOs in Nairobi through structured questionnaires administered to managers within these organizations. Data analysis was primarily quantitative. The research design employed was descriptive design and this enabled examination of the attributes of the sample and linear regression models to assess the relationship between strategic partnerships and NGO performance. The theoretical framework guiding this study drew upon Resource Dependence Theory and Institutional Theory to better understand how variables relate. The study focused on various dimensions of strategic partnerships, including shared vision, teamwork, open communication, trust, joint commitment, and investment. The study's findings showed that strategic partnerships were crucial to improving the performance of NGOs in Nairobi, Kenya. Specifically, the study identified that the adoption of shared vision among partners, effective teamwork, open communication channels, trust-building, and joint commitment and investment were positively correlated with improved NGO performance. The performance outcomes assessed included higher levels of customer satisfaction and increased employee satisfaction. The study suggests that NGOs operating in Nairobi, Kenya should be fostering strategic partnerships that emphasize shared values, collaborative teamwork, transparent communication, trust-building, and mutual commitment and investment. These plans are essential for enhancing customer and employee satisfaction.

Facilitated WhatsApp Support Groups for Youth Living With HIV in Nairobi, Kenya: Single-Arm Pilot Intervention Study.

Mobile technology can support HIV care, but studies in youth are limited. In 2014, youth receiving HIV care at several health care facilities in Nairobi, Kenya spontaneously formed peer support groups using the social media platform WhatsApp. Inspired by youth-initiated groups, we aimed to evaluate the use of WhatsApp to deliver a social support intervention to improve HIV treatment and psychosocial outcomes in youth. We developed a facilitated WhatsApp group intervention (named Vijana-SMART), which was grounded in social support theory and guided by the design recommendations of youth living with HIV. This paper evaluates the intervention's acceptability and pre-post changes in health outcomes. The intervention involved interactive WhatsApp groups facilitated by study staff for 6 months, with each group having approximately 25 members. Study staff sent weekly structured messages, and the message content was based on social support theory and encouraged unstructured peer-to-peer messaging and support. We conducted a single-arm pilot among 55 youth living with HIV aged 14-24 years recruited from a government health care facility serving a mixed-income area of Nairobi. At enrollment and follow-up, self-report questionnaires assessed acceptability; antiretroviral therapy (ART) information, motivation, and behavioral skills (IMB); depression; social support; stigma; resilience; and ART adherence. All participants received the intervention. We used generalized estimating equations (GEEs) clustered by participant to evaluate changes in scores from baseline to follow-up, and correlates of participant WhatsApp messaging. The median participant age was 18 years, and 67% (37/55) were female. Intervention acceptability was high. All participants reported that it was helpful, and 73% (38/52) sent ≥1 WhatsApp message. Messaging levels varied considerably between participants and were higher during school holidays, earlier in the intervention period, and among youth aged ≥18 years. IMB scores increased from enrollment to follow-up (66.9% to 71.3%; P<.001). Stigma scores also increased (8.3% to 16.7%; P=.001), and resilience scores decreased (75.0% to 70.0%; P<.001). We found no significant change in ART adherence, social support, or depression. We detected a positive association between the level of messaging during the study and the resilience score, but no significant association between messaging and other outcomes. Once enrolled, it was common for participants to change their phone numbers or leave the groups and request to be added back, which may present implementation challenges at a larger scale. Increased IMB scores following WhatsApp group participation may improve HIV outcomes. Increased stigma and decreased resilience were unintended consequences and may reflect transient effects of group sharing of challenging experiences, which should be addressed in larger randomized evaluations. WhatsApp groups present a promising and acceptable modality to deliver supportive interventions to youth living with HIV beyond the clinic, and further evaluation is warranted. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05634265); https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05634265.

Mapping Deprived Urban Areas Using Open Geospatial Data and Machine Learning in Africa

Reliable data on slums or deprived living conditions remain scarce in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Global high-resolution maps of deprived areas are fundamental for both research- and evidence-based policies. Existing mapping methods are generally one-off studies that use proprietary commercial data or other physical or socio-economic data that are limited geographically. Open geospatial data are increasingly available for large areas; however, their unstructured nature has hindered their use in extracting useful insights to inform decision making. In this study, we demonstrate an approach to map deprived areas within and across cities using open-source geospatial data. The study tests this methodology in three African cities—Accra (Ghana), Lagos (Nigeria), and Nairobi (Kenya) using a three arc second spatial resolution. Using three machine learning classifiers, (i) models were trained and tested on individual cities to assess the scalability for large area application, (ii) city-to-city comparisons were made to assess how the models performed in new locations, and (iii) a generalized model to assess our ability to map across cities with training samples from each city was designed. Our best models achieved over 80% accuracy in all cities. The study demonstrates an inexpensive, scalable, and transferable approach to map deprived areas that outperforms existing large area methods.

Transcending Space, Time and Culture through Intercultural Musical Dialogue

In recent years, the creative industry in Kenya has seen a rise in consumption of art from other countries. This is due to the influence of global and modern trends on local media and the Kenyan audience. Consequently, various stakeholders in the artistic domain have taken personal initiatives to advocate for the production, performance and airing of local art to promote Kenyan content. They strive to appeal to the public’s taste, create demand for Kenyan art, and influence the media as well as government broadcasting policies. Musicians in Nairobi (Kenya’s capital city) for instance, elevate Kenyan music by collaborating with local and foreign bars, restaurants, government and non-governmental organisations which sponsor musical events and provide platforms for them to exhibit their music, and that of other artists. They also redefine the country’s urban sound by localising genres from other countries, incorporating indigenous styles from Kenyan ethnic groups, and reworking Kenyan oldies. By doing that, they interact with individuals from different generations, cultures, and geographical spaces, traversing musical and cultural boundaries, and acquiring new audiences. Using in-depth interviews, I explore how these musicians and other stakeholders in Nairobi’s music scene, manage to promote and create demand for Kenyan styles both locally and internationally. Additionally, observing performances, and interacting with some of the audience members aid in interrogating urban genres that transcend time and space, linking and appealing to various cultures while gaining new audiences.

Systemic and Mucosal Concentrations of Nine Cytokines Among Individuals with Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in Nairobi Kenya

Introduction The human-restricted sexually transmitted Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) has been shown to modulate the immune response against it and consequently the cytokines produced. The levels of cytokines in NG infection in the African population have not been well described. We aimed to quantify the systemic and mucosal cytokines in NG infection. Methods This was a comparative cross-sectional study. Levels of nine cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, 1L-6, 1L-10, 1L-12p70, IL-17A, TNFα and IFN-γ) were measured from plasma and genital samples (urethral swabs in men and cervicovaginal lavage in women) from 61 Neisseria gonorrhoeae infected individuals seeking treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at Casino Health Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. A comparative group of 61 NG-uninfected individuals, seeking treatment at the same facility but with laboratory-confirmed negative Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) and Trichomonas vaginalis(TV) was also included. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the cytokine levels between NG-infected and uninfected individuals. Data was analyzed using STATA ver. 15.1. Results Overall, systemic IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10 were elevated while genital IL-10 and TNF-α were lower in NG positive participants. On subgroup analysis disaggregated by sex, the levels of genital IL-1b and IL-6 and systemic IL-6 were elevated in NG-infected men. None of the genital cytokines were elevated in NG-infected women, while all systemic cytokines, except IFN-γ , were elevated in NG-infected women. Conclusion Neisseria gonorrhoeae induced the production of different cytokines in men and women, with men having a pro-inflammatory genital response. These differences should be taken into consideration during development of various interventions e.g. vaccine development.