Nyeri County Research Articles

Motivational Strategies for Teacher Attraction and Retention in Nyeri County, Kenya

Motivational Strategies for Teacher Attraction and Retention in Nyeri County, Kenya

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE OUTSOURCED ACADEMIC RESOURCE PROVIDER SELECTION ON INSTITUTION MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN NYERI AND KIAMBU COUNTIES IN KENYA

The purpose of this study was to explore whether provider’s selection influenced institutional management efficiency in public universities in Nyeri and Kiambu counties. A hybrid theoretical framework of Resource based theory and Institutional management efficiency theory buttressed the study. Purposeful sampling of 20 deans of schools, 3 human resource managers 122 heads of departments and 415 lecturers was used. The study made use of questionnaires, interview guide and focus group discussions to collect data. The study utilized a Methodological triangulation research design. To ensure the validity of the instruments, the Research objectives were crosschecked with the corresponding items. The spearman’s split-half technique of assessing reliability of the instruments was used. Inter-Rater technique was used in this study to measure credibility. Dependability was ascertained by means of triangulation. Pearson product moment correlation coefficient technique was used. A correlation coefficient of 0.73 for the two halves was considered sufficient. Descriptive and inferential statistics to evaluate the dependence of measures of organizational efficiency was used. The study reviewed that, public universities should evaluate academic resource providers in order to produce quality graduates and also to be able to control and reduce operational costs. Article visualizations:

Adequacy of control of cardiovascular risk factors in ambulatory patients with type 2 diabetes attending diabetes out-patients clinic at a county hospital, Kenya

BackgroundType 2 diabetes is associated with substantial cardiovascular morbidity and mortality arising from the high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, poor glycaemic control and albuminuria. Adequacy of control of these risk factors determines the frequency and outcome of cardiovascular events in the patients. Current clinical practice guidelines emphasize primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes. There is scarce data from the developing countries, Kenya included, on clinical care of patients with type 2 diabetes in the regions that are far away from tertiary health facilities. So we determined the adequacy of control of the modifiable risk factors: glycaemic control, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity and albuminuria in the study patients from rural and peri-urban dwelling.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study on 385 randomly selected ambulatory patients with type 2 diabetes without overt complications. They were on follow up for at least 6 months at the Out-patient diabetes clinic of Nyeri County Hospital, a public health facility located in the central region of Kenya.ResultsFemales were 65.5%. The study subjects had a mean duration of diabetes of 9.4 years, IQR of 3.0–14 years. Their mean age was 63.3 years, IQR of 56-71 years.Only 20.3% of our subjects had simultaneous optimal control of the three (3) main cardiovascular risk factors of hypertension, high LDL-C and hyperglycaemia at the time of the study. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors were as follows: HbA1c above 7% was 60.5% (95% CI, 55.6–65.5), hypertension, 49.6% of whom 76.6% (95% CI, 72.5–80.8) were poorly controlled. High LDL-Cholesterol above 2.0 mmol/L was found in 77.1% (95% CI 73.0–81.3) and Albuminuria occurred in 32.7% (95% CI 27.8–37.4). The prevalence of the other habits with cardiovascular disease risk were: excess alcohol intake at 26.5% (95% CI 27.8–37.4) and cigarette-smoking at 23.6%.A modest 23.4% of the treated patients with hypertension attained target blood pressure of <140/90 mmHg. Out of a paltry 12.5% of the statin-treated patients and others not actively treated, only 22.9% had LDL-Cholesterol of target <2.0 mmol/L.There were no obvious socio-demographic and clinical determinants of poor glycaemic control. However, old age above 50 yrs., longer duration with diabetes above 5 yrs. and advanced stages of CKD were significantly associated with hypertension. Female gender and age, statin non-use and socio-economic factor of employment were the significant determinants of high levels of serum LDL-cholesterol.ConclusionThe majority of the study patients attending this government-funded health facility had high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors that were inadequately controlled. Therefore patients with type 2 diabetes should be risk-stratified by their age, duration of diabetes and cardiovascular risk factor loading. Consequently, composite risk factor reduction strategies are needed in management of these patients to achieve the desired targets safely. This would be achieved through innovative care systems and modes of delivery which would translate into maximum benefit of primary cardiovascular disease prevention in those at high risk. It is a desirable quality objective to have a higher proportion of the patients who access care benefiting maximally more than the numbers we are achieving now.

Awareness of Occupational Safety and Health Issues on Roadway Maintenance Works in Nyeri County, Kenya

Awareness of Occupational Safety and Health Issues on Roadway Maintenance Works in Nyeri County, Kenya

The Burden of Care faced by Retirees in Selected Counties in Kenya

1. Abstract <span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt; font-family: times= new= roman,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:times= roman=>1.1. <span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt; font-family: times= new= roman,serif=>Background: Work often provides economic benefits and a social network that fulfils one’s sense of belonging. On the other hand, retirement brings with it profound changes both economically and socially. Retirees find themselves more isolated and withdrawn as they do not have the constant social interactions that they did while in employment. Apart from the enormous economic burden that comes with old age, retirement makes one vulnerable therefore to depression, especially if they are not surrounded by a supportive community that offers encouragement and support. <span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt; font-family: times= new= roman,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:times= roman=>1.2. <span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt; font-family: times= new= roman,serif;color:#0d0d0d=>Methods: The present study gathered data on the relationship between significant economic, biopsychosocial life changes and the susceptibility to depression among the retired population in Kenya. The participants were retired Kenyans living in Nairobi, Murang’a and Nyeri Counties aged between 50 and 70 years. A purposive sampling strategy was adopted to draw a sample of 141 respondents. <span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt; font-family: times= new= roman,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:times= roman=>1.3. <span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt; font-family: times= new= roman,serif;color:#0d0d0d=>Results: The primary outcome of the study found that: 91.5% had a high economic burden; 71.9% had reduced income; 28.1% had loss of income; 69.9% depended on pension as a source of income; 19.1% had lost a spouse; 26.2% had poor health; 23.4% had loss of status; 7.0% were socially discriminated and 42.7% reported symptoms indicative of the presence of depressive disorder. <span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt; font-family: times= new= roman,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:times= roman=>1.4. <span lang=EN-GB style=font-size:10.0pt; font-family: times= new= roman,serif;color:#0d0d0d=>Conclusion: This outcome data provides insight into factors that may increase depressive symptoms, such as those associated with adversity as well as development of poor resilience factors that cannot protect against development of depression. 2. Keywords: Depression, Economic, Psycho-Social Changes, Retirement, Retirees, Resilience

Effectiveness of Guidance and Counselling Services in Enhancing Students’ Adjustment to School Academic Environment in Public Boarding Secondary Schools in Kenya

School adjustment is the process of copying in a new school environment in order to attain the individual and school’s set goals and aspirations. The government, education managers, and parents have expressed the need to strengthen school Guidance and Counselling services in order to enhance students’ adjustment to the school environment. Public boarding secondary schools are expected tom implement Guidance and Counselling policy of the Ministry of Education and help students adjust to the secondary school environment. This study investigated the effectiveness of Guidance and Counselling services in enhancing students’ adjustment to school academic environment in public boarding secondary schools in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research survey design. The study target population was 36,671 comprising of 35,659 Form 3 students, 506 Form 3 class teachers and 506 teachers in charge of Guidance and Counselling from boarding secondary schools in Kitui, Nyeri and Nairobi counties in Kenya. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 756 respondents comprising of 720 Form 3 students, 18 Form 3 class teachers and 18 teachers in charge of Guidance and Counselling from 18 secondary schools for the study. Questionnaires were used to collect data from Form 3 students and their class teachers while an interview schedule was used to collect data from teachers in charge of Guidance and Counseling. A pilot study involving 76 respondents was carried out in three public boarding secondary schools from Machakos, Kirinyaga and Thika counties. Using Spearman Brown Prophecy formula by split half technique reliability coefficient of 0.745, 0.746 and 0.736 were realized for students, class teachers and teachers In charge of Guidance and Counseling respectively. This was accepted because an alpha value of 0.7 and above is considered suitable for making group inferences that are accurate. The data were analyzed by use of descriptive statistics with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 for windows and presented in frequency distribution tables, percentages and bar charts. The study also found out that Guidance and Counseling were effective in helping students adjust to school physical, social and academic environment. The findings of this study provide information to school administrators, policymakers, parents and other stakeholders on various issues that need to be addressed in Guidance and Counseling like strengthening individual counseling, training of peer counselors and gender balance in the appointment of school counseling personnel to enhance students adjust to the school environment. The study further suggests ways of improving Guidance and Counselling services in order to make it more effective in public boarding secondary schools.

An e-Readiness Assessment of ICT Integration in Public Primary Schools in Kenya Case of Nyeri County.

An e-Readiness Assessment of ICT Integration in Public Primary Schools in Kenya Case of Nyeri County.

Moulds And Ochratoxin A Associated With Green Coffee (Coffea Arabica) Beans Processed By Dry And Wet Methods In Nyeri County.

Moulds And Ochratoxin A Associated With Green Coffee (Coffea Arabica) Beans Processed By Dry And Wet Methods In Nyeri County.

The cost of cooking a meal. The case of Nyeri County, Kenya

Energy for cooking is considered essential in achieving modern energy access. Despite this, almost three billion people worldwide still use solid fuels to meet their cooking needs. To better support practitioners and policy-makers, this paper presents a new model for comparing cooking solutions and its key output metric: the ‘levelized cost of cooking a meal’ (LCCM). The model is applied to compare several cooking solutions in the case study area of Nyeri County in Kenya. The cooking access targets are connected to the International Workshop Agreement and Global Tracking Framework’s tiers of cooking energy access. Results show how an increased energy access with improved firewood and charcoal cookstoves could reduce both household’s LCCMs and the total costs compared to traditional firewood cooking over the modelling period. On the other hand, switching to cleaner cooking solutions, such as LPG- and electricity, would result in higher costs for the end-user highlighting that this transition is not straightforward. The paper also contextualizes the results into the wider socio-economic context. It finds that a tradeoff is present between minimizing costs for households and meeting household priorities, thus maximizing the potential benefits of clean cooking without dismissing the use of biomass altogether.

Barriers To Uptake of Childhood Routine Immunization In Nyeri County, Kenya

Barriers To Uptake of Childhood Routine Immunization In Nyeri County, Kenya

To Determine the Effects of the Role of Examinations on the Development of All-Inclusive Learners in Secondary Schools Nyeri County, Kenya

To Determine the Effects of the Role of Examinations on the Development of All-Inclusive Learners in Secondary Schools Nyeri County, Kenya

Legal Setup and Performance of Post-Privatization Artificial Insemination Service Providers in Nyeri County, Kenya

This study investigated the differences between the various legal entities of service provider organizations which provide the privatized artificial insemination services in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study found that 89.5% of the service providers were serving as private entities, 7.0% were in Cooperative societies while 3.5% were serving as farmers’ self-help groups. All the AI practitioners used motorcycles for transport and stored semen in liquid nitrogen tanks. Government support to AI service providers was only in form of training which was received by 21% of the service providers. Non-governmental organizations also provided training to 17.5% of the respondents. However, these organizations provided financial credit to 3.5% as well as equipment support to 3.5% of the service providers. It was concluded that private AI service providers have a potential of performing better than Cooperative societies or self-help groups despite the benefits of farmers having a jointly owned service.

Evaluating the effect of plant population densities and nitrogen application on the leaf area index of maize in a reclaimed wetland in Kenya

Abstract Maize is the main staple food in Kenya with over 90% of Kenyans relying on it. While the annual national consumption is increasing, the production of this crop has been on the decline in the last two decades. Maize production in Kenya fell by 33.4% in 2013 with Nyeri among the counties said to be grappling with the production of this crop. Land pressure is one of the major causes of decreased availability of food as well as soil depletion and encroachment upon fragile ecosystems such as wetlands. Nitrogen is a key nutrient in the production of maize, and its deficiency is a major factor limiting its production. This study investigated the effect of N application at 120 kg N/ha and maize density on the Leaf Area Index in reclaimed wetland soils in an experimental set-up comprising a randomized complete block design with three replications. The research was carried out in Nyeri County, Kenya. Leaf Area Index (LAI) was determined using the given SunScan formula. Measurements were done continuously until crop physiological maturity. Results indicated that the leaf area index increased with nitrogen application and reduced with spacing for most treatments. There were no significant differences between the two methods (Copy Method and SunScan). Leaf Area Index (LAI) was high in treatments containing nitrogen and high plant density. It was concluded that high plant density gives high LAI. 50 cm * 12.5 cm (-N) and 50 cm * 12.5 cm (+N) are the recommended plant densities for the site.

Ethnobotanical survey and threats to medicinal plants traditionally used for the management of human diseases in Nyeri County, Kenya

In Kenya, traditional knowledge on herbal medicine has remained a mainstream source of maintaining wellbeing for generations in many communities. However, the knowledge has been eroded in the course of time due to sociocultural dynamics virtually advanced by Christianity and formal education especially in the Kikuyu community. The study documented current ethnobotanical knowledge and threat to the traditional knowledge on medicinal plants among the Kikuyu community. A survey was carried out in Mathira, Tetu, Kieni, Othaya, Mukurweini, and Nyeri Town constituencies. Thirty practicing herbalists were purposively sampled; 5 per constituency. Data was obtained through semi - structured questionnaires and analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. A total of 80 ailments treated using 111 medicinal plant species distributed within 98 genera and 56 families were documented. Prevalent communicable diseases treated using herbal medicine included; gonorrhea (17.5%), malaria (15%), respiratory infections (12%), colds (10%) and amoebiasis (10%). Non-communicable diseases were; joint pains (11.1%), ulcers/hyperacidity (8.7%), high blood pressure (8.7%), intestinal worms (11.1%) and arthritis/gout (10%). Frequently harvested plant materials were; roots, barks and leaves. The study concluded that, traditional medicine practitioners in Nyeri County possessed wide knowledge of herbal medicine but this knowledge was on the verge of disappearing as it was largely a preserve of the aged generation. The study recommended massive campaign about the benefits of using herbal medicine in the study area. Further pharmacological studies are recommended on the mentioned plant species aimed at establishing their efficacy and safety as well as standardization as potential drugs.

An Investigation on the Entrepreneurial Factors that Influence the Performance of Coffee Marketing Co-Operatives in Nyeri County

Agriculture is the backbone of many African economies. Co-operatives as marketing vehicles deliver the commodities to the market in return to gain the desired remuneration on behalf of the farmers. Co-operatives are responsible for 45 per cent of the GDP and 31 per cent of national savings and deposits. Agricultural co-operatives' total turnover was $112 million. They have 70 per cent of the coffee market, 76 per cent dairy, 90 per cent pyrethrum, and 95 per cent of cotton. The objective of the study was to determine the influence of entrepreneurial factors on the performance of coffee marketing cooperative societies in Nyeri County. The independent variables used in the research were marketing capabilities, environmental turbulence against the dependent variable of performance of coffee marketing societies. The study utilized descriptive survey. The target population was 23 coffee co-operatives in Nyeri County and the 23 general managers were the key informants in the study who responded to the questionnaires. The study revealed entrepreneurial factors such as marketing capabilities, environmental turbulence, and entrepreneurial orientation greatly influence the performance of coffee marketing co-operative society's profitability and growth in Nyeri County. The study recommends that all coffee marketing co-operative societies should strengthen entrepreneurial orientation capabilities and manage the coffee marketing environmental turbulence. The Nyeri co-operative County policy makers and planners should to put in place social-economic equity measures necessary to mitigate the declining global coffee prices that greatly influence the performance of coffee marketing co-operative societies to benefit the stakeholders in coffee industry as a whole. The research recommends further areas of factors retard their development is another important area for future research in coffee marketing co-operatives.

Risk factors associated with Cryptosporidia, Eimeria, and diarrhea in smallholder dairy farms in Mukurwe-ini Sub-County, Nyeri County, Kenya.

Aim:This study was undertaken to determine the household, calf management, and calf factors associated with the occurrence of Eimeria, Cryptosporidia, and diarrhea in pre-weaned calves reared in smallholder dairy farms in Mukurwe-ini Sub-County of Nyeri County, Kenya. In addition, the study also evaluated factors associated with average daily weight gain in the same pre-weaned calves.Materials and Methods:A total of 112 newborn calves (63 males and 49 females) on 111 farms (1 set of twins) were followed for 2 months between June 2013 and August 2013. Two calves were lost to follow-up. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data on household characteristics and calf management practices in the 111 selected farms. On the first visit to the farm (within 7 days of the birth of the calf), blood samples were collected from the jugular vein to assess the level of maternal immunity acquired by the calf, by determining the serum total protein and selenium concentration. At 4 and 6 weeks of age, fecal samples from the calves were collected to assess the presence of Cryptosporidia and Eimeria oocysts. Every 2 weeks for 2 months, the calves and their environments were examined, their 2-week consumption and health history were recorded, and weights were estimated with a weight tape. Each of the factors was evaluated in a univariable regression model and only those found to be significant (p≤0.20) were included in a multivariable model. Elimination of non-significant factors was done in the multivariable model through a backward elimination procedure so that only those variables which were confounders, and/or significant at (p≤0.05) remained in the final model.Results:About 37% (41/110) of the calves experienced diarrhea at least once during the 2-month study period. The overall period prevalence of Eimeria and Cryptosporidia was 42.7% (47/110) and 13.6% (15/110), respectively. Low serum protein was associated with 1.8 and 2.4 times the odds of Eimeria and Cryptosporidia infections, respectively. Lack of supervision of calf birth and low serum total protein were both associated with 1.3 times the odds of diarrhea incidence. Dirty calf pens, feeding <5 L of milk/day, and infection with Eimeria were associated with 0.105, 0.087, and 0.059 kg, respectively, reduced average daily weight gain of the calves.Conclusion:In the Kenyan context, calf diarrhea risk could be reduced through better supervision of parturition and colostrum provision. Specifically, the risk of Eimeria and Cryptosporidia infections could be reduced by optimizing the passive transfer of immunity to the newborn calves. Average weight gains of calves could be improved by good colostrum provision, pen hygiene, and preventing Eimeria infections.

Kamweretho: Safe Havens or Rogue Associations? An Analysis of a Women's Group Movement among the Agikuyu of Central Kenya

Women's groups have been an integral part of the development of Africa since independence. Various groups and associations have existed with their structure, mission, and composition being determined by their respective community's background and socio-economic status. The groups have been critical in improving the welfare of members' families and the communities at large. This paper is based on a study whose broad objective was to investigate the structure, functions and challenges of Kamweretho - an emergent, non-formal women's group found among the Agikuyu of Kenya. From a broad perspective, it sought to examine the thesis that women groups are an avenue for improving the welfare of group members and their families. From a diachronic perspective, the paper examines comprehensive secondary study of the historical development of the women's movement in Kenya in general and among the Agikuyu in particular. It then narrows focus to the Kamweretho women groups in Nyeri County, whose findings are discussed. The social capital theory was used in the study. On method, convenient sampling was used to select the four Kamweretho groups that participated in FGDs, in depth interviews, and observation. A sample of respondents was drawn using purposive and simple random sampling. The study found that formation of Kamweretho groups was inspired by the desire to pay homage, and cater for the welfare of parents and guardians of group members. Findings show that Kamweretho groups' operations and activities do not fit the conventional mechanisms associated with women groups. More so, they seem to question the authority of the traditional definition of a woman's role and position in the Agikuyu society. As a result, the Kamwerethos are not wholly embraced by the Gikuyu populace, and are a target of sustained mockery and criticism from across the gender and class divide.

Knowledge and demand for medicinal plants used in the treatment and management of diabetes in Nyeri County, Kenya

Ethnopharmacological relevanceNon communicable diseases are currently a major health challenge facing humanity. Nyeri County has one of the highest diabetes prevalence in Kenya (12.6%), compared to the country’s prevalence of 5.6%. The purpose of the study was to document; diabetes knowledge, medicinal plants and demand for the services of traditional medicine practitioners, in the management and treatment of diabetes. MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out in the six constituencies in Nyeri, using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. Thirty practicing traditional medicine practitioners were purposively selected for the study. Field observation and identification was carried out on all plants that were cited during the interview. Plant samples were collected and voucher specimen deposited in the University of Nairobi Herbarium in the – School of Biological Sciences. ResultsThe study revealed 30 plant species in 28 genera and 23 families that are used by the traditional medicine practitioners to treat and manage diabetes. Demand for traditional medicine practitioners’ services in the treatment of diabetes is low and often occurs when conventional drugs fail. ConclusionInteraction with the TMPs unveiled significant diversity of potential anti diabetic medicinal plants and in-depth ethnobotanical knowledge that they possessed. Preference for traditional herbal medicine was low despite wide ethnobotanical knowledge in the face of high prevalence of diabetes in the locality. The findings form the basis of pharmacological studies for standardization of the documented ethnomedicine used in the treatment and management of diabetes in the study area.

English

Malaria continues to claim about 2 million lives annually worldwide. In Kenya, malaria equally depicts a morbid picture. It poses a major threat to the lives and health of 20 million people in Kenya and is a major killer mainly of children under five years and expectant mothers. This research was aimed at identifying plants used by communities in repelling mosquitoes. Community meetings were held at the District Culture Office, Embu with participants from Nyeri, Kirinyaga and Embu counties. The plants that were used by the community in repelling mosquitoes were identified. Key words: Mosquito, repellence, malaria, Mt Kenya region.

Socioeconomic and clinical factors explaining the risk of unstructured antiretroviral therapy interruptions among Kenyan adult patients

ABSTRACTA cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the extent of unstructured HIV treatment interruptions (TIs) and investigate the effects of socioeconomic, socio-demographic, HIV treatment-related and clinical factors on the magnitude and rate of the same among adult patients at a Kenyan regional referral center. Four hundred and twenty-one adult patients actively receiving antiretroviral therapy at Nyeri County Referral Hospital since 2003 were randomly selected to complete a health survey questionnaire. Electronic records were used to obtain their HIV treatment utilization history. The marginal effects of selected determinants on prevalence and rate of TI were assessed by fitting multiple Poisson log-linear regression models. In total, 392 patients participated in the study. HIV TI was prevalent with 64.5% having had at least one TI of 3 months or more during treatment. The risk of TI was significantly higher in those longer on treatment (prevalence ratio = 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12–1.28). Greater risk of TI was also associated with lower income (prevalence rate ratio [PRR] = 0.9, 95% CI 0.83–1.00), low medication adherence (PRR = 0.3, 95% CI 0.13–0.72), inconsistent treatment engagement (PRR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.19–0.75) and, contrarily, fewer adverse drug reactions (PRR = 0.9, 95% CI 0.90–0.97). Unstructured HIV TIs appear to be fairly common at the study site. The results suggest that efforts to minimize HIV TI could benefit from treatment-continuity monitoring strategies that target the high-risk sub-samples identified.