Research
Effect of Wildebeest Migration Pattern on Sustainability of Tourism Development at Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem: A Transboundary Resource Management Perspective
Sustainable tourism development in the Serengeti-Mara region seemingly depends largely on the wildebeest migration phenomenon. This is particularly due to its appeal to the tourist and its classification as one of the new wonders of the world by UNESCO. The phenomenon has over the years been used as a flagship/marketing tool to project the ecosystem as a leading tourism destination.
Role of Product Development Strategy on Performance of Tea Factories in Kenya
Tea factories especially those managed by Kenya Tea Development Agency are faced with challenges of implementing business growth strategies. This has resulted to poor performance leading to public outcry. The study sought to establish the effect of market development strategy and performance of selected tea factories in Kenya. This study was anchored on the Ansoff Matrix theory and Agency theories. A descriptive research design was adopted and used in this study. KTDA has seven regions comprising of 69 factories with 1506 management staff. This study purposively selected Kisii and Kericho Highlands regions. The population of this study was 701 with a sample size of 364 obtained using Yamane’s (1967) formula. Simple random sampling was used to get specific respondents. A selfconstructed questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents. A pilot study was conducted at Kagwe and Theta Tea Factories in Aberdare Ranges region to test reliability of the data collection instruments. Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was used to test reliability which had an overall coefficient of 0. 903. The study tested face validity through peer reviews and content validity by opinions of research expert and supervisors.
Level of Awareness Among Elderly Persons and Hinderances to Unconditional Cash Transfer Accessibility. A Case Study of Tharaka Nithi County in Kenya
There are notable cases in other developing countries where unconditional cash transfer programs have failed due to inadequate information of unconditional cash transfer. Within the context of these arguments, the purpose of the study is to establish the level of awareness of unconditional cash transfer among elderly persons in Tharaka Ninthi County in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Target population was 1003 beneficiaries and employees of Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services (Department of Social Development) where a sample of 102 respondents was drawn. The study employed simple random sampling to select the respondents who participated in the study. The study used questionnaires and interviews as the main data collection instruments. The study used test-retest to establish the reliability of each section of the questionnaires. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Data from the interviews were analysed using scientific packages for social sciences and presented using thematic analysis.
Influence of the Principal’s Communication Skills on Students’ Discipline in Public Day Secondary Schools in West Pokot Sub County, Kenya
Ethical instructional leadership demonstrates that the success of any teaching and learning process and the level of students’ discipline is dependent on effective communication skills. Learning and the success of student discipline are among the most primary goals of a principal’s instructional leadership. This study therefore, investigated the influence of the principal’s communication skills on student discipline in secondary schools in West Pokot Sub County in Kenya. The study was anchored on deontological ethical and teleological ethical theories which typically judge rightness or wrongness of an individual’s actions in his or her line of duty and if the actions are fair to the followers. The target population of the study was 3450 respondents. This comprised of 497 teachers and 2953 students from the public day secondary schools in the study area. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to arrive at a sample of 593 respondents. Questionnaires, interview and document analysis were used as the primary tools of data collection. The study used a descriptive survey research design in data analysis using SPSS version 26 to obtain mean values and standard deviation.
Effect of Internal Controls on the Financial Performance of County Referral Hospitals in Kenya
Internal Control Systems play an important role in every organization as it assists in realization of their financial performance goals. Most public institutions in Kenya have registered declining performance in recent years due to weakened internal control systems. Researches done relating to internal control systems and financial performance do not show directly the effect of corporate governance and regulatory systems on financial performance. The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of internal controls on the financial performance of county referral hospitals in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the effect of physical controls on the financial performance of county referral hospitals in Kenya, to establish the effect of internal audit controls on the financial performance of county referral hospitals in Kenya, to assess the effect of corporate governance controls on the financial performance of county referral hospitals in Kenya and to determine the effect of regulatory controls on the financial performance of county referral hospitals in Kenya. The study used a descriptive correlational research design approach. The target population was 47 county referral hospitals in Kenya. Census was used to select all the 47 county referral hospitals in Kenya and purposive sampling was used to select the hospital accountant in each of the hospitals to make a sample size of 47 respondents.
Effect of Internal Auditing Characteristics on Financial Accountability of Public Organization: A Case of County Governments in Kenya
The county government’s auditors have been experiencing the existence unreliable information systems, Lack of capacity to handle the financial complexities, Economic viability of some county governments in doubt, Political interference of in the process of procurement and staffing, weak governance structures for financial controls and reporting. All this has affected the financial accountability of internal audit services. Public finance accountability is increasingly becoming important in the public sector. One means of effecting accountability is through auditing. Despite the characteristics of auditor’s fraudulent activities, in efficiency and waste of public resources are increasingly high. This is a sad state of affairs as the county governments strive to become a middle income economy by 2030.
Influence of Board Characteristics on Financial Performance of Deposit Taking Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies in Western Kenya
Deposit taking Savings and Credit Cooperatives form an integral part of Kenya’s economy by mobilizing savings and promoting credit creation. Statistics indicate that DT-Saccos contribute up to 23% to Kenya’s GDP, both directly and indirectly. However, the performance of a number of these DT-SACCOs in the western part of Kenya have shown to be reporting reduced profits indicating challenges with their financial performance. Prior studies on the performance of these SACCOs have not focused on the role of board characteristic on financial performance of these SACCOs. The purpose of this research was to examine influence of board characteristics on financial performance of deposit taking SACCOs in the country. Specifically, this study examined board accountability, corporate size and board independence and how they affect the performance. The study was anchored on the Agency theory and the Stakeholder theory. The study adopted a descriptive survey design to address the research problem. The target population consisted of 19 deposit taking Saccos licensed Saccos by SASRA and operating in Western Kenya.
Predictors of Malnutrition among Children Aged 6-59 Months Attending Maternal Child Health Clinic at Ekerenyo Sub-County Hospital in Nyamira County
Malnutrition is the cellular imbalance between supply of nutrients and energy and the body’s demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance and specific functions. Malnutrition affects a great number of children globally with 99million underweight and 51million wasted hence remains a public health concern. Prevalence of child malnutrition in Kenya is high with stunting (26.0%), wasting (4.0%) and underweight (11.0%) among children under-five years. The general objective is to determine the predictors of malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months attending maternal child health clinic at Ekerenyo Sub-County hospital in Nyamira County.
A Qualitative Risk Assessment of Factors Contributing to Spread of Foot and Mouth Disease through Cattle Markets in Western Kenya
There has been a surge in the number of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in western Kenya between the years 2016 and 2018. A qualitative risk assessment was done to investigate the role played by cattle markets in maintenance of these outbreaks. The specific objective of the study was assessment of factors contributing to spread of FMD through cattle markets in Western Kenya.Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Additional data collection was done through focus group discussions guided by checklist questions and secondary data obtained through review of published and grey sources of literature. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) framework was adapted for this study. The conduct of selected cattle markets was assessed to determining the risk for release and exposure of FMD virus during cattle trade. The study shows there was high risk of spreading FMD virus through cattle marketing activities.
Evaluation of the Effects of Forward Contracts on Financial Performance of Listed Multinational Companies in Kenya
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of forwards contracts on the financial performance of multinational companies in Kenya. The study used descriptive and cross-sectional research designs. The population consisted of nine companies listed at Nairobi securities exchange under the banking sector and one form the energy sector. The sample size of this study was three companies. Purposive sampling was applied to arrive at the sample size of three Multinational companies. Secondary data was collected from published annual financial reports for ten years from 2009-2018.
