The Influence of Terrorism Activities on Muslim-Christian Relations in Garissa County, Kenya

Terrorism is no doubt a global problem of the 21st century and as evidenced by the continued terror attacks, the menace is causing major global security distress. In Kenya terrorism has among other things considerably affected the Muslim-Christian relations in the country. Despite vast literature on terrorism and interreligious relations, there are limited research on the influence of terrorism on Muslim-Christian relations in Garissa County, Kenya hence this study. The general objective of this study was to examine the influence of terrorism on Muslim-Christian relations in Garissa County, Kenya. The study employed both descriptive and explanatory design. The target population of the study was 199,469 from Garissa County from which a sample of 384 respondents were obtained through purposive sampling. Data was collected from primary sources using; questionnaires, interview guide and focus group discussions as well as secondary sources, through literature review. The findings revealed that, terrorist selective attacks of Christians and the use Islamic concept of jihad during attacks have created suspicion and mistrust among the Muslims and Christians in the area. The study concludes that unless the misunderstanding of the concept of Jihad is demystified, the Muslims-Christians relations will significantly be affected as the terrorist will continue propagating their attacks as an Islamic concept of jihad. The study recommends that Muslim leaders needs to demystify the concept of Jihad in order to restore Muslim-Christian relations. Also, the Government security agencies and civil society, Muslim leaders, and Christians should continually organize awareness campaigns in the region to create alertness about the terrorist’s schemes.

Determinants of Accessibility of Hypertensive Drugs by Adult Patients Under Sustainable Development Goal Three in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Hypertension is noted to be the easiest non-communicable disease to diagnose treat and monitor if proper health systems are put in place to ensure hypertensive drugs are accessible to hypertensive patients who need them daily. It is estimated that prevalence rate of hypertension in Kenya range from 13 % to 50 % and only 1 in 5 of the diagnosed are on hypertensive medicines. Lack of medication intake leads to uncontrolled hypertension resulting to more serious health complications which result to premature deaths. Previous studies have provided little information on the determinants of hypertensive drugs accessibility to patients. An enquiry on the availability of hypertensive drugs in public hospitals is worthwhile because hypertension has become an important social problem. This study has investigated the determinants of accessibility of hypertensive drugs by adult patients who are supposed to have uninterrupted medication intake for a healthy living. The concept of essential drugs was adopted for this study. This concept of essential drugs contained essential medicines list (EML) and the eight elements of primary health care of 1978 with a goal to ensure equal access to medicines. Descriptive design has been adopted for the study. The targeted population of 6329 hypertensive patients in public health facilities within Nairobi County. Yamane formula was used to get the sample size, which will be a total of 394 patients. Systemic random sampling procedure was employed for the study. A questionnaire tool of data collection was used for data collection. The collected data was there after coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) both for descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (correlation analysis). Data is presented using pie charts tables and figures. The study revealed that accessibility of medication in Nairobi city county health facilities is contributed by lack of medication in the facilities.

Citizen Participation in the Formulation of Public Policy in Mombasa County, Kenya

To assist the government in determining its mandate, citizens should be involved as they best know their needs. The significance of citizen engagement in the process of policy formulation is rooted in among others, the fact that public policy outputs and effects affect those to whom the policy is targeted at. This study aimed to determine the effect of public participation in the public policy making process in Mombasa County, Kenya. The objectives of the research were; to establish the modes of citizen participation used in public policy making process in Mombasa County, Kenya; to determine the main factors that influence citizen participation in public policy making process; to establish the implication of citizen participation in public policy making process and to determine the extent of citizen/ public participation in public policy making process. The study was guided by Good Governance Theory. The study utilized descriptive survey research design. The study targeted 560 County government and civil society representatives including women leaders, youth leaders and people living with disabilities representatives. The study used Yamane formulae to determine the sample size of 233 respondents. Purposive sampling was employed to select respondents. Data were collected through primary sources which include questionnaire, and interview schedule; while the secondary data were collected from the documentary sources. Data analysis involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially, and presented through frequency tables, pie chart and bar graphs. Qualitative data were analyzed by themes and presented through narration and pros forms. The findings of the study established that the main factors that affect citizen participation in formulation of public policy include direct benefits (financial, material), tangible or non-tangible to long or short term, among others. Other factors such as culture, history, government policy and social, political and economic structures influence community participation. Also, the findings of the study revealed that citizens are well acquainted with public policy processes and there is effective county government guidelines and clear standards enhance public policy making processes. The study findings revealed that involvement in policy formulation is positively related to performance. Also, consultation enables easy supervision of work. The research also concluded that education is essential for both parties who are participating towards high quality public policy formulation as it would certainly reduce unnecessary manipulation and the problem brought on by lack of knowledge, accountability and transparency and understanding of each party’s requirements. The study recommends that County Government of Mombasa should establish a participatory framework that allows citizens to monitor and evaluate development outcomes in the counties to ensure better decision making and implementation for subsequent projects and plans.

Counter-Terrorism Measures and Human Rights Protection in Kenya

Many counter-terrorism measures enacted by states have been criticized for violating human rights. This study sought to assess the Kenya’s counter-terrorism framework to ascertain whether the established counter-terrorism measures violate or adhere to the protection of human rights. The study adopted an exploratory research design to assess the counter-terrorism measures and alleged human rights violation in Kenya. The target population was the national security organs, counter-terrorism agencies, civil societies championing human rights protection, security enforcers and watchdog bodies. The sample of 200 respondents and informants was drawn from the National Assembly, Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the International Federation for Human Rights, UN Counter-Terrorism Centre and Amnesty International Kenya. A stratified and purposive sampling technique was employed in selecting the respondents and informants during the study. The findings of the study established various stick and carrot counter-terrorism strategies used by organizations, government and security apparatus in Kenya. These strategies are faced by a number of challenges. A number of these measures violate human rights. There are however, some counter terrorism strategies that uphold human rights. The counter-terrorism strategies that the government can adopt in respect of human rights to include youth empowerment and employment, enhance surveillance and intelligence gathering, stop renditions and use of force, proper investigations, uphold human rights and rule of law and public education, awareness and participation. The study recommends government to adopt counter-terrorism promote human rights protection. Further, the study recommends that the governments need to create public awareness and participation in counter-terrorism strategies and measures to build public confidence on its efforts to fight terrorism.

Effects of Social Media on Security-Agenda Setting in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Social Media (SM), its reach, impact, and potential in a globalized world are no longer contested; it has affected people’s lives, regarding its use and misuse. Groups of gangsters, terrorist associations, non-state actors with bad intentions and rebellious including Gaza, Al-Shabaab, routinely utilize social media websites like Facebook, Twitter Instagram, and WhatsApp to disseminate propaganda, recruit and inspire their sympathizers as well as instill fear in the members of the public and claim their terrorist attacks. This study aimed to identify the effects of social media on security agenda setting to introducing new technologies for use by the security agents to enhance and improve security. It was informed by Agenda-setting Theory and Technological determinism to help see how technology has affected human activity and thought. The study was conducted in Nairobi City County on social media users and security agents. The researcher used a descriptive research plan. The validity test was conducted through a pilot study and specialists’ judgment and reliability through test-retest strategy. The data was gathered using semi-organized surveys and analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative information was examined through descriptive statistics which incorporates; frequencies, percentages, mean, standard deviation among others. Qualitative information was be analyzed using themes. The findings show that social media has a significant influence on security agenda setting in Nairobi City County. Different social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and WhatsApp play a significant role in the spread of information and fight against crime in Nairobi County. They help in mobilization, data gathering, and analysis. Their contribution is affirmed by inferential analysis outcome, which shows that both dependent and independent variables are positively and significantly related. The study recommends the DCI’s office, through the ICT ministry, County government, and National government to reduce chances of youth recruitment by criminal organizations via social media by using different platforms, such as Facebook to learn much about gang affiliations and identify whether their comments or pictures shared are meant to attract or convince unsuspecting people. A similar approach can be applied by law enforcers within Nairobi County to reduce cases of youth recruitment through social media by criminal organizations. The government is also recommended to prevent such social media mobilization that spreads false information by enforcing criminal sanctions and hefty penalties for any offenses or suspected spread of information that can trigger insecurity within the scope area.

Police Victimization and Insecurity in Mathare North Nairobi City County, Kenya

Police victimization is one of the growing cases in Kenya. There are reported cases of police being subjected to beatings and assault by citizens particularly in the low-income areas in Nairobi. Most of these reported cases have been traced to police actions, perceptions of community towards the police and even inadequate resources that the police use. These in turn affect the security situation. It is upon this backdrop that this study envisaged to scrutinize police victimization and security in Mathare North, Nairobi City County. The specific objectives of the research were; to examine the categories of police victimization and their implications on security in Mathare North, to analyze the causes of police victimization and their implications on security in Mathare North, and to evaluate the state of security in Mathare North and how it could be related to police victimization. The life style theory of victimization was used in the research. An exploratory research design based on primary data method was relied on in the study. In conducting this research, the target population was 321 police officers in Mathare North, Nairobi City County comprising of the 147 General Duty Police, 101 traffic police and 73 Administration Police. A sample size of 97police officers was selected from the target populace of Mathare North, Nairobi City County. Data collection was done through the use of questionnaires while the analysis employing descriptive and content analysis. The test for reliability showed that the variables used were reliable (Cronbach alpha was 0.759). The outcome from the study revealed that killings of the police was the main form of police victimization as shown by mean of 3.9829, followed by intimidation of police with mean of 3.7358 and assaults with mean of 3.6470. Sixty-three (63) respondents duly filled the questionnaires representing 64 percent of the total respondents. The findings revealed that the main causes of police victimization were proliferation of illegal firearms among civilians, lack of adherence to the justice system, corruption in the police, human rights violations and lack of public trust in the police. The findings revealed further that government support was necessary and influenced the relationship between police victimization and insecurity in Mathare North as shown by mean of 3.7437. The respondents agreed at mean of 3.7426 that police victimization negatively affect the security of Mathare North. A correlation test was also done and revealed that police killings, assaults on police and intimidation of police were significantly and positively correlated with insecurity based on their correlation coefficients of 0.476, 0.512 and 0.495 respectively. A regression analysis was also carried out and from the findings; police killings had a significant and positive effect on the insecurity of Mathare North with regression coefficient being 0.899 and p value of 0.006. Assault on the police had a significant and positive effect on insecurity of Mathare North as shown by regression coefficient of 1.020 and p value of 0.001. Intimidation of police had a positive and significant effect on the insecurity of Mathare North with a regression coefficient of 0.894 and p value of 0.004. The study recommends that the government should strengthen collaboration between the National Police Service and civilians in Mathare North to prevent cases of insecurity arising from police victimization. The study further recommends that the government must improve on its support in terms of equipment’s to the police in the area so that they can be able to defend themselves while maintaining the security in Mathare. Future studies should focus on other low-income settlements in Nairobi and major towns in Kenya.

Influence of Corporate Governance on Performance in Public Hospitals in Embu County, Kenya

Corporate governance is important to the performance of Public Hospitals (PHs) all over the world. This study investigated the Influence of Corporate Governance on Performance in PHs in Embu County, Kenya. The objective of the study was to assess how board characteristics influence performance in PHs in Embu County. The study’s main problem was to assess the performance in PHs using level of customer satisfaction, level of employees’ satisfaction and efficiency. Given that there is minimal research in corporate governance on management of PHs especially in Embu County, the study addressed challenges faced by management, thus helping formulate policies and strategic guidance for County Governments (CGs). The Stewardship Leadership Theory and Organizational Leadership Style were used to develop the theoretical framework on corporate governance. The information was gathered from 140 respondents using questionnaires. Quantitative data was analyzed using Descriptive Statistics whereas Qualitative data was analyzed using Content Analysis Method. The findings were then recapitulated to ascertain whether PHs have put in place policies and guidelines that conduct best practices of corporate governance. Some of the outcome were; PHs complied with the application of corporate governance but failed to implement it fully; the PHs adhered to most of the regulations and government policies but failed to fully adhere to corporate governance guidelines on board characteristics. Finally, the summary and recommendations were then prepared for policy formulation and future use in research on corporate governance on performance in PHs in Embu County, Kenya and globally.

Strategies for Promoting a Reading Culture Among Secondary School Students in Kiambu County, Kenya

This research looked at reading culture within secondary school students in Kiambu County. It discussed the role that teachers, parents, school librarians and school culture play in the promotion of a reading culture or lack thereof. The specific objectives were; to determine the status of reading culture being promoted by secondary schools and to determine the level of usage of school libraries and their resources to support the development and cultivation of culture of reading among high school learners among secondary school students. This research was based on Lee Vygotsky’s cultural historical theory of cognitive development. The study employed descriptive survey design. The target population was 240 students, 24 teachers and 12 librarians from 12 secondary schools within Kiambu County. This research used stratified random sampling. The data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. Through pretest of the questionnaires and subsequent re-modelling, validity of the findings was enhanced. The data collected was analyzed through the aid of Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The analyzed data is displayed using charts, graphs, diagrams, tables, frequency tables, matrices, drawings or block diagrams. A significant portion of students loved reading very much at 31%. The hours spent on reading also varied with students (34%) 3-4 hours a day reading, with 30% others spending more than 4 hours a day. All the institutions featured have libraries. Out of the 208 students, 44% use the library hour to read either in class or the library. 20% of others use the allocated hour for private studies. Most of the students (78%) stated being part of a book club or study group. For instance, the study found that out of the 187 students (78%), a significant proportion (49%) used the groups for academic performance. Others benefited through fluency in language, increased vocabulary, better writing, and reading skills, among other reasons. The study proves the popular notion that Kenya's schools and the country have a poor reading culture. Students are forced into reading either by teachers and parents or pressured by the need to pass exams. As such, the most read materials are school textbooks and novels, which also happen to be the most stocked materials in school libraries. Reading should be a personal initiative as opposed to being forced into it. That being the case, students' opinions matter more on making reading more fun and appealing. Therefore, in addition to the importance of school libraries and reading clubs, schools need to encourage peer motivation to read in an effort to improve reading culture. Some of the study recommendations are that there is a need to include an opinion on academic experts on reading culture, government, and parents who play a significant role in the education sector.

Socio-Economic Dynamics of Intra-Familial Elder Abuse in Baringo County, Kenya

Until the emergence of policies and legal frameworks to address domestic violence -including intimate partner and child abuse- in the last decades of the 20th century, abuse of the older people had persisted as a private matter that was accorded little public attention. Even so, intra-familial elder abuse (IFEA) has been acknowledged globally as a pervasive problem, associated with overwhelming distinct consequences, outcomes, and societal expenses. With an overall increase in the older persons’ populace, IFEA is expected to become a more pressing issue, affecting masses of older individuals globally. Kenya is experiencing population aging at a high rate, which implies that, with it, elder abuse, and particularly IFEA is anticipated to become a more pressing problem, distressing millions of older individuals countrywide. IFEA refers to as a type of family violence has been defined as a sole or repeated mistreatment and/or abusive action, which can be an act of commission or omission, intentional and unintentional, towards older persons within the family context. The definition, conceptualization, and perceptions of intra-familial elder abuse vary across societies and culture, because, what may be deemed abusive in one society might not be the case in another, thus making the whole issue of elder abuse and particularly IFEA dynamic, with variations across boundaries, religions, economic, and social settings. This study sought to explore the socio-economic dynamics of IFEA in Baringo County. The study objectives were to profile the dominant types of IFEA, to examine the dynamics of IFEA in relation to the associated socio-economic risk factors, and to assess the dynamics associated with reporting and disclosure of IFEA, guided by Homan’s Social Exchange theory. The study embraced a cross-sectional analytical survey design to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The study was conducted in Baringo County. The respondents of the study were older persons in the area who were aged 70 years and older; 226 older persons from two purposively sampled sub counties were sampled for the study. The study also targeted key informants including local authorities, health care authorities, adult protection agency representatives and law enforcement. Semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussion guides were used in data collection. Quantitative data was analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 to generate both descriptive and inferential statistics such as chi-square tests. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study established that most prevalent form of intra-familial abuse reported in the study was psychological abuse (79.2%) while sexual abuse was the least (19.9%) prevalent type of IFEA. The study found out that gender of the victim, victim dependence and vulnerability, living arrangements, trust relationships, social isolation and financial dependency on the older person influenced the older persons’ experiences with the different types of abuse reported in the study. Based on the reported dynamics of IFEA in relation to reporting, the study concluded that given the right platforms, older persons are more likely to report incidences of abuse. The study concludes that IFEA is a dynamic social problem, which varies across cultural contexts, perceptions, socio-economic risk factors, as well as in its reporting and disclosure. The study recommends education, sensitization, and public awareness campaigns at the community level as preventive strategies aimed at informing members of the society about IFEA, what it constitutes, and how it can be addressed.

Disaster Preparedness and Planning for Service Sustainability: Case of Egerton University Digital Library, Main Campus

Preparing and planning for disaster remains the most crucial component of libraries. It also happens to be one that is least understood. Since the existence of libraries and information science, there has been a history of disasters happening from time to time. Disasters are events in which no library would like to experience but the still do. Egerton University library being the study area, has experienced disasters in the form of rioting students causing service disruption and incidences of fire. This study sought to evaluate the disaster preparedness and planning of digital libraries in relation to service sustainability. It considered the following objectives: To establish the level of disaster preparedness and planning; To find out the training the library staff have undergone; To determine the disaster preparedness and planning equipment in place; and to establish the challenges faced in preparing and planning for disasters at Egerton University digital library in service delivery. It was anchored on the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study made use of descriptive research design and considered census method to arrive at 68 library staff as its respondents. Primary data was collected using self-administered questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. The quantitative data collected was inferentially analyzed as per the objectives of this study. A statistical software SPSS was used in analyzing this data. Findings were presented in the form of tables as frequencies and percentages for easy understanding. The validity of the instruments was determined using specialists who assisted in properly framing questions in the questionnaire. They also assisted in realigning it according to the objectives of the study. The study established that the level of disaster preparedness and planning at the digital library in Egerton University was low hence the digital library was at risk of disasters; not all the library staff had not adequately undergone training on disaster preparedness and planning; the library was not adequately supplied with disaster preparedness and planning equipment’s; the digital library was experiencing challenges in regards to disaster preparedness and planning; and the digital library services will be affected in the event of a disaster happening. The study concluded that the digital library could experience disasters because they were not exempted from disasters like any other organization or section within the University; the library was not so keen on training its staff on disaster preparedness and planning; the digital library had inadequate disaster preparedness and planning equipment’s; implementing a disaster preparedness plan was hindered by lack of adequate funds which were needed for purchasing suitable equipment’s, servicing these equipment as well as training all the library staff. The study recommended that the management of the university and library should provide the needed support and influence staff training in regards to disaster preparedness and planning; the library should develop a well-documented disaster preparedness policy of its own and incorporate it with the overall disaster preparedness policy for the university; and a structured, systematic and regular mechanism of training staff on disaster preparedness should be developed, supported and implemented within the library.