Implementing a mobile diagnostic unit to increase access to imaging and laboratory services in western Kenya.

Access to basic imaging and laboratory services remains a major challenge in rural, resource-limited settings in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2016, the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare programme in western Kenya implemented a mobile diagnostic unit (MDU) outfitted with a generator-powered X-ray machine and basic laboratory tests to address the lack of these services at rural, low-resource, public health facilities. The objective of this paper is to describe the design, implementation, preliminary impact and operational challenges of the MDU in western Kenya. Since implementing the MDU at seven rural health facilities serving a catchment of over half a million people, over 4500 chest radiographs have been performed, with one or more abnormalities detected in approximately 30% of radiographs. We observed favorable feedback and uptake of MDU services by healthcare workers and patients. However, various operational challenges in the design and construction of the MDU and the transmission and reporting of radiographs in remote areas were encountered. Our experience supports the feasibility of deploying an MDU to increase access to basic radiology and laboratory services in rural, resource-limited settings

A Generic Competitive Business Strategies Typology for Micro-Enterprises

The important role of the micro enterprises (ME) sector in generating growth, creating jobs and reducing poverty, especially in developing countries is widely acknowledged.  Literature on competitive business strategy typology development and validation, however, reveals a significant focus on small, medium and large enterprises, with virtual absence of any discourse on MEs.  Although several competitive business strategies (CBS) typologies can be found in the literature, they have mainly been developed from and validated on medium to large enterprise data.  These typologies, therefore, may not be fully applicable to MEs.  The new typology of generic competitive business strategies for MEs described in this paper is built on two dimensions of  Collaboration and Competency, yielding four generic types, representing four broad types of strategic groups better suited than current models, in providing avenues for MEs seeking competitive advantage. The new typology provides a concise model relevant to MEs, providing a structured set of consistent and well understood guidelines for choice of adaptation by owner/managers who are typically involved, whether formally or informally, in an incremental process of strategic formulation and implementation. Keywords: Generic Strategy Typology, Informal Sector, Micro Enterprises, Competitive Advantage

The Role of Strategic Alliances on Performance of County Assembly Wards: An Assessment of Nakuru County Government in Kenya

The main purpose of this study was to assess the influence of strategic alliances on the performance of the Nakuru County Government in Kenya by assessing the County Assembly Wards. The specific objectives focused on public-private partnerships, research and development, resource sharing, and risk sharing.  The study was underpinned on the RBV, knowledge-based, transaction-based, and prospect theories. The study adopted descriptive research design targeting all the 55 Assembly wards in Nakuru County. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to draw out 141 respondents. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire and analyzed both as well as inferentially. The study found that there was a strong and positive relationship between public-private partnerships and performance and that public-private partnerships had the strongest relationship with the performance. Further, the study found that public-private partnerships positively and significantly influence the performance. Also, the study found a strong and positive relationship between resource sharing and performance. On the other hand, the study revealed that resource sharing positively and significantly influences the performance and while holding public-private partnerships, research and development sharing and risk sharing constant, resource sharing would have the most positive influence on the performance. In addition, the relationship between research and development and performance also showed a strong and positive relationship. However, the findings showed that while research and development sharing would help improve the performance, it did not have a statistically significant influence on the performance. The findings also indicated that the relationship between risk sharing and performance showed a moderate but positive relationship. On the other hand, the regression analysis revealed that risk sharing did not have a significant influence on the performance. The study hence recommended that future researcher should conduct a comparative study to understand the influence of strategic alliances on the performance of other county assembly wards in Kenya. Finally, this study hopes that these findings will be relevant for stakeholders to address opportunities and challenges that exist in the formation of strategic alliances in public sector organizations. Keywords: Strategic Alliance; Public-Private Partnership; Resource Sharing; Risk Sharing DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/15-9-05 Publication date:May 31st 202

Islamization in the Coastal region of Kenya to the end the Nineteenth Century

Book Chapter in Book titled "Kenya in the 19th Century" edited by Ogot, B.A.The first Muslims to arrive in what is now Kenya came by sea more than a thousand years ago. Whether they were Arabs or Persians, and exactly where they came from, may never be known. Present evidence indicates that they were most likely from the region of the Persian Gulf. Some came as traders for seasonal visits, or a temporary stay; others came as immigrants and settled in island and mainland towns, always near, though not necessarily on, the coast. The first Muslim settlers were followed by others and, as time passed, the number of Muslim settlements in the coastal region increased

Tensions of colonial punishment: perspectives on recent developments in the study of coercive networks in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean

The study of penal practices in colonised parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean has recently witnessed a significant shift. The first generation of research into the coercive measures of colonial states tended to focus rather narrowly on imprisonment. The second generation, which has emerged only in the last five years, has significantly widened their field of vision to incorporate much more than the prison. The most recent literature considers capital and corporal punishment, as well as the larger functioning of police and courts. It also explores in more depth the ways in which indigenous peoples experienced and interpreted their punishments. Finally, this new research is sensitive to the paradoxes and tensions of colonial punishment, which often frustrated its purposes. This article reflects upon these historiographical shifts, and argues that, in light of these developments, a new framework for the study of colonial punishment is now called for. It suggests that an approach which views colonial coercive techniques as part of imperial ‘coercive networks’ encapsulates this new thinking

Factors Influencing Tutors’ Use of ICT: A Case Study of Mukuju Core Primary Teachers’ College

This study examined the factors influencing the integration of ICTs in teaching/learning at Mukuju Core Primary Teachers’ College. Data were collected from staff and students at the College—using questionnaires and focus group discussions. The findings were that tutors’ and students’ conversance with ICTs, attitude towards the technologies and access to the internet influenced the former’s integration of ICTs in teaching/learning. Therefore, it is recommended that the tutors, and their students, be trained/retrained in the use of ICTs and that the College’s connectivity to the internet is improved

Stochastic Methods for Aircraft Design

The global stochastic optimization method, simulated annealing (SA), was adapted and applied to various problems in aircraft design. The research was aimed at overcoming the problem of finding an optimal design in a space with multiple minima and roughness ubiquitous to numerically generated nonlinear objective functions. SA was modified to reduce the number of objective function evaluations for an optimal design, historically the main criticism of stochastic methods. SA was applied to many CFD/MDO problems including: low sonic-boom bodies, minimum drag on supersonic fore-bodies, minimum drag on supersonic aeroelastic fore-bodies, minimum drag on HSCT aeroelastic wings, FLOPS preliminary design code, another preliminary aircraft design study with vortex lattice aerodynamics, HSR complete aircraft aerodynamics. In every case, SA provided a simple, robust and reliable optimization method which found optimal designs in order 100 objective function evaluations. Perhaps most importantly, from this academic/industrial project, technology has been successfully transferred; this method is the method of choice for optimization problems at Northrop Grumman

Relationship Between Students-Student Academic Interactions and Academic Achievement in Public Secondary Schools in Nakuru County, Kenya

In achieving the set academic goals, student interacts with different group of people including their teachers, fellow students and parents with an aim of obtaining support to improve their academic realization. Through the interactions, students identify mentors who can help them achieve their academic goals and students who perform better than their peers may become role models for the rest of students in terms of academic aspirations. One of such interactions is student-student academic interactions.  Academic achievement is globally paralleled as an indicator of intellectual ability of a learner in a given educational system. It is important in the determination of a students’ future prospects. Educationists and other stakeholders have consistently used students’ academic achievement results as basis of advancement and employment opportunities. The student-student academic interaction correspondingly shape the learning environment of students. The purpose of this study was to examine student-student academic interaction and academic achievement relationships in public secondary schools in Nakuru County, Kenya. Correlational research design and both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used in the study. The population of the study comprised 23,309 form three students from 294 public secondary schools in Nakuru County. A total of 29 public secondary schools and 378 form three students were selected using stratified random sampling. The total sample size for this study was therefore 407 respondents. The study used closed-ended questionnaires to collect data from students on student-student academic interactions. Data for academic achievement was obtained from school examinations results record. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. The study established that there was a statistically significant relationship between student-student academic interaction and academic achievement in public secondary schools in Nakuru County, Kenya. It was concluded that student-student academic interactions are related to their academic achievement. The study recommended the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to develop a curriculum or teaching methods that seeks to improve students’ academic interaction for better academic achievement. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-16-06 Publication date:June 30th 202