Journal of Environmental Sustainability Advancement Research

INFLUENCE OF ACCESS TO ADVISORY SERVICES ON ADOPTION OF INDIGENOUS AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN CHUKA SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

M. Ooga D. — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The study examines factors that could be addressed to increase the adoption of Indigenous Agricultural Practices (IAPs) among smallholder farmers. Data were collected from 100 farmers who were already using
IAPs, selected through stratified sampling; data collection was conducted in June 2020 structured questionnaire was used to gather information, and the data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed a significant positive correlation between access to advisory services and the
adoption of IAPs but also revealed that these services were often inaccessible and not useful to farmers. The
study further found that extension agents were not readily available and that lack of relevant training materials and untimely service delivery hindered the adoption of IAPs. Despite these challenges, farmers reported
that radio and farmer-to-farmer contact were affordable, reliable, and readily available sources of agricultural information. The current results suggest that access to agricultural advisory services needs to be improved
to increase the adoption of IAPs. The findings of the study have implications for extension education and the
development of policies and incentives to enhance access to these services for smallholder farmers. The results can also be used to promote sustainable agricultural productivity through the adoption of IAPs.

Analysis of Cybersecurity in Kenyan Government and Educational Infrastructure

Kinyua Charles G. — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Kenya's rapid digitalization of government and educational services has increased their exposure to cyber-attacks. There has been an increase in phishing, ransomware, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) at-tacks, which are now escalating toward potential impacts on essential digital infrastructure. This study high-lights significant incidents such as the 2023 Anonymous Sudan attack on the eCitizen platform and cyber-attacks targeting Kenyan universities. The existing defenses against cyber-attacks are based on traditional measures such as firewalls and antivirus. These have proven to be inadequate given the sophisticated nature of evolving cyber threats. This study assesses the role of AI in threat detection systems offering real-time capabilities for a quick autonomous response. AI and blockchain are emerging as critical solutions to suppli-cate the existing gaps. AI performs a dual function; it fortifies defenses while offering offense, as AI-driven assaults introduce contemporary defenses with a new set of challenges. As cloud adoption grows, these sys-tems could easily become the prominent targets of attacks, thus reiterating the importance of precise cyber-security measures. AI-driven threat detection substantially reduce response times, while blockchain technol-ogy offers secure, immutable methods for storing sensitive data such as academic records and digital identi-ties. This study proposes the application of AI for fast detection of threats, the use of blockchain for secure storage, increase in staff training, and provision for a common cybersecurity protocol. Public-private part-nerships can mitigate high implementation costs, making it feasible for these recommendations. These measures are vital for reducing cyber threats and safe guarding Kenya digital infrastructure. This will sup-port Kenya digital transformation goals.

INFLUENCE OF SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURAL RESOURCES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION IN CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN LAIKIPIA WEST SUBCOUNTY, LAIKIPIA COUNTY, KENYA

Pauline Logova M. , James Murungi M., Mercy Njagi M. — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

School experiences should involve classroom interactions and extend beyond the classroom walls through co
-curricular activities. Co-curricular activities are believed to help in character building and skills application, promoting learners' individual development. However, there has been a dismal participation of secondary school students in co-curricular activities. Therefore, this study sought to establish the influence of
school infrastructural resources on secondary school students’ participation in co-curricular activities in
Laikipia West Subcounty, Laikipia County, Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. A total of 283 form three students, 22 games teachers, and 9 principals were used as respondents in the
study. Schools were selected through stratified sampling on the basis whether the school is a county school,
extra county, or subcounty school. Simple random sampling was used to select the students, purposive sampling for games teachers, and stratified sampling for the principals. Data was collected using questionnaires
for students and games teachers, and interview schedules for the principals. The data analysis included quantitative methodology where descriptive statistics (percentages and frequencies) were used to analyze the data. The use of SPSS also aided in the analysis. Chuka university supervisors assisted the researcher in ascertaining the content validity of the research instruments and research experts in the field of education helped
assess the face validity. From the findings, majority of the students and teachers agreed that insufficient field
space and inadequate resources discourage learners participation in co-curricular activities. The principals
also thought that lack of enough field space and resources greatly affects students’ participation in cocurriculars. It was concluded that most students do not participate in co-curricular activities due to insufficiency of field space and inaccessibility of the necessary resources. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education should provide funds for the schools to acquire more ground space and the necessary materials for co-curricular activities.

SELF-MENTION METADISCOURSE MARKERS IN ENGLISH DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS IN KENYAN UNIVERSITIES

Mbugua L.K., Mbaka N.W — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Academic writers use self-mention metadiscourse markers to express authorial identity, foster a strong rela-tionship with readers, and convey their beliefs and conclusion. This study evaluates the extent to which Eng-lish doctoral students in Kenya use self–mentions in their dissertations. This study classified these markers based on their usage in the introduction discussion and conclusion chapters. A mixed method approach was adopted, analyzing the introduction, discussion and conclusion chapters of 20 English doctoral dissertations through manual and concordance analysis. Hyland's (2005) framework of metadiscourse features was used to identify and code the self-mention markers. AntConc 4.1.4 software facilitated the examination of the frequency and occurrence of Self-mention markers within the corpus. The findings of this study reveal that English writers used most self-mention markers. The inclusive “we” was used to create a sense of detach-ment, allowing authors to distance themselves from the text and the reader. Additionally, English writers presented their individual selves by assuming roles such as discourse constructors, arguers and evaluators. While there were no significant cases of overuse or underuse, the overall frequency of self-mention markers was notably low. The results have important implications for dissertation writing and highlight the need for teaching self-mention markers to effectively convey authorial positioning in doctoral dissertation in Kenya.

FARMER’S ADOPTION OF CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN VARIOUS AGRO ECOLOGICAL ZONES OF EMBU COUNTY

Mworia Joy Gakii — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Crop diversification has and continues to play an important role in promoting climate change adaptation.
Moreover, crop diversification reduces the risk crop failure. Despites its importance, very little has been documented on the agro ecological zone perspective. The objective of this study is to investigate the adoption
crop diversification by farmers in different agro ecological zones. The study also investigated the factors
influencing farmers to diversify their cropping patterns. The study is based on a sample of 96 randomly selected smallholder farming households from different agro ecological zones of Embu County. Data was collected through observation and use of questionnaires. Chi square test was used to analyse farmers’ adoption
to crop diversification. The results reveal that 57% of the farmers have adopted crop diversification while
43% have not. Additionally, the results divulge different factors that influence crop diversification. Gender
and agro ecological zones significantly influence diversification with chi square value and p values of 0.556;
0.456 and 5.270; 0.042 respectively. On the other hand, education level (X2
=0.538, P value= 0.982), age (X2
=0.596, P value = 0.891) and land size (X2
=0.284, P value=0.594) do not influence crop diversification.
Based on these findings the study recommends the government to consider undertaking policies that will
encourage few farmers who have not adopted crop diversification. Promotion campaigns should also be carried out in order to reduce the spatial variations in adoption of crop diversification across the entire study
area.

A SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF FOCUS CONSTRUCTIONS IN KĨMŨTHAMBĨ

Kaburo Diana Kananu , Karuri Mary — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Focus is an aspect of information structure that is associated with the left periphery of the clause. It is a functional projection in the left periphery; FocP (Focus phrase), which projects its own specifier and head positions. Studies of the left periphery present varied details on how focused constituents are realized across languages and this kind of detail has not been examined in Kĩmũthambĩ. Hence the need to characterize
Kĩmũthambĩ focus elements as features of the left periphery. Kĩmũthambĩ is a central Kenya Bantu language, which belongs to the larger Kikuyu-Kamba group (E50); classified as E531 Mwimbi- Muthambi.
This study provides a description of focus marking in Kĩmũthambĩ and a syntactic analysis of this projection
as an element of the left periphery guided by the Syntax of Cartography Approach. The study explores the
various strategies for encoding focus in Kĩmũthambĩ and proposes that there are two domains for encoding
focus; post verbally and in the left periphery. The study also analyses the interaction of focus constituents
with other constituents in the left periphery in order to establish the position of FocP in the left periphery.
The data used in this work was collected through elicitation from native speakers of Kĩmũthambĩ and the
author’s intuition as a speaker of the language. The findings of the study showed that Kĩmũthambĩ employs
various strategies for focus. In in-situ focus, the focused element remains in its canonical position and does
not carry the focus marker ni-. Conversely, in ex-situ focus, where the focused element is fronted, it is
marked with ni-. Subject focus is expressed through cleft sentences and in the situation where a subject
comes before a focus item, this was considered an aspect of topicalization, whereas wh-questions vie for the
same focus positions. The focus marker ni- is essential for indicating focus, particularly in ex-situ positions.
The present study contributes to the description of the language and also to typological and comparative
studies of focus constructions in various languages.

EFFECT OF RISKY SEX BEHAVIOURS ON HIV PREVALENCE AMONG WOMEN ACCESSING CARE AND TREATMENT IN LEVEL FIVE HOSPITAL COMPREHENSIVE CARE CLINIC IN MURANG’A COUNTY, KENYA

Maina Clementina M. — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

More than half of the people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) around the globe are women.
The HIV prevalence among women in Kenya is at 6.6%, twice that of men. Prevalence of HIV infection in
Murang'a County is significantly higher among women compared to men, with women having a threefold
higher likelihood of being infected (7.8% vs. 2.4%). It is still not known what causes such a high rate of incidence among adult women, particularly in Murang’a County. Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the incidence of HIV among female populations in different geographical areas, yielding diverse outcomes. The variation in the findings suggests a uniqueness of each population. Consequently, the current study
examined the effect of risky sex behaviours on HIV prevalence among women accessing care and treatment in
level five hospital comprehensive care clinic in Murang’a County, Kenya. The study respondents were women
accessing HIV care in Murang'a County level 5 hospital. A total of 167 respondents were recruited for the
study utilizing a systematic random selection procedure. The study finding indicated that risky sexual behaviours such as multiple partners, alcohol or substance abuse increased the chances of HIV prevalence by 6.545
times. The study results are expected help to the County government of Murang'a, where HIV is particularly
prevalent. The results will also help to accelerate the realization of Vision 2030 goals by illuminating the social
determinants that contribute to HIV prevalence among women in Murang’a County.

EXPLOITING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CENTRAL COMPOSITE DESIGN FOR HIGH YIELD OF SORGHUM

M’mwamba Patrick M, Njoroge Elizabeth Wambui — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Sorghum is a nutritious cereal grain with a potential for healthy feeding, regional development and sustainable
economies. The World Food Programme (WFP), Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG): Zero hunger, aims
at eradicating hunger in the world. Maximizing yield of Sorghum by exploiting the statistical Central Composite Design (CCD) characteristics would be attractive in meeting the need to eradicate hanger. This paper focuses on using one Response Surface Methodology (RSM), the CCD to develop a model that is useful in high
production of Sorghum in Meru County, Kenya using application of organic and inorganic fertilizers. This
study used nitrogen fertilizer ( ) supplied in form of Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) 26%, goat manure
( ) and vegimax folia fertilizer ( ).as the independent variables The data obtained from the study was
analyzed using the R statistical software and the output showed that Nitrogen fertilizer, Goat manure and Vegimax folia were significant at varied levels of significance (p < 0.001, P=0.0485249, and P=0.0096342 respectively). All the quadratic functions were significant (p-values < 0.05) but the factor interactions were all insignificant (p-value>0.05). The findings indicated that 112 Kg/ha of Nitrogen fertilizer, 12 tons/ha of goat manure
and 5.5 ml/20L( of water) of Vegimax folia were the optimum values that lead to maximum sorghum grain
yield of 4.95 tons/ha. The Multiple R-squared and Adjusted R-squared were 0.9277 and 0.8627 respectively,
an indication that the fitted model explained 92.8% and 86.3% of the variations in the model. The research
output will contribute to sustainable livelihoods and economies for transformative societies.

Time Series Modelling of DAP Fertilizer Demand in Kenya

Mutegi James Mwiti — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Agriculture for many years has remained to be the backbone of the Kenya’s economy and has been a source of livelihood of the population in rural areas. The report “Agricultural Sector Development Strategy (2022) points that agriculture is the mainstay of the Kenyan economy contributing 26% of the GDP and another 25% indirectly. However, agricultural productivity has stagnated in recent years due to various constraints including poor agronomic practices such as fertilizer application. Fertilizers are an important component in increasing agricultural output. One of the major constraints is understanding the demand for fertilizer across different agroecological zones and timely delivering of fertilizer to the farming communities. Hence, Kenya struggles to make this agricultural input adequate because the country does not manufacture it but relies on imported fertilizer. This study investigated the trend and patterns of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertiliz-er demand in Kenya within a span of 13 years to understand seasonal trends and underlying cycles and de-velop a SARIMA (p, d, q) (P, D, Q) s. The secondary monthly data from 2010-2023 that was obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya. R-software was then be utilized to analyse data for descriptive statistics, fertiliser demand variability and model fitting. The Box-Jenkins method (model identification, model estimation, model validation) was used to determine the best models for the data. The findings of the study pointed out that the demand for DAP fertiliser can be predict-ed by SARIMA (0,0,0) (2,0,0) [12] w/ mean. These findings are crucial as will play a significant role in pro-moting sustainable farming practices, influencing policy decisions, and contributing to discussions in agri-cultural economics.

EFFECTS OF MESSAGES THROUGH RAMOGI FM VERNACULAR RADIO STATION DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN KISUMU COUNTY, KENYA

Taro Abongo Titus, Samwel Nyabera N — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Messages play a critical role in communication. The effectiveness of communication is largely determined
by how the message is packed and sent to the audience. The speedy growth in the vernacular broadcast media sector in Kenya has been applauded as significant in the social and economic change of the rural societies. Vernacular radio stations and more so Ramogi FM vernacular radio station have been in the past implicated for endorsing agendas for discussions and providing a stage for presidential analysis. However, the
effects of these messages through Ramogi FM vernacular radio station during the presidential elections still
remains doubtful. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of messages through Ramogi FM
vernacular radio station during the 2007, 2012 and 2017 presidential elections in Kisumu County which has
been prone to presidential conflicts. This study was conducted in Kisumu County, Kenya, as one of the
Counties greatly affected by conflicts in 2007, 2012 and 2017 presidential elections. The study was guided
by agenda setting theory, media theory and gratification theory. A mixed method research design was used
with quantitative and qualitative data applied for analyses. Target population comprised of 1,224,524 residents within Kisumu County. Stratified sampling, simple random sampling and purposive sampling were
used to select a sample size of 384 respondents for both qualitative and quantitative data. Questionnaires;
interview schedules; focused group discussions; and, document analysis were used for data collection. The
study found out that despite the media airing their news freely, they were gagged. The utterances of social
actors were not monitored and this was a recipe for chaotic outcomes. The study concluded that Ramogi FM
vernacular radio played an important role in calming tension and promoting dialogue among residents of
Kisumu County. The study recommends that social actors be held accountable for fuelling negative messages during elections. And also need to train residents on the importance of peaceful co-existence amongst
themselves.

A TYPOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF TEMPORAL ADVERBIAL CLAUSES IN KĨMŨTHAMBĨ

Kaburo Diana, Karuri Mary — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

This study explores the structure of Kĩmũthambĩ temporal adverbial clauses, a semantically diverse class of adverbial clauses that express temporal relationships in complex sentences. Existing studies on temporal adverbial clauses across different languages reveals varied realizations, a topic that has yet to be explored in Kĩmũthambĩ. Therefore, this study employs a typological analysis of the structure of temporal clauses in Kĩmũthambĩ, which focus on the nature of their left periphery guided by the Cartography of Syntax ap-proach. Kĩmũthambĩ is a central Kenya Bantu language in central Kenya, classified within the larger Kikuyu-Kamba group (E50) as E531 Mwimbi- Muthambi. The data for this study were collected through elicitation from native Kĩmũthambĩ speakers and the author’s intuition as a fluent speaker of the language. The findings establishes that Kĩmũthambĩ temporal adverbial clauses are introduced by free-standing subordinators that semantically encode the type of temporal relationship expressed. Some temporal clauses exhibited the ab-sence of a subordinator, while others feature a morpheme that functions as a temporal marker. The position-ing of temporal adverbial clauses is flexible, allowing them to appear either before or after the main clause with the exception of until-clauses, which displays specific restrictions. This study contributes to the descrip-tive understanding of Kĩmũthambĩ and enriches typological and comparative studies of focus constructions across various languages.

EFFECTS OF FARMING PRACTICES ON THE LEVELS OF TURBIDITY, NITRATES, AND PHOSPHORUS IN RIVER RUPINGAZI IN EMBU WEST SUB COUNTY, KENYA

Ngati Quentin A.M. — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

River Rupingazi catchment in Embu West Sub-County of Kenya has recently undergone unchecked rapid
land use change from natural vegetation to urbanization and agriculture with varying farming practices. Effects of land-use changes on water quality in this catchment is not well documented. This river is primary
source of livelihood for about 116,700 inhabitants in the sub county. An ecological survey was carried out to
determine the effect of farming practices on the levels of turbidity, nitrates, and phosphorus in the 24 km
reach of River Rupingazi. A transect walk along was used for dividing the reach into 7 zones. These include
the; Main Tea zone, Tea zone, Tea/Coffee zone, Coffee zone, Mixed Farming zone, Town zone, and Livestock zone. Four major farming practices prevalent across the seven zones are the growing of perennial
crops, perennial cover crops and non-perennial crops, and constructed soil conservation structures. Triplicate
water samples were randomly collected at the entry and exit of each zone and tested for turbidity, nitrates
and phosphorous. One-way ANOVA at P< 0.05 was used for data analysis using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) software. There were no statistically significant differences in mean values of turbidity
(P = 0.067), nitrates (P = 0.281) and phosphorus (P= 0.189) in water at the seven study sites. Furthermore, it
was established that main farming practices in the study area influenced the levels of study parameters.
Combination of the soil and water conservation structures and perennial crops in the Main Tea and Coffee
zones resulted to lower levels of turbidity, nitrates, and phosphorus in the study reach. Tea/Coffee zone with
a combination of cover crops and soil and water conservation structures recorded the lowest levels of turbidity, nitrates and phosphorous in the river water. Zones with non-perennial crops had comparatively higher
level of the measured parameters. It is therefore recommended that combination of various land use practices
should be applied to improve the water quality parameters particularly in the riparian buffer strip of upper
regions of rivers where bank have steep gradient.

Effect of Concentrate Mixture on Rumen Microbial Activity in Male Goats across Different Breeds

Maragara E.N — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Twenty seven males of three goat breeds namely Toggenburg, German Alpine and Small East Africa were used in a factorial experimental design to determine the effect of supplementation on microbial performance. The concentrate mixture(CM) used for supplementing a basal diet of Napier grass(NG) was compounded from ground maize grain, sunflower seed cake, Mineral Salt and dairy premix. The corresponding basal die-tary treatments were designated at three levels of concentrate mixture (gms/day/goat) as follows; i) Control (C); (NG+0), ii) Low Plane (L); (NG+ 200) and (iii) High Plane (H); (NG+400). The experimental animals were randomly selected from a population of thirty six male goats of three breeds that were initially used during a digestibility trials. The pH and the ammonia nitrogen (N) of the ruminal liquor were inversely relat-ed to each other in control and pH being highest (P≤0.05) and N the lowest (P≤0.05). The pH and the Am-monia nitrogen of the rumen liqour was investigated at four set of hours namely 0, 3, 6 and 12 hours. The highest level of ruminal pH was observed at 0 hours before the concentrate mixture was offered. However the highest levels of Ammonia nitrogen in the rumen was observed after the concentrate diet was offered three hours. The pH level decreased three hours later after the concentrate mixture diet was offered. The Ammonia Nitrogen level decreased on a linear scale as time progressed except after three hours. The lowest Ammonia Nitrogen level was recorded after 12 hours of rumen liqour collection. There was significance difference in the pH among the three breeds and the three different levels of concentrate mixture. Low am-monia nitrogen production among the low plane dieters is attributed to low availability of soluble carbohy-drates resulting to low digestible energy production in the fermentation chambers (rumen) of ruminant. In-crease in level of concentrate mixture supplementation (P<0.05) affected the levels of microbial production of Ammonia and pH.

THE IMPACT OF PRICING STRATEGIES ON GUEST PURCHASE DECISIONS IN STAR RATED HOTELS IN NAKURU COUNTY, KENYA

K. Magothe, J. — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The study examined the effect of pricing strategies on guest purchase decision in star rated hotels.
Objectives were to: establish the effect of value added, discounted and concession pricing strategies
on guest purchase decision. The study was conducted in Nakuru County, Kenya. The study employed descriptive cross sectional research design. A sample size of 236 guests was derived. Purposive and proportionate sampling techniques were used to select hotels and guests respectively. Data
was collected using a structured questionnaire designed using likert type of scale. Effect of value
added, discounted and concession pricing strategies were modelled under multiple regression model.
Significant levels were sought at p < 0.05. From the multiple regression analysis, the results showed
that Value added pricing (p = 0.000) and Concession pricing (p < 0.000) influenced guest purchase
decision significantly while discounted pricing (p < 0.114) did not. The major conclusion that the
researcher drew from the study was pricing is a major component that influence guest purchase decision. The recommendation from the study is that the hotel practitioners should heavily invest in utilizing the value added and concession pricing and communicate to guests the benefits obtained from
a service.

A CORPUS BASED ANALYSIS ON ATTITUDE MARKERS IN ENGLISH DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS WRITTEN IN KENYAN UNIVERSITIES

K Mbugua L., W. Mbaka N. — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0300

English is widely used for academic purposes in Kenya and globally. In academic writing the authors describe, analyze, and evaluate the development of their research. Metadiscourse markers are used to organize
the discourse, engage the audience, and signal the writer's attitude. The writer's attitude is signaled by the
use of attitude markers. Attitude markers refer to expressions used in a text to reflect writers' position toward both the content in the text and the reader. Attitude markers include deontic modal verbs, lexical
verbs, adjectives, and affective adverbs. This study examined the use of attitude markers in doctoral dissertations written by English second language writers, studying English for academic purposes in Kenya. The
data was drawn from the introduction, discussion and conclusion chapters of a randomly compiled corpus
of twenty dissertations from eleven universities across Kenya. Hyland (2005) framework of metadiscourse
markers was used to identify and code the markers. The data was analyzed using Antconc text 4.1.4 analysis tool, Wilcoxon sum rank test and Log-likelihood statistics to investigate how attitude markers are used.
This study revealed that every category of attitude markers was used across all chapters. The discussion
chapter had the highest usage relative to other chapters. While the conclusion chapter contained the least
number of attitude markers. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the use of attitude markers in academic writing and can help guide the development of English for academic purposes course materials to improve the academic writing skills of doctoral students in Kenya