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    The Dilemma of African Development: Making Policy Choices for Sub-Saharan Africa
    (CODESRIA, 2019) Ngugi, Daniel
    Developing countries have been under pressure when dealing with decision making for their growth and development. This is because they have internal and external influences that affect their decisions. Locally, opposition parties may be fronting their interests which may be different from those of the government. Production of primary commodities such as sugar may not be able to meet demand locally, and importation seems to be of disadvantage to local companies, farmers and the country at large. This makes decision making for the government difficult, thus affecting growth and development. Moreover, external influences also affect growth and development in developing countries. This is because external forces might have interests in these countries and thus control the way decisions are made in order to suit their own interests. In world institutions and organisations, developed countries have a greater chance of influencing decision making over their less developed and developing counterparts. This ultimately affects the way planning is done and the way decisions are made in those countries, resulting in sluggish development.
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    Non-inclusion of Informal Work and Housework in GDP Determination in Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2023) Ndungo, Catherine; Ngugi, Daniel
    Women’s informal work has not been recognised in the gross domestic product in any country. When economic growth is measured, the contribution of women’s informal work is usually not accounted for despite being vital in the growth and development of an economy. Moreover, the women engage in informal work that is difficult to measure. For instance, most women work in the agricultural sector, which limits their advancement due to a lack of ownership which translates to a lack of access to credits and agricultural inputs due to gender inequalities. The jobs women do in society starting from home are usually not attached to an economic value since the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measurement is done in monetary value. The contribution of women’s informal work cannot be ignored if a country is determined to use all the resources for steady and optimu m growth and development. Over the last two decades, economic growth and development have been rising even without this recognition; hence it would be more than the current records. Guided by the theory of change, this paper uses the employment data and GDP from the year 2000 to 2022 and analyses the contribution of women’s informal work to the GDP within this period; recommends the appropriate measures to enhance the inclusivity of women’s informal work to the growth and development and a country in line with sustainable development goal number eight, on decent work and economic growth.
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    Challenges Facing Academic Libraries in Utilizing Mobile Devices in Access and Use of Information in Kenyatta University and University of Nairobi in Kenya
    (University of Eldoret, 2021-05) Burudi, P. Shibonje; Wasike, Jotham; Ndegwa, Lucy
    Mobile devices are extremely important in informational facilities. Apart from providing convenience, mobile devices open up new avenues for academic libraries to enhance access to information. However, few studies have been carried out that directly look at the use of mobile devices in enhancing access and use of information. The study objective was to identify the challenges faced in utilization of mobile devices and suggest ways of addressing them. The study adopted descriptive research design. The target population for the research included 1620 students, 47 teaching staff from three academic departments, 91 library staff and 38 ICT staff thus the entire target population was 1796 respondents. To select users (academic staff and students), stratified random sampling was used, and purposive sampling was used to identify senior library and ICT employees. A sample size of 10% was drawn from each stratum (age, department, course experience, duration at the university) forming a total sample of 181 respondents. Primary and secondary data were gathered using a semi structured questionnaire and photographic evidence. The collected data was evaluated using descriptive and inferential analysis. Descriptive statistics included means, percentages, and frequency ranges. In inferential statistics, chi-square analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between factors, in this case, the usage of mobile devices and the associated benefits. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, Version 22). Tables, maps, and graphs were used to display the data that had been analyzed. The study established that majority of the library users in universities use mobile devices. The use of mobile devices was mostly associated with the new university entrants. This age group has highly technical perceptiveness and prefer digital access of information and communication. The use of mobile devices in university libraries was mostly in accessing library e-resources, internet searching of learning materials and communicating with fellow peers. The study established significant relationships between use of mobile devices and ease of access of library resources. The use of mobile devices had challenges, notably, lack of mobile devices technical support, limited power sources to charge the devices, poor Internet connectivity, and expensive repair and replacement costs associated with the use of mobile devices. The study concluded that the use mobile devices in university libraries is greatly beneficial to the users and it reduces the stress on traditional library facilities.
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    Evaluation of Instructional Strategies Used in Correction of Juvenile Offenders in Rehabilitation Schools in Kenya
    (University of Eldoret, 2023-09-11) Githui, Peter N.; Njoka, Johannes N.; Ndegwa, W. Lucy
    There are diverse rehabilitation programs that have been developed for use in the correction of juvenile offenders in the world and Kenya in particular. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the instructional strategies used in the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders in rehabilitation schools in Kenya. The study tested the null hypothesis that there was no statistically significant difference in the use of instructional strategies between the different institutional categories from the central region in Kenya. The target population comprised 1500 adjudicated juvenile offenders in 10 rehabilitation schools, 132 teaching staff, 10 managers and 10 guidance and counseling personnel. Stratified random sampling was used to select two low risk and two high risk rehabilitation schools; one girls’ and one boys’ institution from each category to make a total of four schools. The sample comprised xxx Data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedules and a document analysis guide. The findings showed that the rehabilitation schools utilized a variety of psycho-educational strategies such as kinesthetic (75%), still pictures and posters (65%), audio-visual resources (75%), cooperative learning strategies (50%) and the use of resource persons (50%), and gender-responsive methods (90%). The hypothesis test results revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in utilization of instructional strategies used in low-risk and high-risk rehabilitation schools (F=3.577, df= 1, 20; p > 0.05). It was therefore concluded that the instructional strategies used for the two cohorts of high-risk and low-risk juvenile offenders were similar. It was recommended that there was need to strengthen the use of psycho-educational strategies by adopting the learner-centered approaches in order to promote behaviour change among the juvenile offenders.
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    Evaluation of ICT Preparednessin Public Secondary Schools: A Comparative StudyofPublicBoarding and Day Secondary Schools in the South Rift Region in Kenya
    (University of Eldoret, 2023-04) Ndegwa, W. Lucy; Githui, Perminus; Njoka, N. Johannes
    It is now widely acknowledged that a fundamental role for schools is to prepare learners with skills relevant to the challenges of the 21stcentury through acquisition of suitable knowledge and skills. The centrality of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as an essential skill in the new world order cannot be gainsaid. In view of this, majority of developing countries are reviewing their education policies to align instructional curricula offered in schools with knowledge and skills that incorporate competencies in ICT. However, despite the acclaimed centrality of ICT, there are indications that public secondary schools in the South Rift Region of Kenya, are slow in putting in place the necessary infrastructure to support implementation of ICT. The purpose of this study was to evaluate ICT preparedness in public day and boarding secondary schools in the South Rift Region in Kenya. The study was guided by the following objectives, to; find out if public secondary schools have trained ICT personnel and find out the infrastructural preparedness in the implementation of ICT in public secondary schools in the South Rift Region in Kenya. The target population for the study comprised 69 teachers in public secondary schools in the South Rift Region of Kenya who were attending a Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE) training. The study employed the census technique to include the entire population into the study because the universe was a manageable number. Data was collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that availability of trained ICT teachers in public secondary schools in the study locale was average and availability of ICT technicians was low in public secondary schools in the South Rift Region. It had been hypothesized that there was no statistically significant difference in the level of ICT preparedness in boarding and day secondary schools in the South Rift Region in Kenya. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was computed and yielded a p-value = .261 which was more than the alpha value α > 0.05 indicating that the differences in ICT preparedness in the two school categories were not statistically significant. Therefore, the null hypothesis was accepted and it was concluded that the preparedness of schools to implement ICT infrastructure in boarding, and day secondary schools were largely the same. The study recommends the need to promote the use of ICT in all school categories and in particular the day secondary schools. This implies the need for sensitization of all stakeholders and provision of resources to develop ICT infrastructure and training of personnel in public secondary schools in Kenya.

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