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    Research data management challenges in Kenya: the case of private universities in Nairobi County
    (2019-09) Anduvare, E. M.; Mutula, S. M.
    This research paper is a spinoff from a Doctoral degree study that was carried out at the University of KwaZulu-Natal between 2017-2019. The aim of the study was to establish the role private university libraries in Nairobi, Kenya play in supporting eResearch and the challenges thereof that librarians and researchers face in the process of managing data. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative epistemological approaches with semi structured interviews and survey questionnaires to collect data from a population consisting of university librarians, faculty members and doctoral students respectively. The population was sampled purposively. The qualitative and quantitative data sets were analysed using SPSS and content analysis respectively. The findings revealed several challenges, which included among others the lack of strategies and policies to guide research data management support, the lack of integrated RDM policies, a research process that was fragmented, and limited ICT policies and infrastructures. The institutionalisation of RDM in the private universities in Kenya is therefore urgent and imperative. The findings have policy, practical and theoretical implications for the effective RDM in Kenyan private universities in order to enhance scientific and scholarly communications. While the focus of the study limits generalisation of the findings, other universities may gain insights on RDM challenges within university settings.
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    Challenges Facing Corruption Prevention Activities in Public Secondary Schools in Nakuru and Nyandarua Counties Kenya
    (International Journal of Recent Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 2019-09) Ngatia, Richard; Njoka, Johannes Njagi; Ndegwa, Lucy
    This study sought to examine the challenges facing corruption prevention activities in public secondary schools in Nakuru and Nyandarua counties Kenya.The study was informed by the Lucifer Effect Theory. The study used the correlational research design. The target population comprised of 420 principals, 840 heads of departments, 420 bursars in public secondary schools, two county directors of education and six school auditors making a total of 1688 school respondents. The study employed the formula of Cochran to get a sample of 313 respondents while the two county directors of education and six school auditors were purposively sampled, to give a sample size of 322 respondents. Data wascollected using the questionnaire constructed on a five point Likert scale. The research instruments were Pilot tested.Data was analysed using both the descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences.The study established that there was no significance difference between the challenges facing principals’ in the prevention of corruption in Nyandarua and Nakuru Counties.
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    Challenges Faced by Student Leaders in Managing Student Affairs in Public Universities in Kenya
    (International Journal of Education & Literacy Studies, 2019-01) Murage, Lucy Muthoni; Njoka, Johannes; Gachahi, Michael
    Effective management of student affairs in public universities continue to pose a major challenge to university administrators and student leaders in many parts of the world including Kenya. Public universities are perpetually ravaged by rampant incidences of student unrests and strikes yet innovative approaches meant to curb such incidences have been adopted that involved student leaders in governance of institutions of higher learning. The effectiveness of these innovative approaches in university governance is not clearly documented. The rationale of the study was to analyse the challenges faced by student leaders in managing student affairs in public universities in Kenya. The study employed descriptive survey research design. Stratified random sampling was used to select student leaders from public universities in Kenya. The sample size comprised of 19 members of student governing councils, 50 class representatives and 73 clubs and society leaders, making a total of 142 respondents. Data was collected using questionnaires. Analysed data revealed that 50.4% of the student leaders experienced challenges while executing their functions. The major challenges included conflict between academic pursuits and leadership roles, lack of teamwork among student leaders and students’ ignorance of university policies and statutes. The study further established a strong and statistically significant relationship between the challenges faced by student leaders and effective student affairs services in public universities at 0.05 levels of significant with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.789. The study concluded that challenges experienced by student leaders may impede effective discharge of their duties and may result in poor service delivery leading to incidences of riots. The study recommends that student leaders should be assisted to solve internal problems that may affect the effective discharge of their duties as a way of addressing unrests in public universities.
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    Challenges Facing Technical Training Institutes in Kenya: A Case of Nyeri, County
    (African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 2019-09) Kagema, Josephat; Wanjohi, E. Waihura; Kimiti, Richard; Kimosop, Maurice
    Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) was deemed as a key ingredient for Kenyans Economic development by offering mid-level technical managers for industrial transformation. The purpose of this study was to assess the challenges facing Technical Training Institutions in Nyeri County, Kenya. The Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) Theory formed the major theoretical framer for this study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study targeted 330 respondents among them Heads of Applied Sciences Department, Field Intern Supervisors and 275 interns from TVET institutions in the County. The study employed a questionnaire and interview guide as data collection instruments. The questionnaire and the interview guide were piloted to test for reliability and validity. Data analysis employed both quantitative and qualitative procedures using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 19 computer programme. Qualitative data was categorised into themes, coded and entered into the computer for analysis. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics (Chi-Test). The study showed that majority of the Head of Departments (HoDs) and TVET interns noted that TVET training was regarded as low-class education by the public. The study found that the respondents agreed that the technical institutions have well organized programmes for learners. The study also concluded that the technical institutes were poorly equipped for the market demand and often resulted in training with obsolete equipment. The Ministry of Industrialization together with the Ministry of Education should allocate more funding to technical institutions since they prepare middle level employees who are the key pillars of Kenyan’s achievement of the Vision 2030.
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    Challenges facing Academic Libraries in Supporting Webometrics Ranking of Universities in Kenya
    (African Journal of Education, Science and Technology, 2019) Wamahiga, M. George; Kwanya, Tom; Ndegwa, Lucy
    Webometrics refers to the study of the quantitative aspects of the creation and usage of information resources, structures and technologies on the web drawing on bibliometric and infometric approaches. Across the world, libraries are committed to providing equal and rightful access to information. Therefore, libraries play a major role in influencing Webometrics ranking of universities across the world. Academic libraries influence Webometrics ranking through generation of scientific publications and other scholarly resources. Despite the remarkable success in Academic libraries’ influence on Webometrics ranking, there are a number of setbacks facing these libraries in the effective facilitation of Webometrics ranking. This study examined the challenges facing academic libraries in supporting Webometrics ranking of universities in Kenya. The study adopted a mixed research design. The researcher collected data from a representative sample of 30 % of the entire target population in University of Nairobi, Chuka University and Kirinyaga University. The selection of the three universities was based on the most recent Webometrics rankings. The respondents were drawn from library, ICT and research Departments. Primary data was collected through semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics that is frequency distribution tables to compute mean. The study established that Bureaucratic and connectivity barriers as well as substandard research and inadequate knowledge on Webometrics are the key challenges facing Kenyan academic libraries in supporting improved webometrics ranking. The findings of this study may be used by other institutions of higher learning on the mechanisms they can adopt to increase the capacities of their academic libraries so as to improve the contribution of these libraries to Webometrics and consequently to the overall ranking of the individual universities nationally and internationally. The findings may also help policy makers and policy implementers to effectively understand the challenges facing academic libraries in supporting Webometrics ranking of universities in Kenya and hence improve opportunities for upscaling Webometrics in academic institutions.
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    Challenges Facing the Fishing Industry in Homalime and Kendu Bay Zones of Lake Victoria in Homabay County, Kenya
    (Historical Research Letter, 2015) Osamba, Joshia; Okello, Adhiambo Eunice; Parsitau, Damaris
    Fishing has been an important source of livelihood for many Kenyans for many years. It is one of the oldest occupations of mankind. In Kenya, both gender have been involved in this industry while performing different roles such as fish production by the male and fish processing and marketing by the female. The roles ultimately complemented each other. The objective of the study was to establish the challenges the fisher folk have faced in the fishing industry in reference to Homalime landing bay and Kendu Bay County of Kenya. The study focused on the factors that have hindered the fishers from executing their roles as expected. Sampling was conducted in Homalime “Doho Beach” and at “Kotieno” in Kendu Bay. This took place between May 2013 and the month of August 2013. Data was obtained using a cross-sectional survey research design, quantitative and descriptive research designs. Information was collected through interviews using open-ended questions and questionnaire guides. The population of the study consisted of 1,804 registered fisher folk in Homalime and Kendu Bay by the year 2013. A number of fisher folk never registered because of various reasons although they participated fully. 586 of the fisher folk were registered in Kendu Bay while 498 were from Homalime. The fishers in both bays perceived that their challenges in the fishing industry were due to the decline of the Kenyan economy. The fisher folk could not be sustained by the income they realised from fishing activities since the daily expenses increased. Fish prices shot up lowering protein consumption among the fishing communities hence vulnerability to all kinds of diseases including diarrhea, amoeba, typhoid, cholera, malaria and HIV/AIDS. Results indicated the challenges in groups of major factors and individual factors that have hindered equitable economic growth of the fishing industry in the regions discussed in the study. Keywords: Challenges, Fisheries, Gender, Landing bays
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    Challenges facing the tea Sector in Nyeri County
    (2015) Maina, F.N.; Mathenge, P.W; Mwathe, Z.M.; Mathenge, M.M.
    Nyeri County is renowned for its production of quality tea for export. However, the sector is beleaguered by numerous problems and is not performing at its full potential. This survey was carried out to identify the issues currently affecting the sector and possible mitigating measures. Twenty-eight farmers and four key informants were interviewed. Low prices, lack of technical know-how on tea production, adverse climatic conditions, and lack of markets for purple tea were identified as major issues limiting tea sector in the county. Possible solutions are discussed in this paper.