Kenyatta University Repository

Kenyatta University Institutional Repository is a digital archive that collects, preserves and disseminates scholarly outputs of Kenyatta University.

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Differences Between Health- and Skill-Related Physical Fitness Profiles of Kenyan Children from Urban and Rural Areas: The Kenya-LINX Project
(MDIP, 2025-04) Kinuthia,Stanley Kagunda; Stratton,Gareth; Wachira,Lucy Joy; Okoth,Victor; Owino,George Evans; Ochola,Sophie; Richards,Amie Bethan; Kiplamai,Festus; Onywera,Vincent; Swindell,Nils
Abstract: Physical fitness is a key indicator of children’s health, yet amidst rising inac tivity and obesity, data on Kenyan children are scarce. This study assessed health- and skill-related fitness differences between rural and urban Kenyan children while examining demographic influences. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), BMI, strength, flexibility, speed, agility, and coordination were assessed in 1131 children aged 11.07 ± 0.9 years (52.7% girls) recruited using stratified cluster random sampling. Significant rural–urban disparities were observed. In urban areas, 16.6% were overweight and 2.8% obese, compared to 4% and 0.6% in rural areas (p < 0.001). Conversely, 44.5% of the rural cohort were underweight versus 13.7% urban cohort (p < 0.001). Multivariable regression revealed that rural children demon strated superior CRF (β = −4.68 laps, p < 0.001) and lower back flexibility (β = −2.77 cm, p < 0.001), while urban children excelled in speed and coordination (β = 3.68 bounces, p < 0.001) and grip strength (β = 2.16 kg, p < 0.001). Boys outperformed girls in explosive leg power (β = −6.75 cm, p < 0.001) and CRF (β = −6.92 laps, p < 0.001). These findings highlight fitness inequities among Kenyan children, emphasising the need for equitable, targeted, and inclusive physical activity opportunities.
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Caregiving and Children’s Preschool Attendance: A Case of Tharaka Nithi Preschool Randomized Controlled Trial Intervention Project
(kenyatta university, 2025) Mwoma,Teresa; Onywere,Simon; Okeyo, Fred; Naivasha,Dorothy; Waudo,Judith; Onditi, James; Ouko,Hudson; Mwangi,Margaret; Iguna,Joseph; Oteyo,Samson; Mvungu,Eunice; Gachara,Esther; Meghir, Costas; Henningham,Helen
Caregiving is a service provided for children with the primary objective of taking care of them and ensuring that they are safe and have opportunities to learn and develop positive relationships with their caregivers and peers while their parents are away. Caregiving takes the forms of home-based care, centre-based care, school-based care, family child care and family, friend, and neighbour (FFN) care. The paper utilises preliminary findings on school attendance from a randomised controlled trial on the effects of a preschool intervention on child learning and women’s economic empowerment in Tharaka Nithi County in school-based care. The research sought to test whether a preschool-based intervention in a rural setting in Kenya influences child development and women’s labour market participation in a cost-effective manner. The project examines the impact of allowing three-year-old children to attend preschool versus the regular pre-primary education programming, which allows children aged 4 years and above to attend preschool. Implementation of the intervention started in January 2024 in 60 intervention schools where five three-year-old children were admitted to a playgroup (PG) in the pre-primary one (PP1) class. Twelve mentors and sixty caregivers were recruited and trained alongside sixty PP1 teachers from the sampled preschools to implement an adapted PP1 curriculum. The twelve mentors coached teachers weekly on the implementation of the curriculum in the five schools assigned to them. This paper presents preliminary findings on preschool attendance for the PG and PP1 children based on weekly attendance data from term one and term two of the 2024 school calendar year on the day the mentors visited the school. Findings reveal that school attendance was low during school openings, midterm breaks, and the last weeks before the schools closed. Public holidays, as well as extracurricular activities coupled with children being sent home for school levies, also contributed to children not attending school regularly. The findings further show that the attendance rate in term one was slightly higher than in term two
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The Role of Competitive Strategies in Enhancing Performance of Selected DT-Saccos in Nairobi City County, Kenya
(EdinBurg, 2025-03) Muchiri,Timothy; Muthimi,Janet
The contemporary operational environment of organizations is characterized by rapid shifts and heightened unpredictability, driven by factors such as evolving consumer behaviour, globalization, increased competition, and market deregulation. This study investigates the impact of competitive strategies cost leadership, differentiation, customer focus, and growth on the performance of deposit-taking Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) within Nairobi City County, Kenya. Grounded in the resource-based view, configuration theory, and goal-setting theory, the study utilized a descriptive research design targeting 215 administrative employees across various SACCOs. A stratified proportionate sampling method was employed to select 109 participants. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires, and analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), focusing on descriptive and inferential statistics, including regression and correlation analyses. The findings revealed that cost leadership strategies, particularly cost adjustments and competitive pricing, significantly improved operational efficiency and organizational performance. Differentiation strategies centred on offering unique value-based products, were also positively correlated with better performance outcomes. Additionally, customer-focused strategies were shown to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, while growth strategies, such as market penetration and product development, contributed to increased SACCO performance. The study concludes that the effective implementation of these competitive strategies is essential for boosting the performance of SACCOs. Recommendations include investing in technological innovation, fostering strategic alignment, and institutionalizing continuous strategy monitoring. Future research should explore the impact of organizational culture and external environmental factors on SACCO's performance.
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Simple and Fail-safe Method to Transform Miniprep Escherichia coli Strain K12 Plasmid DNA Into Viable Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105 Cells for Plant Genetic Transformation
(bio-protocol, 2025) Siamalube,Beenzu; Ehinmitan,Emmanuel; Maina Ngotho; Onguso,Justus; Runo,Steven
Agrobacterium-mediated gene transformation method is a vital molecular biology technique employed to develop transgenic plants. Plants are genetically engineered to develop disease-free varieties, knock out unsettling traits for crop improvement, or incorporate an antigenic protein to make the plant a green factory for edible vaccines. The method’s robustness was validated through successful transformations, demonstrating its effectiveness as a standard approach for researchers working in plant biotechnology. It enables the introduction of foreign DNA into plant genomes. Conventionally, plant genetic transformation has relied on time-consuming, costly, and technically demanding procedures, such as electroporation and chimeric viruses or biolistic methods, which usually yield variable transformation efficiencies. This study presents a simple and fail-safe protocol that involves a modified freeze-thaw and heat-shock concoction method. This approach involves a streamlined plasmid miniprep procedure to isolate high-quality plasmid DNA from Escherichia coli K12 strain, followed by a target-specific transfer into A. tumefaciens EHA105 strain. The optimized method minimizes DNA degradation and maximizes uptake by Agrobacterium cells, making it a reproducible and accessible protocol for various genetic engineering applications. The transformation efficiency is consistently high, enhancing plasmid uptake while maintaining cell viability, requiring minimal specialized equipment and reagents. The proposed protocol offers significant advantages, including simplicity, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, positioning it as a valuable alternative to traditional techniques in the field of plant biotechnology.
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Instructional Strategies and Their Influence on Academic Performance of Learners with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders in Nandi Central Sub-County, Kenya
(EJSER, 2025) Chemaiyo,Caroline; Murugami,Margaret; Otube,Nelly
Some researchers argue that the most difficult learners to teach are those with emotional behaviour disorders. This is mainly due to the heterogeneous nature of this disability. Despite this, there exist appropriate research-based strategies to teach such learners. The main aim of this research was to investigate the strategies used to teach learners with EBD in the Nandi central sub-county and as well the challenges faced by teachers as they do so. Public schools should provide programs that enhance the educational and academic progress of both typically developing learners and those with EBD. Every child is entitled to free, appropriate education regardless of their disabilities. Academic performance of pupils with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBDs) in Kenya has been continuously dismal in both internal and external examinations. They commonly drop out of school prematurely and are more likely to be imprisoned at some point in their lifetime. This is because teachers use the same old strategies over and over again. This was mixed-method research that adopted a descriptive research design. The study was guided by Jean Piaget's constructivism theory (1995). According to Piaget, learners construct knowledge through experiences and interactions and not passively through receiving information. Constructivism motivates students to take an active role in their education. This is through relating new concepts to their own life experiences. It advocates for learner-centric approaches. The main tools of data collection in this research ...