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Emergence and Growth of Islam among the Abawanga of Kakamega County, Kenya; 1880–2010
(Kenyatta University, 2025-09) Luchu, Reuben Pasa
The study examined the growth of Islam among the Abawanga in Kakamega County from 1880 to 2010. The research was guided by the following objectives; to examine the origin and development of Islam among the Abawanga up to 1899, to assess the trends in the spread of Islam among the Abawanga during the colonial period from 1900 to 1963, and to assess continuity and change in Islam among the Abawanga in the post-colonial era from 1964 to 2010. This study is based on three fundamental premises that: First, the intermarriages between the Arab-Swahili men and women from among the Abawanga influenced the penetration of Islam in Wangaland; second, Western education and Christianity hindered the spread of Islam among the Abawanga of Mumias, Kakamega County during the colonial period; third, globalization and modernization impacted the spread and practice of Islam among the Abawanga in the post-colonial era. The permeation and persistent existence of Islam in Wangaland, a region that is majorly rural and is predominantly Christian posed an interesting problem for study. The study was guided by Acculturation theory and Social Exchange theory. The theories proved invaluable in identifying areas of convergence and divergence between Abawanga socio-cultural practices, Islam and modernity. The study adopted a historical research design to document the emergence and subsequent growth of Islam among the Abawanga. The historical methods of data collection were used. Oral interviews, archival material and library research were used in identifying, collecting and collation of data for this study. Muslim sages, Muslim religious leaders, Muslim youth and Muslim elders, and Christians, all from the Abawanga community were the respondents of this study. The data collected was analyzed qualitatively using historical techniques of narration, description, inference and logical explanation and distributed to the relevant chapters. The study findings were presented as a critical narrative of the permeation, spread and changes and continuity of Islam among the Abawanga from 1880 to 2010.The research established that the increased trade and contact between the Abawanga and Arab-Swahili traders in the late 19th century played a significant role in spread of Islam among the Abawanga. The study recommended that Muslim leaders engage constructively with other faith traditions to maximize the benefits of their shared coexistence. The study suggested the need for further inquiry into the prevalence of Islamophobia and negative stereotypes about Islam among the Abawanga, and how these have influenced community relations
Corporate Governance and Profitability of Agricultural Firms Listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya
(International Academic Journal of Economics and Finance (IAJEF), 2026-03) Kieti, Winfred M.; Jagongo, Ambrose O.
The growing dissatisfaction among most stakeholders with the need for improved value in firms in which they have invested is a phenomenon that extends beyond individual firms and becomes a global issue. Most organizations have been forced to close due to prolonged periods of declining profitability, ultimately resulting in management losing control. Listed agricultural firms at the Nairobi Securities Exchange have experienced fluctuating profitability between 2015 and 2024. This volatility was attributed to multiple factors including commodity price fluctuations, exchange rate movements, climatic variability, operational inefficiencies and government structures. While external factors are unavoidable, corporate governance remains an internal mechanism that firms can control to enhance profitability. This study's main goal was to investigate the effect of corporate governance on profitability of agricultural firms listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Analysing the effects of board committees, remuneration, independence, and size on these companies' profitability, as well as examining the moderating effect of firm size in this relationship, were the specific objectives. The study was grounded on agency, stewardship, stakeholder, and resource dependence theories.
Determinants of Informed Consent Process for Cesarean Section in Kiambu County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2025-10) Sakuny, Raymond Tanui
Cesarean section (CS) is the most commonly undertaken operation in women that is associated with significant mortality and morbidity compared to normal vaginal delivery. Informed consent (IC) respects the patient's autonomy, offers collaborative care. Consenting for CS in sub-Sahara Africa is suboptimal since women receive limited, vague or no information on what the CS entails. The elements of IC process were infrequently considered at AIC Kijabe Hospital. The study sought to determine how the patient-related factors, communication related factors, information-related factors influence consenting as well strategies for ethical decision-making on consenting for CS as highlighted by patients post-delivery and clinicians. The mixed-method cross-sectional study design sought to assess IC for CS among women who delivered between periods of 12 to 72 hours in two tertiary level government facilities in Kiambu County, Kenya. The investigator applied a systematic random sampling technique to select (N= 159) post-natal women to participate in the study. Closed and open-ended questionnaires were incorporated to obtain the required information as well as findings of focused group discussion of clinicians. Data was analyzed using a computer software statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel and presented in descriptive statistics. Primigravidas were the majority participants with percentage of 37.7%. Most of the CS conducted in Kiambu County were emergencies at 69.9%. The findings indicated that as age and parity increase, the decision to have elective CS increases, going for elective CS was influenced by parity (18.7%) and age (8.3%) respectively. Patients with higher parity are more likely to understand the information given. Birth companion helped reduce the chances of experiencing emotional overwhelm particularly those who underwent emergency CS [r(156) =-0.230 p=0.004]. . Bivariate analysis showed the following factors were significantly associated with consenting process; active participation and information given on the consenting [r(158)=-0.345, p<0.001], companion and experiencing emotional overwhelm [r(156) =-0.230 p=0.004],parity and the ability to understand the information given [r(159)=0.162, p=0.041), Labor pain and active participation [r(111)=-.210, p=0.027). Active participation of the participant in consenting process contributed to better collaboration between clinician in making the decision for CS [r(83)=0.443, p<0.001]. The results demonstrated information given to participants was not balanced. The information given largely focuses on diagnoses and indication and less on benefits, risk, alternatives or the consequences of declining treatment. Antenatal consent was considered as a helpful strategy to consent for CS by 64.9% of the participants. The study found birth companion helpful in consenting; disclosure of information was partial, brief consenting time thus existing consent process has significant gaps but can be mitigated by antenatal consent. The study recommends clinicians to provide their clients with full information that focuses on diagnosis, available alternative treatment including benefits and risk. Clinicians should be trained on proper counselling to facilitate exchange of information for the patient or surrogate to make autonomous decisions. Antenatal visits are the appropriate time to engage the client about the possibility of CS delivery through integration within FANC program education as key component of birth preparedness
Contradiction in Immanuel Kant’s Hierarchical Racism and Egalitarian Humanism
(Kenyatta University, 2025-06) Ndole, Philip Ochieng
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), a well-known and significant philosopher of the German Enlightenment, holds that white people are superior to non-white people. "White" (Europeans), "yellow" (Asians), "black" (Africans), and "red" (American Indians) are the four categories he separates humanity into. According to Kant, no race, apart from the white race, has the talent (a gift of nature) necessary to develop moral maturity. According to him, Native Americans are lethargic and uninterested, while Black people can obtain an education but only as slaves. White people, on the other hand, possess all the drive and skills. His egalitarian humanism conflicts with this. By arguing that everyone should be viewed and treated as "ends," rather than as means to a goal, he puts forth the ideas of universal democracy and categorical moral imperative. The adage "one would wish the action to be a universal law" also states that one should behave as one would like everyone else to behave toward oneself. In the absence of evidence of Kant denouncing his position on hierarchical racism, his advancing universal rights theory spells a conceptual contradiction. What is observed in our contemporary society is the political ideology that holds that Humans are divided into independent and exclusive biological entities, called races, which determine human traits and capacities. Therefore, the goals of this study are to: First, explain and explain Kant's idea of hierarchical racism; Next, explain and explain Kant's idea of egalitarian humanism; and finally, examine and assess the viability of egalitarian humanism on the one hand and Kantian hierarchical racism on the other. To examine and assess the viability of egalitarian humanism on the one hand and Kantian hierarchical racism on the other, the study employs the laws of thought, namely the principles of identity, non-contradiction, and excluded middle. The research is library-based. It involved logical analysis of particular works of Kant on race and morality. In this regard the work is fundamentally informed by conceptual analysis employing the typical philosophical approach of evaluation, analysis, synthesis, reflection, contemplation and dialectics, all that culminate in philosophical speculation. This work interrogates whether the apparent contradiction is a product of the law of challenge and response or a reconstruction of the Role of Teleology in Kant's Philosophy of History and Natural Law. Relevant literature including books, Journals, Encyclopedias and commentaries by other scholars have been used. In the end analysis, the thesis demonstrates that Kant contradicts himself with regard to the two positions he adopts by postulating Hierarchical racism and at the same time conceptualizing egalitarian Humanism, the implication being that either Hierarchical Racism holds or Egalitarian Humanism. The two positions cannot hold at the same time, in the same manner and the same circumstances
Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence, Dietary Practices and Nutrition Status of Adolescents Attending Kiambu Level 5 Hospital, Kiambu County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2025-09) Wanjohi, Nyawira Patrick
Adolescents living with HIV face challenges in maintaining adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), adopting appropriate dietary practices, and achieving optimal nutritional status. In Kenya, adolescent HIV prevalence is 4.44%, with Kiambu County reporting 5.6%, placing it among the six most affected counties. This study assessed ART adherence, dietary practices, and nutritional status among adolescents living with HIV attending Kiambu Level Five Hospital. A cross-sectional design was used, with data collected from 271 adolescents aged 10–19 years through structured questionnaires, 24-hour dietary recall, anthropometric measurements, and focus group discussions (FGDs). Systematic random sampling was used for quantitative data, and purposive sampling for the FGD. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 23 and NutriSurvey, with chi-square tests and logistic regression used to determine associations and predictors. Participants were 51.3% male and 48.7% female, mean age 15.6 years. Most (74.9%) were in secondary school, and 50.2% lived in households with ≤6 members. Socio-economically, 74.5% lived in rented houses and 52.4% of caregivers worked in the informal sector. ART adherence was moderate to high in 56.2%, while 43.8% had poor adherence. Dietary diversity was low in 38.1%, medium in 41.9%, and high in 20.0%, with many showing micronutrient inadequacies. Nutritional assessment revealed 15.2% underweight, 74.3% normal weight, and 10.5% overweight/obese. Chi-square analysis showed significant associations between nutritional status and both ART adherence (p = 0.013) and dietary diversity (p = 0.003). Logistic regression identified ART adherence (AOR = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.14–4.65; p = 0.020) and dietary diversity (AOR = 2.89; 95% CI: 1.41–5.93; p = 0.004) as independent predictors of normal nutritional status. Caregiver education and household income were also significantly associated with dietary practices and nutritional outcomes. Qualitative findings highlighted stigma, school schedules, and limited adolescent-friendly services as barriers to adherence, while food insecurity and inadequate nutrition knowledge constrained dietary diversity. The study concludes that ART adherence and dietary diversity are significant, modifiable determinants of nutritional status among adolescents living with HIV in Kiambu County. It recommends integrating targeted nutrition education into adolescent HIV care, enhancing adherence counselling through peer support and flexible clinic schedules, and strengthening caregiver engagement. Policy measures should institutionalize routine nutrition assessment, foster multi-disciplinary care, and promote caregiver economic empowerment to address food insecurity. Further research should explore long-term effects of integrated interventions and evaluate the role of school-based programs in improving adolescent health outcomes