Kenyatta University Repository
Kenyatta University Institutional Repository is a digital archive that collects, preserves and disseminates scholarly outputs of the Institution
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How Students View Themselves: Use of Self-Portraiture as an Avenue for Expression of the Self among Diploma Art Students at Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
(EANSO, 2025-08) Wango, Kamau
When students create portraits, they approach the assignment with an open mind, with the basic purpose of creating a picture bearing a significant likeness of the subject. It is subsequently presumed that when they draw their self-portraits, this quest to portray an accurate likeness is enhanced and attracts their specific interest. This study sought to find out whether, in the formative Diploma stage in drawing, students were able to meet the basic expectations of portrait drawing. Although this was not designed to be a comparative study with other units at the degree level, it also sought to find out whether the level of entry was a factor in the definition of quality of work as defined in portraiture. The study selected 24 self-portrait drawings that were deemed to have attained a significant level of completion within the time frame allocated. The level of completion here referred to a holistic depiction of the self that was adequate to enable analysis. The drawings were analysed using formal analysis through the examination of regular elements such as line, shape, light and shade, and texture, as well as the application of principles such as proportion and balance. Students were encouraged to draw using freehand. The analysis also included the basic approaches to drawing portraits, such as placement and alignment of eyes, nose, mouth, hairline, cheekbones, chin, and facial edges. The analysis also included the presence of the concept of likeness, which is a critical factor in the essence of portraiture; the self must appear as the self to a significant extent for self- gratification It can be deduced from the study that students emanated significant satisfaction in creating self-portraits through drawing particularly in attaining a certain degree of ‘self-likeness’. It can also be deduced that self-portraits bear the visual tendency to provide a veneer of selfexamination akin to peering through a mirror. The study concluded that this incursion into the self was an important visual assessment of how students ultimately viewed themselves, although they understood their innate personalities from the onset.
Impact of Migration Spaces on the Prostitute Character in on Black Sister Streets
(EANSO, 2026-01) Muturi, Agatha; Murimi, Gaita; Macharia, Mwangi
Migration has a traumatic effect on individuals as they are in a foreign space, more so on female persons. The paper interrogates the complex ways in which migration intersects with social factors such as gender, ethnicity, class and sexuality to shape experiences for migrant characters in African literature. In On Black Sisters' Street, Chika Unigwe explores the complex realities of migration through the lives of four African women trafficked to Belgium to work as prostitutes, foregrounding the often-unspoken challenges and trauma associated with migration. This paper explores how the prostitute character navigates foreign and urban spaces, particularly as an immigrant, and how space both enables and restricts her movements and agency. Drawing from Hubbard’s view that the construction of space shapes both human sexuality and the identity of places, Persak and Vermeulen describe space as a nexus that focuses on the dynamics of prostitution, drawing on Hubbard’s (1997) view that the construction of space shapes both human sexuality and the identity of places. The study adopts Luce Irigaray’s poststructuralist feminist concept of “women on the market,” which frames women as commodities in a system of exchange, while also drawing on Kimberlé Crenshaw, Intersectionality theory to explore how overlapping systems of gender, class, race, immigrant status, education and other social categories further compound the commodification and marginalisation of women within the selected African novel. This research uses purposive sampling to identify relevant texts and a qualitative approach to analyse and present its findings. The paper aims to highlight the critical perspectives on immigrant characters as portrayed in the literary works of African female writers.
Characters' Reaction to Torments in Coetzee’s Selected Novels
(African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2025-10) Chebet, Carolyne; Mugo, Wanjiru; Mutie, Stephen; Rutere, Albert Mugambi
This study aimed to demonstrate how selected literary texts by John Maxwell Coetzee portray how the characters react to torments surrounding the narration of social life and cultural order to embody and evoke characters’ cultural intricacies and anxieties. The study sought to explore the hidden tensions of the characters fighting within the self. The study also tried to examine how the characters are able or unable to deal with the trauma caused by the contemporary issues of violence, sexuality, and psychological distress. The texts, namely, Disgrace (1999), Slow Man (2005), and Waiting for Barbarians (1980), were purposefully chosen because of their suitability in data that exposes the characters’ torments. The most appropriate theoretical framework that allowed the selected texts to be read, interrogated, analysed, and interpreted, located within the lenses of Psychoanalytic Literary Theory and Concepts related to trauma by Sigmund Freud and Pallavi Sugoy. These theories allowed the analysis of all the important aspects of characters’ psyches, their psychological trauma, thematic concerns, and textual ideologies. The study was not necessarily focusing on trauma per se, but it sufficed to examine the concept of trauma briefly when analysing the characters in the selected texts. The qualitative research method was employed to explore how the characters react to torments in Coetzee’s selected texts. The study employed purposive sampling to select primary texts that vividly depict the specific torments of interest. Consequently, Coetzee’s works - Disgrace, Waiting for the Barbarians, and Slow Man - were chosen for their depth in illustrating these themes. An analytical research design was utilised to examine these literary texts, along with any supplementary secondary data that would facilitate a qualitative analysis of the material. The study aimed to offer insights that would enrich the discourse in the literary realm, particularly concerning the interplay of power dynamics, cultural conflict, and the quest for personal redemption. Since the characters’ experiences are based on the behaviour and incidents of real people, suffering from psychological, dysfunctional sexuality issues and identity, the study can be used in mental institutions to help patients with such problems.
Narrative Techniques Used to Portray Torments in Coetzee’s Disgrace, Slow Man, and Waiting for Barbarians
(East African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2025-10) Chebet, Carolyne; Mugo, Wanjiru; Mutie, Stephen; Rutere, Albert Mugambi
This study aimed to demonstrate how selected literary texts by John Maxwell
Coetzee dramatise the idea of torments surrounding the narration of social life
and cultural order to embody and evoke characters’ cultural intricacies and
anxieties. The study sou
ght to explore the hidden tensions of the characters
fighting within the self because there is a detachment between the individual
and the sociocultural context, resulting to torments. The texts, namely,
Disgrace (1999), Slow Man (2005), and Waiting for Ba
rbarians (1980), were
purposefully chosen because of their suitability in data that exposes the
characters' torments. The most appropriate theoretical framework that allowed
the selected texts to be read, interrogated, analysed, and interpreted is located
within the lenses of Psychoanalytic Literary Theory and Concepts related to
trauma by Sigmund Freud and Pallavi Sugoy. The theories aided in
foregrounding the concepts in the three selected texts, the exploration of the
unconscious conflict and its complex
ities on individuals. The qualitative
research method was employed to explore how the characters negotiate
torments in Coetzee’s selected texts. The study employed purposive sampling
to select primary texts that vividly depict the specific torments of inte
rest.
Consequently, Coetzee’s works
-
Disgrace, Waiting for the Barbarians, and
Slow Man
-
were chosen for their depth in illustrating these themes. An
analytical research design was utilised to examine these literary texts, along
with any supplementary se
condary data that would facilitate a qualitative
analysis of the material. The data identified from close reading was coded and
decoded appropriately for literary analysis. These works explored profound
themes such as the effects of empire and colonialism,
the human condition in
the face of societal and personal upheaval, and the quest for personal
redemption. The study aimed to offer insights that would enrich the discourse
in the literary realm, particularly concerning the interplay of power dynamics,
cul
tural conflict and personal conflict. It is hoped that the study’s conclusion
will make a significant contribution to the ongoing dialectics surrounding
motivations behind human behaviour and relationships.
Effect of Savings Generated After Repayment of Women Enterprise Fund Loan On Profitability of the Women-Owned Enterprises in Kajiado County, Kenya
(Stratford Peer Reviewed Journals and Book Publishing, 2025-10) Mphande, Celestine Chitumbiko; Jagongo, Ambrose; Muchira,Bancy
Women-owned enterprises in Kajiado County demonstrate lower profitability compared to
neighboring counties despite comparable growth rates in enterprise numbers. This study
investigated the effect of savings generated after repayment of Women Enterprise Fund loans
on the profitability of women-owned enterprises in Kajiado County, Kenya. Anchored on the
Free Cash Flow Theory, the study employed a positivism philosophy and explanatory research
design, targeting 8,100 women entrepreneurs who accessed the Women Enterprise Fund
between 2018 and 2022. Using Yamane's formula, a sample of 381 respondents was selected
through stratified random sampling across five sub-counties, achieving a 72.4% response rate.
Data was collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using Stata version 17,
employing descriptive statistics. The findings revealed a strong positive correlation between
savings and profitability (r = 0.930, p = 0.000). Regression analysis demonstrated that savings
significantly and positively affect profitability (β = 2.255, p = 0.000). The study concludes that
savings constitute a critical determinant of enterprise profitability, providing financial
resilience and reinvestment capacity. It recommends strengthening savings incentive programs,
linking savings behavior to loan eligibility, implementing financial literacy training
emphasizing savings management, and establishing accessible savings infrastructure. Further
research should explore sector-specific effects and additional profitability determinants in other
counties