Browsing by Author "Muriuki, John"

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    Best Practices for Acceptability of GM Crops Field Trials Conclusions: Lessons for Africa: lessons for Africa
    (Taylor & Francis Group, 2024-07) Chege, Paul; Njagi, Julia; Komen, John; Ngure, Godfrey; Muriuki, John; Karembu, Margaret
    The ability to transfer information about the performance, safety, and environmental impacts of a genetically modified (GM) crop from confined field trials (CFTs) conducted in one location to another is increasingly gaining importance in biosafety regulatory assessment and decision- making. The CFT process can be expensive, time-consuming, and logistically challenging. Data transportability can help overcome these challenges by allowing the use of data obtained from CFTs conducted in one country to inform regulatory decision-making in another country. Applicability of transported CFT data would be particularly beneficial to the public sector product developers and small enterprises that develop innovative GM events but cannot afford to replicate redundant CFTs, as well as regulatory authorities seeking to improve the deployment of limited resources. This review investigates case studies where transported CFT data have successfully been applied in biosafety assessment and decision-making, with an outlook of how African countries could benefit from a similar approach.
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    Factor Influencing Adaptation Choices Employed by Farmers Against Climate Change to Improve Rice Yield in Bugarama Wetland in Rwanda
    (East African Nature & Science Organization, 2020) Nyirandorimana, Esther; Ndunda, Ezekiel; Muriuki, John
    The changing climate poses a great challenge to many wetlands productivity worldwide. Rice production in wetlands is a major source of livelihood in developing countries such as Rwanda. This study aimed at determining the factors influencing adaptation methods when farmers perceive the changing climate at Bugarama Wetland Rice Scheme in Rwanda. A descriptive research design was used by this study, whereby quantitative and qualitative data was collected. The analysis was based on data collected from 300 selected farmers using systematic random sampling method. We employed descriptive statistics to assess how farmers perceive the effects of climate change and descriptively measured the new adaptation methods used by farmers in Bugarama to increase their yields. The study adopted Heckman two-step model to determine factors that influence adaptation choices, this analysis procedurally required farmers’ knowledge of perception that makes them respond to the effects of changes in climatic conditions by the use of new adaptation methods. The results deduced that level of education (p =0.019), extension access (p=0.001), market distance (p=0.002) and rice income (p < 0.001) had a probability of influencing farmers perceptions about climate change thus need to adapt. Based on the outcome model, results showed that extension access (p < 0.001), household size (p= 0.098), market distance (p= 0.047), rice income (p =0.032), farmers-to-farmers contact (p < 0.001) and effects of climate change on rice (p=0.038) had a greater probability of influencing farmers choice of adaptation method used to improve rice yields. To conclude, the study found that access to informational facilities and rice income, influenced farmers’ perceptions while extension access, rice income, market distance, farmers-to-farmers contact and effects of climate change on rice yield strongly had a probability of determining farmers’ choice of adaptation. This study recommends that the Rwandan government and local administrators need to develop a strategy that would allow farmers to access information facilities about new technology so as to adapt to the effects of climate change thus improve their rice yields.
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    Factors Influencing Awareness and Participation of Secondary School Students in Environmental Education Activities in Dagoretti -West Sub-County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2015) Kinyi, Emily Irene Njeri; Muriuki, John; Koske, James K.A
    Widespread environmental degradation persists, despite teaching of environmental education at various levels of education. The objectives of this study were to establish the level of awareness and participation on Environmental Education activities among teachers and learners in secondary school, to find out what Environmental Education activities exist in secondary schools and factors that hinder their delivery, to identify the relationship between teachers' awareness of. environmental education and students' understanding and participation in environmental activities and to find out ways in which environmental education activities in schools can be enhanced among public secondary schools in Dagoretti West sub-county. The study targeted all the Head teachers and their Deputies, Head Students and some students within eleven Public Secondary School, in Dagoretti west sub-county. A pilot survey was carried out in two schools outside the district to gauge the applicability of the questionnaire. Data was collected using questionnaire of the selected Environmental Education related subjects. Structured questionnaires were used to solicit data from the teachers and students in the study. A total of 100 teachers and 165 students were used for the study. Data from questionnaires were coded then scored for analysis to show the particulars Environmental Education objective there in. The results were presented in texts, tabular form and analyses done by use of percentages, means and frequencies. The level of teachers' awareness was above average on Environmental aspects which included water pollution, air pollution, waste management and disposal, impact of deforestation. and land pollution. Students carry out activities in schools in order to create and increase Environmental awareness include; tree planting, waste management, forest cover education, use of environmentally biodegradable materials among others are above mean of 3. Students showed a generally high level of awareness on waste management's and disposal. It also showed that teachers have been involved in various environmental aspects including teaching experience, directing towards environmental awareness, planning Environmental Education and are among the factors that hinder delivery of Environmental Education which were below average. The relationship between teachers awareness and students understanding of Environmental Education issues was positive (r=0.202, p=0.044). This implies that the students understanding increased with an increase in the teachers' awareness. Hence, need for teachers specializing with Environmental Education and Environmental Education made a subject. The study established that though Environmental Education is adequately incorporated in the Secondary School Syllabus of subjects studied, various challenges are faced by the teachers in the teaching of Environment Education theme, inadequate instructional materials, inadequate training of teachers to handle Environmental Education related topics in the subjects area and over reliance of the lecture method among others. The study recommends that there is need for improving teachers' levels of awareness of environmental aspects since this is likely to influence the levels of Understanding of students, which is envisaged to change of attitude and skills in managing and taking care of the environment. As a matter of fact, Environmental Education material should be provided to schools with the aim of providing teachers and students with additional information about what ought to be done to save our environment and the planet.
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    Mapping Vegetation Types and Land Use Dynamics in Kanyabaha Wetland from 1990 to 2021
    (Journal of Global Ecology and Environment, 2024-07) Walakira, Paul; Gichuki, Cecilia; Muriuki, John; Kasoma, Pantaleon M. B.; Ndunda, Ezekiel
    Wetlands are crucial ecosystems providing essential ecological services, yet they face increasing threats from human activities. This study focuses on Kanyabaha Wetland in Uganda, examining its vegetation dynamics over three decades (1990-2021) using Landsat satellite imagery. The research characterizes land use and cover types including papyrus, grasslands, farmlands, tree plantations, built-up areas, and woodlands. Remote sensing data was processed and classified using ArcMap software, validated through field verification, resulting in high overall accuracy (>75%) across all study years. The images were analyzed using a hybrid of unsupervised (ISO data) and supervised (Maximum Likelihood) classification techniques. Findings reveal significant shifts in vegetation cover, with papyrus dominating initially but declining over time due to expansion in farmlands and settlements. Grasslands also decreased, while areas under farming and built-up structures expanded. Transition matrices illustrate these changes, highlighting stable and shifting landscape dynamics. Statistical analyses indicate a decrease in papyrus cover from 51.5% in 1990 to 39.1% in 2021, while farmland and built-up areas increased from 3.0% to 31.6% and 3.2% to 5.1%, respectively. This study highlights the vulnerability of Kanyabaha Wetland to anthropogenic impacts, necessitating targeted conservation strategies to sustain its ecological integrity amid ongoing land use changes
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    Social Economic Challenges of Adaptation to Climate Change in Masinga Sub-County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2024-09) Bosire, Douglas; Kamau, Benso; Muriuki, John
    Climate in Masinga sub-county has been changing at a momentum which is unprecedented in the recent human history. This area consists mainly smallscale farmers who depend on rain to carry out their farming activities. Coping strategies to the changing climate in the area has faced various challenges ranging from high poverty, low levels of education, age, gender among others. This study investigated how social-economic challenges affecting adaptation strategies on climate change among the households living in Masinga subcounty, in Kenya. The main objectives of the study included; 1) To examine the adaptation strategies employed by households in Masinga sub-county 2) To determine the main factors that affect household in adaptation to climate change in Masinga sub-county 3) To investigate the environmental implications of adaptation to climate change in Masinga sub-county. Essentially, variables such as education levels, age, gender, were assessed. In order to gain an understanding on adaptation strategies used by households in Masinga subcounty, the study was conducted in all six divisions. Various methods of sampling were used in the survey which included stratified random sampling based on the number of households proportionately in the six divisions. In essence, 384 household heads were sampled through stratified random sampling. The study employed specific data collection tools in order acquire data from the six divisions; structured questionnaires, interviews schedules, Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) and direct observation were used. Qualitative data was collected through; interviews, Desk research, Focus Group Discussions comprising six to eight sampled through stratified random sampling and purposive sampling. The households coping strategies, influence of adaptation strategy to climate change and environmental implications of household adaptation was analyzed through both qualitative and quantitative interpretation. Data from survey was organized and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results were subjected to statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) to determine their reliability. When applying descriptive statistics, the results were presented in tables, bar graphs, and charts. In this study Chi-squire was used because it was easier to compare the results from a two dimensional perspective. These results after analysis by chi-square test, the p-value was found to be .001, thus, smaller than the significance level (α = .05). Using Chi-square tests, this study established that there is strong evidence of an association between the education level and the implementation of green-house farming (Χ2 (3) = 1.064, p = 0.001). Further analysis by chi-square test indicated that the p-value was found to be .008, thus, less than the significance level (α = .05). This study established that early warning as a strategy to adaptation to climate change was not common amongst households in the area. Further research is suggested on impact of charcoal burning on climate change adaptation and cost implications in semi- arid areas. The study findings will enable the government and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that early warning system information is able to reach the local residents at all times.
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    Spatio-temporal Dynamics of Land Use/Cover Change and Associated Carbon Stocks in Kanyabaha Wetland in Rukiga District, Uganda
    (Kenyatta University, 2024-09) Walakira, Paul; Gichuki, Cecilia; Muriuki, John; Ndunda, Ezekiel; Kasoma, Pantaleon M. B.; Majaliwa, Jackson G. M.
    Wetlands play an important ecological function of sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide and thereby moderating adverse impacts of climate change. It is therefore important to understand the dynamics of carbon stocks in wetland vegetation and soils. This study investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of aboveground, belowground, and total carbon stocks in Kanyabaha Wetland, located in Rukiga District, Uganda, spanning from 1990 to 2021. Through field sampling and laboratory analysis, aboveground carbon stocks were assessed by harvesting vegetation biomass and converting it to carbon stock using established conversion factors. Soil samples collected at different depths (0-20cm, 20-50cm, 50-100cm) were analyzed for soil organic carbon content to determine belowground carbon stocks. The study reveals variable spatio-temporal patterns of carbon stocks across land use types, with papyrus-dominated areas exhibiting the highest aboveground carbon stocks (49.66 tC/ha), followed by small-scale farmlands (33.73 tC/ha) and tree plantations (23.01 tC/ha). Conversely, built-up areas exhibit the lowest carbon stocks (1.29 tC/ha). Temporal analysis reveals fluctuating patterns in carbon stocks, with increases observed in built-up areas and small-scale farmlands, and decreases in grasslands and tree plantations that could be due to changes in hydrological cycle. Belowground carbon stocks follow similar trends, with papyrus areas maintaining the highest stocks (39.96 tC/ha), particularly at deeper soil depths that exhibit thehighest carbon accumulation due to its extensivenetwork of papyrusrhizome.Changes in land use, especially reclamation of the wetlands for farming and settlements affected carbon capture and storage in the wetland ecosystem.These findings highlight the importance of targeted conservationof natural wetlandsand sustainableland management strategies in the Kanyabaha Wetland catchment forenhancedcarbon sequestration. Further, in depth studies in the variability of carbon stocks due to various eco-climatic factorsand anthropogenic activities are necessary to support sustainable wetland land management practices in Uganda