Browsing by Author "Ndegwa, Priscila"

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    Respectful maternal care and by who? perspectives of Somali community at IFO refugee Camp, Dadaab, Kenya
    (International Journal of Pregnancy & Child Birth, 2022) Kituku, Jacqueline; Mwoma, Teresa; Gitome, Josephine; Kahumbi, Newton; Ndegwa, Priscila; Mainah, Muthoni; Bagelman, Jen
    Respectful maternity care is where women are accorded the freedom to make informed choices, protects them from any form of harm and harassment, provides continuous support during labour and child birth and also upholds their privacy, confidentiality and dignity. Previous studies have demonstrated that any care deemed to disrespect the woman may henceforth determine her care seeking behaviour. In the lacuna created by some forms of disrespect of women of child bearing age in the healthcare system, some women may seek alternative care from traditional birth attendants, who are neither skilled nor able to promptly recognize, manage or refer complications arising during pregnancy, labour, child birth and puerperium. Globally, the high maternal mortality rate is associated with preventable complications which occur during pregnancy, labour, child birth and the puerperium, with those who encounter near misses or who narrowly survive death, end up suffering lifelong disability which affects their quality of life. Services offered by traditional birth attendants (TBAs) continue to be sort by a few women of reproductive age in both rural and urban settings including Dadaab, despite the availability of both public and private health facilities. TBAs are preferred among the Somali community as they are deemed to offer a type of care that is regarded as being respectable to the woman and her family as well as being aligned to their culture and religion. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the perspectives of the Somali community residing in Dadaab refugee camps on respectful maternal care. A qualitative study was conducted at Ifo refugee camp in Dadaab, where three TBAs, two save mothers, two married men and two expectant women were interviewed. Two focused group discussions were conducted among the men and pregnant women. The TBAs and the save mothers were interviewed. The TBAs were also video recorded as they performed some of their activities. Data was coded, categorized into thematic areas and the content was analyzed. The findings demonstrated that TBAs and save mothers accorded the women both social and psychological support during pregnancy, child birth, and postnatal period, and treated them with respect. They accompanied the mother throughout the labour and childbirth and gave her so much encouragement. The findings further revealed that cultural beliefs and practices such as prayer, disposal of the placenta and the gender of the care provider, play a big role in maternal care of the women. The placenta is valued as a significant part of the woman’s body and thus has to be buried according to their culture, as opposed to it being disposed of after giving birth in a health facility. Respectful maternal care should be accorded to all women irrespective of their background and should also be culturally sensitive
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    Succession Planning Initiatives and Employee Retention at the Teachers Service Commission, Kenya
    (Strategic Journals, 2025-09) Oruko, Judith E. Atieno; Ndegwa, Priscila
    This study investigated succession planning as a predictor of employee retention at the Teachers Service Commission. Given that the Teachers Service Commission plays a significant role in determining the education landscape in Kenya, it was therefore important to explore the factors in employee retention. An explanatory research design was adopted with emphasis on employees working in TSC headquarters, county, and regional offices. Stratified random sampling was used to select 380 participants from a total workforce of 3,000 employees to ensure diverse representation. Data collection employed structured questionnaires for primary data and a data collection sheet for secondary data. Reliability and validity were tested via a pilot study, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis through SPSS version 26. The study findings indicated that the succession planning variables collectively explained 63.6% of the variation in employee retention (R² = 0.636, Adjusted R² = 0.632), with the model being statistically significant (F = 163.82, p < 0.001). Selective hiring emerged as a strong predictor (β = 0.715, p < 0.001), though respondents cited concerns about delayed timelines and unclear expectations. Talent identification also showed a positive influence (β = 0.682, p < 0.001), despite widespread perceptions of irregularity and lack of fairness in its application. Leadership development programs had a significant but lower impact (β = 0.551, p < 0.001), hindered by inadequate resource support and weak feedback integration. Performance-based promotions had a positive but statistically insignificant effect (β = 0.492, p = 0.850), indicating that their influence on retention may depend on fairness and transparency in promotion practices. This research confirms that succession planning practices substantially influence employee retention, though their effectiveness is moderated by implementation quality. The study recommends strengthening recruitment practices, enhancing talent management systems, expanding leadership development and training programs, and reforming promotion policies to build a more committed and stable workforce. These recommendations are expected to enrich existing knowledge and inform policy at the TSC by guiding the design of pragmatic human resource strategies that sustain long-term employee engagement and organizational stability. Key Words: Selective Hiring, Talent Identification, Leadership Development, Performance-Based Promotions