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Item Factors Influencing the Adoption of Tissue Culture Banana (Musa Paradisiaca) Technology in Kisii County, Kenya(Kenyatta University, 2024-09) Omari, Erick NyabogaTo attain food security across the nation, the Kenyan government has made efforts over the years, although with varying degrees of success. Agriculture has been considerably intensifying to feed the expanding population. One technology utilized is the tissue culture banana technology. Kisii region is an important contributor to Kenya’s food security due to its long history in food production for instance banana production. However, food production in the area has been on decline as a result of difficulties arising from social economic factors. Most research studies reveal low technology adoption rates, in Kisii County despite efforts to spread this technology to small-scale farmers. Therefore, the specific objectives of the study were; i) to examine the socioeconomic aspects affecting implementing tissue culture bananas in Kisii County. ii) to ascertain how tissue culture banana knowledge influences the use of tissue culture banana technology in Kisii County, and iii) to investigate the advantages brought about by Kisii County's small-scale farmers' adoption of tissue-cultured bananas. The study adopted a descriptive study approach. Simple random sampling was performed to select 200 respondents for the study. Data collection utilized survey forms, interview schedules, and checklists for observation A five-Likert scale analysis was utilized to collect farmers' degrees of awareness regarding Tissue Culture bananas and the benefits realized. Farm socio-economic characteristics were related to tissue culture banana adoption using comparative statistical procedures. For numeric characteristics, means between adoption categories were significant at p<0.05 using t-tests. Chi-square tests were conducted between adoption and categorical variables and significant relationships between the variables were declared at p<0.05. The study used a logistic regression model using maximum likelihood estimation to estimate the probability of tissue culture banana being adopted by farmers as influenced by several socio-economic characteristics. Mean comparison procedures were used to show the relationships between tissue culture banana knowledge items and tissue culture banana adoption. The means were also used to display the relationship between tissue culture banana benefits and adoption. Results showed that the size of household (p=0.05, Std=1.8), the availability of extension services (p=0.000, χ 2=79.1), ability to purchase land (0.006, χ 2=16.3), access to financing (p=0.007, χ 2=7.468), education level (p=0.015), ability to afford seedlings (p=0.000, χ 2=17.6), labour availability (p=0.005, χ 2=10.735) and availability of farm inputs (p=0.000, χ 2=35.9) had a profound effect on the uptake of tissue culture bananas. Responses from qualitative data were analyzed and presented in narrative form. Adoption of bananas from tissue culture was found to be significantly impacted by the farmers' low level of knowledge about the subject. Majority of farmers were aware of the advantages of tissue-cultured bananas, but were constrained by socioeconomic issues that prevented them from implementing the technology. Socio-economic factors should be taken into consideration in anticipation to help a variety of stakeholders’ increase banana production through tissue culture adoption and improve food securityItem Using patterns of distribution and diversity of Kenyan birds to select and prioritize areas for conservation.(Springer, 1996-01-14) Muriuki, J. N.; De Klerk, Helen. M.; Williams, P. H.; Bennun, L. A.; Crowe, T. M.; Berge, E. V.Patterns and environmental correlates of species distributions and richness are identi®ed for Kenyan birds at a quarter degree-square scale. This information is used together with iterative complementarity analyses, which employ species richness, taxonomic dispersion and range-restrictedness, to identify priority areas for possible conservation attention. Bird species apparently not conserved by existing protected areas in Kenya are identited. Six avifaunal zones (and one transitional zone) are distinguished based on distributions of suites of bird species. Variation in biotope diversity (the number of forest and aquatic systems) accounts for 79% of the observed variation in Kenyan bird species richness. Although both rainfall and altitudinal range are signi®cantly correlated with species richness, they only explain an additional 3% of the observed variation. The priority areas identi®ed are situated mainly within highlands and coastal lowlands. Although few priority areas are identi®ed in northern Kenya, this region also constitutes a priority, as it contains a suite of xeric species with habitats that are not represented elsewhere in Kenya. The papyrus yellow warbler, Chloropeta gracilirostris, William's bush lark, Mirafra williamsi, white-winged dove, Streptopelia reichenowi, and Jubaland weaver, Ploceus dichrocephalus, are identited as endemics or near-endemics that are probably not adequately conserved in Kenya at present.Item Climate Change, Resource Competition, and Conflict amongst Pastoral Communities in Kenya(Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2012) Njiru, B. N.This chapter tries to understand climate change, resource competition, and conflict amongst pastoral communities, and argues that violent conflict involving pastoralists is associated with resource competition which is, among other factors such as interstate and intercommunal tensions and political instabilities, aggravated by climate change. Conflicts among the pastoral communities have become very common and increasingly relentless in the northern region of Kenya. Specifically, the chapter documents the evidence of climate change in the pastoral areas in Kenya, determines the effects of climate change on pastoralist livelihoods in Kenya, and discusses the effects of climate change on resource-based conflicts among the pastoral communities of Kenya. Primary data was obtained from a total of 45 primary pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, and key informants. Four focus group discussions with ten participants each were conducted in Matuu. The interviews were conducted in order to find out how climate has changed and how this has affected pastoralism. Secondary data was utilized in literature analysis. These resources were obtained from Kenyatta University Library, University of Nairobi, and from the Internet. Primary data was qualitatively analysed. The main findings are that resource competition among the pastoralists is indeed exacerbating resource competition and consequential conflict.