Forced sterilization: critical analysis of legal framework Surrounding reproductive rights in Kenya

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Laws degreeWomen's rights are central to the progress of women in social, economic, political and cultural spheres of life. It is for this reason that these rights have been given special regard at both an international and national levels. Among such women's right is the right to reproduction; a right encompassing a conglomerate of rights such as the right to the highest attainable standard of health and the right to decide the number and spacing of one's children and the right to be free from discrimination. Reproductive rights are further premised on the principle of bodily integrity which enshrines the right of the person to make decisions concerning one's body. Forced and coerced sterilizations involve making a woman permanently unable to bear children without her consent, or with consent obtained under duress or incentive without proper understanding or knowledge of the procedure consequences. This study aims to show how such sterilizations undermine the human dignity of the person and the resultant violation of the right to reproduction at both international and national level, more specifically Kenya. The research is a qualitative one based on information from text books, journal articles, news articles and appropriate case law from various jurisdictions. The paper looks to apply its findings to the Kenyan jurisdiction and to propose mechanisms through which reproductive rights within the region can be more strongly protected by reducing the occurrence of harmful practices such as forced and coerced sterilizations

Effect of competition on the loan performance of deposit taking microfinance institutions in Kenya: A case of Nairobi region

ABSTRACT Competition between microfinance institutions (MFIs) in developing countries has increased dramatically in the last decade. This study sought to investigate the effects of competition on the loan performance of deposit taking microfinance institutions in Kenya. The study also sought to investigate the effects of multiple loan taking, cost efficiency, selection standards and customer relationship on the operational performance of deposit taking microfinance institutions in Kenya. The study found that there is a relationship between multiple loan-taking, selection standards and customer relationship cost efficiency and loan performance of the microfinance institutions. In addition, the study also established that multiple loan-taking negatively affects loan performance deposit-taking microfinance institutions. This study therefore recommends that MFIs should not offer multiple loans to customers so as to improve their loan performance

Land Corruption Risk Mapping

In 2016, the Centre for Rural Development – commissioned by Transparency International – developed a Handbook on Land Corruption Risk Mapping, which helps NGOs, governmental institutions, and other actors to systematically identify and assess corruption risks in land governance and to develop effective counter-measures. The present study was produced during the development process of the handbook. It explains the handbook’s conceptual framework (corruption, corruption risks, risk assessment, etc.) and details the methodological approach that was used to develop and test the handbook. In addition, the study presents the results of four case studies that were conducted in Kenya as part of the development and testing process, namely: 1) Urban space land conflicts in Nairobi; 2) Indigenous communities and their role in initial land registration in West Pokot; 3) Inheritance of land and land rights for women in Kakamega; 4) Large scale land acquisitions in Kwale. Finally, the study includes recommendations – for Transparency International, for governmental institutions, and for NGOs – that were drawn from the handbook development process and from the case studies in Kenya

Species-Specific Serological Detection for Schistosomiasis by Serine Protease Inhibitor (SERPIN) in Multiplex Assay

Background: Both Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium cause schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa. We assessed the diagnostic value of selected Schistosoma antigens for the development of a multiplex serological immunoassay for sero-epidemiological surveillance. Methodology/Principal Findings: Diagnostic ability of recombinant antigens from S. mansoni and S. haematobium was assessed by Luminex multiplex immunoassay using plasma from school children in two areas of Kenya, endemic for different species of schistosomiasis. S. mansoni serine protease inhibitor (SERPIN) and Sm-RP26 showed significantly higher reactivity to patient plasma as compared to the control group. Sm-Filamin, Sm-GAPDH, Sm-GST, Sm-LAP1, Sm-LAP2, Sm-Sm31, Sm-Sm32 and Sm-Tropomyosin did not show difference in reactivity between S. mansoni infected and uninfected pupils. Sm-RP26 was cross-reactive to plasma from S. haematobium patients, whereas Sm-SERPIN was species-specific. Sh-SEPRIN was partially cross-reactive to S. mansoni infected patients. ROC analysis for Sm-RP26, Sm-SERPIN and Sh-SERPIN showed AUC values of 0.833, 0.888 and 0.947, respectively. Using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis, we also found significant positive correlation between the number of excreted eggs and median fluorescence intensity (MFI) from the multiplex immunoassays for Sm-SERPIN (ρ = 0.430, p-value = 0.003) and Sh-SERPIN (ρ = 0.433, p-value = 0.006). Conclusions/Significance: Sm-SERPIN is a promising species-specific diagnostic antigen. Sh-SEPRIN was partially cross-reactive to S. mansoni infected patients. SERPINs showed correlation with the number of excreted eggs. These indicate prospects for inclusion of SERPINs in the multiplex serological immunoassay system

Serological Surveillance Development for Tropical Infectious Diseases Using Simultaneous Microsphere-Based Multiplex Assays and Finite Mixture Models

Background:A strategy to combat infectious diseases, including neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), will depend on the development of reliable epidemiological surveillance methods. To establish a simple and practical seroprevalence detection system, we developed a microsphere-based multiplex immunoassay system and evaluated utility using samples obtained in Kenya.Methods:We developed a microsphere-based immuno-assay system to simultaneously measure the individual levels of plasma antibody (IgG) against 8 antigens derived from 6 pathogens: Entamoeba histolytica (C-IgL), Leishmania donovani (KRP42), Toxoplasma gondii (SAG1), Wuchereria bancrofti (SXP1), HIV (gag, gp120 and gp41), and Vibrio cholerae (cholera toxin). The assay system was validated using appropriate control samples. The assay system was applied for 3411 blood samples collected from the general population randomly selected from two health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) cohorts in the coastal and western regions of Kenya. The immunoassay values distribution for each antigen was mathematically defined by a finite mixture model, and cut-off values were optimized.Findings:Sensitivities and specificities for each antigen ranged between 71 and 100%. Seroprevalences for each pathogen from the Kwale and Mbita HDSS sites (respectively) were as follows: HIV, 3.0% and 20.1%; L. donovani, 12.6% and 17.3%; E. histolytica, 12.8% and 16.6%; and T. gondii, 30.9% and 28.2%. Seroprevalences of W. bancrofti and V. cholerae showed relatively high figures, especially among children. The results might be affected by immunological cross reactions between W. bancrofti-SXP1 and other parasitic infections; and cholera toxin and the enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), respectively.Interpretation:A microsphere-based multi-serological assay system can provide an opportunity to comprehensively grasp epidemiological features for NTDs. By adding pathogens and antigens of interest, optimized made-to-order high-quality programs can be established to utilize limited resources to effectively control NTDs in Africa

M-Career : a personality-based career recommender expert system

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Science in Mobile Telecommunications and Innovation (MSc.MTI)Currently, students mainly get career advice from their parents, teachers, peers or career counsellors. These career information sources consider factors like expected remuneration, job location, the current market trends and social preferences in their recommendation. Personality is very influential in the career decision-making process of high school and university students. Moreover, when students select careers that do not agree with their personalities, they lack interest in the course and eventually drop out or request for career change. In this dissertation we present the design and development of a proposed personality-based career recommender expert system that aims to assist high school students to select the best suitable career choice program in Institutions of Higher Learning in Kenya. In order to generate recommendations it applies the results achieved in the personality analysis from the personality assessment test to the knowledge base system. This system contains degree programs classified using the Dictionary Holland of Occupational Classification. The main aim of the proposed model is to eventually minimize frustrations that come with selecting the wrong careers in pursuit of one's career goals. The system stores its data on a cloud server, which provides real time updates for new requests on mobile devices. The mobile application source code is written in Apache Cordova platform and integrated with android. This makes it a hybrid application that can be run on any platform. To test the application, a questionnaire form is prepared and issued to all the students who participated in the main study and they are allowed to use the system and give their feedback. This enabled evaluation of the system usability, efficiency and effectiveness. The test results indicated that the system was able to accurately recommend careers to students with an accuracy prediction level of 80%

Handbook on land corruption risk mapping

Corruption in land governance is a significant problem in many countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. It leads to insecure tenure rights, and thus contributes to non-sustainable use of land, food insecurity, inequality, violent conflicts, and the breakdown of livelihood systems. To design effective counter-measures against corruption in land governance, it is important to gain an accurate understanding of the weak spots in the respective land governance system. Therefore, the Handbook on Land Corruption Risk Mapping – commissioned by Transparency International and developed by the Centre for Rural Development (SLE) – helps NGOs, governmental institutions, and other actors in Sub-Saharan Africa to systematically identify and assess corruption risks in land governance and to develop effective counter-measures. The handbook is divided into three phases: I) Research on the historical, legal, and institutional context of the respective land governance system; II) Conduction of a participatory multi-stakeholder workshop to identify and assess corruption risks in key land governance processes; III) Development of strategies to tackle the identified corruption risks. The handbook is illustrated with examples from case studies in Kenya

Spatial Distributions of HIV Infection in an Endemic Area of Western Kenya: Guiding Information for Localized HIV Control and Prevention.

HIV is still a major health problem in developing countries. Even though high HIV-risk-taking behaviors have been reported in African fishing villages, local distribution patterns of HIV infection in the communities surrounding these villages have not been thoroughly analyzed. The objective of this study was to investigate the geographical distribution patterns of HIV infection in communities surrounding African fishing villages. In 2011, we applied age- and sex-stratified random sampling to collect 1,957 blood samples from 42,617 individuals registered in the Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Mbita, which is located on the shore of Lake Victoria in western Kenya. We used these samples to evaluate existing antibody detection assays for several infectious diseases, including HIV antibody titers. Based on the results of the assays, we evaluated the prevalence of HIV infection according to sex, age, and altitude of participating households. We also used Kulldorff's spatial scan statistic to test for HIV clustering in the study area. The prevalence of HIV at our study site was 25.3%. Compared with the younger age group (15-19 years), adults aged 30-34 years were 6.71 times more likely to be HIV-positive, and the estimated HIV-positive population among women was 1.43 times larger than among men. Kulldorff's spatial scan statistic detected one marginally significant (P = 0.055) HIV-positive and one significant HIV-negative cluster (P = 0.047) in the study area. These results suggest a homogeneous HIV distribution in the communities surrounding fishing villages. In addition to individual behavior, more complex and diverse factors related to the social and cultural environment can contribute to a homogeneous distribution pattern of HIV infection outside of African fishing villages. To reduce rates of transmission in HIV-endemic areas, HIV prevention and control programs optimized for the local environment need to be developed

HIV prevalence by sub-area of the study site according to age-group and sex.

<p>The horizontal axis indicates age groups in units of five years, and the vertical axis shows the prevalence of HIV positive cases. Red and blue lines with error bars indicating 95% confidence intervals represent females and males, respectively.</p