A Business Engagement Web Tool for Coachella Valley

The interrelationship between businesses and the surrounding population is an inevitable reality and key to their success. The two play an important role in the development of their surroundings. Some of the businesses in Coachella Valley have participated in collaborative efforts with the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP), to aid them in accessing their potential workforce, available in some of their specialized career academies. However, their current methods of easily accessing or finding the workforce have proved to be inefficient. To address this, Workforce Excellence, an arm of Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP), seeks to adopt spatially-enabled methods to improve its knowledge-base on the location of these academies. This will aid the affiliated businesses to connect with their potential workforce by utilizing the wealth of data currently in place. The business engagement web tool aims to reduce the gap between the academies and the businesses, to enable them to run queries and quick searches. Web GIS was implemented for this project using ESRI ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS Online, and ArcGIS API for JavaScript. This was an improvement from the initial dependence on static information that was previously shared through CVEP’s website

Effect of Talent Attraction on Organizational Performance: A Case of Hotels in South Rift Region, Kenya

Hotel sector in the tourism Industry is more and more treating human capital as a typical positive feature that can be leveraged to provide sustainable competitive advantage. As a consequence investors and administrators of hotels have resorted to embracing strategies geared towards talent building and relating it with their hotels. It is hoped that talented employees would enable the hotels realize their objectives. South Rift Region which was the focus of the study, exhibits diversity of star rated tourist hotels classified by Tourism Regulatory Authority. The study was conducted in two to five star hotels, within South Rift Region.  This research sought to determine the effect of talent attraction on organizational performance of hotels in South Rift Region, Kenya. The study was guided by Resource Based View Theory. Given that the target population was small (40), a census survey was conducted and structured questionnaires administered to all Human Resource Managers and Hotel Managers in hotels in South Rift Region. The instrument was pilot tested to ascertain the reliability of the research instrument using Cronbach Alpha Reliability Coefficient. The reliability of the research instrument was found to be 0.946 which was considered reliable. The study employed both descriptive (frequency distributions, means and percentages) and inferential statistics. Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple Linear Regression analysis was conducted at significant level of α= 0.05. Data analysis was done with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. The study established that talent attraction, has a positive significant effect on organizational performance of hotels in South Rift Region with correlation coefficients of (r = 0. 810, p < 0.05). The study recommends that further research could be done on Influence of Innovation Management on organizational performance. Keywords: Talent attraction, Talent Management Practices, Organizational Performance, South Rift Region DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-6-02 Publication date: February 29th 202

Christianity in Early Kenyan Novels: Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s Weep Not, Child and The River Between

A dominant feature in the novels of Ngugi Wa Thiong'o is the way he presents Christians and Christianity, at best as indifferent to the plight of the majority of the people, and at worst as accomplices in institutionalized exploitation, humiliation and dehumanization of the greater majority. Parts of the explanation for Ngugi's impatience with Christianity lie, perhaps equally, in his childhood experiences as a colonial subject who was coerced into recognizing Christianity as equivalent to Western civilization, as well as his later encounter with Marxist thought that associated religion with the systematized economic exploitation of the majority of people. Yet as a model of spiritual organization, Christianity has no doubt played an important role in fashioning past and present individual and group identities with regard to existing structures of power, which is probably why Ngugi is unable to narrate the experiences of his people without allocating a remarkably large space to it. In light of this, we read the two novels as attempts by the writer to project the trauma caused by and the tensions of Christianity among the colonized subjects as important influences in the formation and development of (post)colonial Kenyan subjects. Key Words: Ngugi Wa  Thiong'o, Christianity, postcolonial, subjects

Devolution in Kenya: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The adoption of devolved system of government in Kenya was a desire of citizens who wanted access to public services closer to them. The objects of devolution as provided for in Articles 174 and 175 of the Constitution about promotion of democracy and accountability in the exercise of power, fostering national unity by recognizing diversity, enhancing people’s self-governance, enabling communities manage their own affairs, protecting and promoting interests and rights of minorities and the marginalized and ensuring equitable sharing of resources. To achieve these, there must be framework put in place and enabling environment provided to all stakeholders involved in implantation of devolution. However, the environment for implementation of devolution has not been smooth due to various challenges experienced for the past five years. Issues like disagreements between the National Government and County government over funding for County functions, poor or absence of consultation on matters that affect County Governments, little technical support for the implementation of functions, insufficient allocations and delayed disbursements of funds to Counties by the National Treasury, lack of capacity and skills to deliver services, corruption, lack public participation, gender inequality are some of the challenges this paper is going to analyze. It is clear that these challenges have affected the implementation of devolution in Kenya. To achieve the goal of devolution there should be a better working relationship between the two levels of government. Parliament, County Governments, the IGRTC, the  Ministries, Independent Offices and  Commissions, civil society- all should work together in the spirit of Article 6(2) for the good of devolution. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/9-6-02 Publication date:June 30th 201

Understanding Hate Speech in Kenya

This paper focuses on hate speech in Kenya. We interrogate the prevalence and development of hate speech over time, investigate the perpetrators of hate speech and the targeted groups, critically analyze the consequences of hate speech, dissect the freedom of speech vs. the protection from hate speech, highlight various challenges in curbing hate speech and reflect on strategies and methods of curbing hate speech being used by various agencies

Assessing Sustainability of Rural Community Radio in Kenya: A Case of Radio Mangelete

Rural communities rely on radio for communication and community radio remains the most accessible medium of communication. Rural community radio is the voice of the unprivileged members of the society. In Kenya, community radio stations are growing rapidly and extensively. Radio Mang’elete has been in existence for more than ten years but still struggling with sustainability challenges. The study was conducted in a natural setting which involved in-depth interviews and Focused Group Discussions (FGD’s). The study revealed lack of quality management, lack of community involvement, lack of quality programs, unprofessionalism among others as contributing factors towards Rural Community Radio (RCR) sustainability.Qualitative research focusing on insight and understanding from the perspective of those being studied offers the greatest promise of making a difference in people’s lives (Merriam2009). Based on findings, the study recommends that RCR should improve on financial resources, policies and regulation, professionalism, management skills, and training of staff /volunteers should be frequent. Keywords: Community radio, financial sustainability, social sustainability, institutional sustainabilit

Is National Government a Threat to Devolved System of Governance in Kenya?

This paper addresses the ways through which the national government of Kenya has proved to be a threat to devolution. Challenges emanating from national government actions are hampering the implementation of devolution. Devolution was intended to bring services closer to the people and promote public participation in decision-making. Transfer of functions from the national government to county governments and resource allocation to counties as provided for in the constitution 2010 is core to the implementation of devolution. Public participation permitted communities to manage their own affairs and further their development agenda. The minority and marginalized communities are recognized and protected through a devolved system of government as provided for in Article 174 of the constitution. The issue of inequality which was strongly practiced by the centralized system of governanceshouldbe addressed through devolution. There has been the development of national laws and policies other than devolution laws that were developed on the onset of the devolved system of governance. These laws affected the implementation of devolution. Budget Policy Statement according to the National Treasury (2013) is to accelerate economic growth by sustaining macroeconomic stability; focusing on economic policies and structural reforms; and deepening investment in critical economic infrastructure. The BPS is published under Section 25 of the Public Finance Management Act. However, the national budget policy statement is framed in a manner they encroach county functions mandates. Judiciary has the important role of giving effect to the constitutional provisions on devolution; however, the independence of the judiciary is threatened by political quarters affecting its function in the implementation of devolution. Commissions and independent offices whose collective responsibility to facilitate the achievement of devolution is impaired due to underfunding. Poor intergovernmental consultations are affecting devolution in the sense that plans to undertake Nairobi City County functions without due process and intergovernmental agreements are infringing on the Intergovernmental Relations Act, 2012. Above these challenges, the national government has enacted laws to reduce the power of independent institutions, direct intimidation, and incapacitation through budgetary cuts. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/10-7-05 Publication date:July 31st 2020

Assessing Sustainability of Rural Community Radio in Kenya: A Case of Radio Mangelete

Rural communities rely on radio for communication and community radio remains the most accessible medium of communication. Rural community radio is the voice of the unprivileged members of the society. In Kenya, community radio stations are growing rapidly and extensively. Radio Mang’elete has been in existence for more than ten years but still struggling with sustainability challenges. The study was conducted in a natural setting which involved in-depth interviews and Focused Group Discussions (FGD’s). Data was collected and analyzed.  The study revealed lack of quality management, lack of community involvement, lack of quality programs, unprofessionalism among others as contributing factors towards Rural Community Radio (RCR) sustainability.Qualitative research focusing on insight and understanding from the perspective of those being studied offers the greatest promise of making a difference in people’s lives (Merriam2009). Based on findings, the study recommends that RCR should improve on financial resources, policies and regulation, professionalism, management skills, and training of staff /volunteers should be frequent.

Can trade effluent charges promote compliance and address water security risks in Nairobi’s manufacturing industries?

This research assessed whether trade effluent charges could promote compliance and address water security risks in manufacturing industries in Nairobi. This is due to the burden of effluent management that Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), the largest water supply and sewerage Company in Nairobi, has been having in the management of effluent water despite the existence of comprehensive effluent discharge regulations. The research therefore assessed the water security risks faced by manufacturing companies and assessed the compliance rates of manufacturing companies with effluent waste water discharge regulations, to find out whether there is any effects on water security brought about by the trade effluent charges and to determine the effects of these charges on operational performance of Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company. A descriptive survey was used to carry out this research targeting a sample of twenty (20) manufacturing companies in Nairobi County spread across different sectors such as textile, agro-processing, oils and refinery and food and beverage. The research results reveal that most industries in Nairobi County consume between 10,001 to 50,000 m3 of water monthly and that most them are compliant with NEMA effluent discharge regulations. The research further showed that compliance with the set regulations have been on a steady increase from the year 2015 to 2017. On water security risks, the research established that manufacturing industries have been discharging a varying amount of effluent into the sewers of Nairobi city and most of them invest in various water efficiency measures to reduce water usage and comply with effluent discharge regulations. The research further established that NEMA effluent discharge regulations have had no effect on their operational performance of most industries in Nairobi County as the cost of effluent discharge is part of their budget. Additionally NEMA effluent discharge regulations had no effect on the water security risks of the manufacturing industries, in most manufacturing industries since most of them invested in drilling boreholes and rain water harvesting before the regulations were enacted to supplement water supply while for the remaining few, the said regulations had increased their water security by encouraging them to recycle water, invest in rain water harvesting and also utilize less borehole water. In conclusion, the introduction of the trade waste effluent regulations has had minimal effect in promoting treatment and recycling of waste water, reduction of costs in operation of municipal treatment plants and their maintenance and mitigation of water security risks. To promote compliance of regulations and investment in waste water treatment and reuse to address water security risks from demand side management, policy makers need to design incentives to compel large water users to invest in demand side management measures. These measures could include waste water treatment and reuse, water reduction interventions, measuring and monitoring water use. On the other hand corporate management need to incorporate water-use efficiency measures, sustainability and environmental protection within their strategies

Methodological notes on a collaborative, action-research programme on nutrition and ageing

Knowledge on the nutritional needs and vulnerabilities of older people in many low-income countries is limited. A collaborative research programme between HelpAge International and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine sought to help fill this gap. This paper outlines the approaches used during the research and the ways in which the research outcomes are now being used to directly benefit older persons and to advocate their rights