WAR Metaphor Strategies in Expressing COVID-19 Messages in Presidential Speeches in Kenya in 2020

Presidential addresses are commonly used by leaders across the globe in addressing issues pertinent to society. Such addresses were given during the wake and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya. Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed, the then President of the Republic of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta addressed the nation on a regular basis regarding the spread of COVID-19 and the containment measures meant to slow down its spread. In Kenyatta’s speeches, there were many metaphors used while addressing the nation on COVID-19. The war metaphors were however found to be preponderant. This paper therefore investigates some of the WAR metaphors that were used in the presidential speeches in Kenya with a view to establishing what they were, why they were dominant, and how they were used in order to achieve communicative effect. The paper also makes an investigation of the conceptual nature of the WAR metaphors used in selected presidential addresses in Kenya. The paper further sought to interrogate the metaphorical implications of their usage in information management among Kenyans given that metaphorical constructions are efficient tools in helping citizens understand the complex information about COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this, data for this study were collected from presidential speeches that were delivered to the Kenyan nation. The speeches were purposively selected from among eight (8) presidential speeches given between March and October 2020. This was the period within when Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak in Kenya. The data were transcribed and analysed qualitatively. The study was guided by the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) proposed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980). This theory sees metaphor as a means by which language users cognitively think by way of transferring attributes from the concrete domain to the abstract domain thus making the abstract domain clearer, more simple, more understood and presented with some emphasis and even more foregrounded. The study found out that WAR metaphors were used essentially to warn, caution, inform, encourage, rally, and reassure the Kenyan people that the Kenyan government was taking charge of the entire situation. Most importantly, the metaphors were used in the oversimplification of information that was relayed to the people of Kenya in the management of COVID -19. The metaphors used were largely drawn from the Kenyan socio-cultural environment thus expected to make Kenyan people understand the complexity and nature and the effects of COVID-19

Organic Food and Farming in Kenya

The organic farm sector itself is basically organized around a minor number of large farm enterprises, or various supply organizations, based on purely commercial, community, faith or simply farmer cooperation involved in packaging, domestic or export sales. 35 farm enterprises covered the organic production in Kenya’s eight provinces. More than half are concentrated in the Central Province, where also most of the outgrowers are connected in relation to the labour intensive crop production within horticulture. A total of 1’811 farm outgrowers (smallholders of various sizes) were included to secure the ‘critical mass of supply’ – either for export or national market chains. The total organic area is distinguished between what is agricultural land and what is considered wild and extensive production. The agricultural land consisted of 4’535 hectares, which together with the area for wild and extensive collection reaching 73’851 hectares amounted to a total 78’438 hectares certified organic. The Central province dominates within horticulture, fruits, nuts, coffee and essential oils – five out of the six major organic product categories Kenya produces and exports. Tea is the sixth product, which is produced in the Rift Valley province around the town Kericho

Politeness phenomena: a case of Kiswahili honorifics

This paper discusses Standard Kiswahili honorifics in Nairobi. It used observation as a means of obtaining data in Nairobi where Standard Kiswahili is also spoken. It points out that honorifics are a chief politeness strategy across many discourse domains; Kiswahili honorifics are conspicuously used and seem easy to learn; honorifics complement other politeness strategies; they are used in both formal and informal encounters. This paper also argues that honorifics in expressing face sav-ing ideals in Kiswahili language have both a social and individual appeal. There is, therefore, a strong suggestion for social face and communal based politeness as opposed to individual polite-ness in Kiswahili. This paper observes that politeness and especially by means of honorifics makes a Kiswahili conversational encounter fruitful. The honorifics also help to define, redefine and sus-tain social strata that are used as a basis of expressing face-saving ideals and politeness in Kiswa-hili and hence contributing to less conflict in interaction and strengthening cohesion in society in question

Maenezi ya Lugha ya Kiswahili Nchini Sudan Kusini: Mafanikio na Changamoto

Utafiti huu unachunguza maenezi ya lugha ya Kiswahili katika taifa la Sudan Kusini kwa kuangazia njia zilizotumika kuisambaza hii lugha ya Kiswahili nchini humo. Unachunguza pia changamoto za lugha ya Kiswahili nchini Sudan Kusini na mustakabali wake. Data ya utafiti huu imekusanywa nyanjani kupitia kifaa cha mahojiano ambapo tuliwahoji wenyeji wa Sudan Kusini na wafanyakazi wa mashirika mbalimbali nchini Sudan Kusini. Utafiti huu umebaini kuwa Kiswahili kimeingia Sudan Kusini kwa msaada wa nyenzo mbalimbali kama vile vita, biashara, elimu, maingiliano ya mipakani, dini na ndoa. Utafiti huu pia unajadili baadhi ya vizuizi vinavyoweza kutatiza ukuaji na ueneaji wa Kiswahili katika taifa la Sudan Kusini kama vile tishio kubwa la ushindani na upinzani wa makundi ya lugha za Sudan Kusini na lugha ya Kiarabu ambayo ndiyo lugha ya maenezi mapana, na hali kadhalika lugha ya Kiingereza ambayo ni moja katika lugha zinazoenziwa katika taifa la Sudan Kusini hasa kwa kuwa lugha ya kimataifa. Imebainika pia kuwa sababu kubwa za kujifundisha Kiswahili kwa wenyeji wengi wa Sudan Kusini kumechangiwa na haja ya kutaka kujitambulisha na kujinasibisha na makundi mbalimbali ya Afrika Mashariki. Utafiti huu unahoji pia kuwa mustakabali wa lugha ya Kiswahili utategemea sera ya lugha nchini Sudan Kusini na utekelezaji wa matakwa ya Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki ya kufanya Kiswahili kuwa lugha ya maenezi mapana katika eneo la Afrika Mashariki nakopatikana nchi ya Sudan Kusini.This paper examines the spread of Swahili to South Sudan. It explores the challenges of the language in South Sudan and its potential future status and use. Data from this study were collected through interviews with South Sudanese residents and employees of various organizations. The study reveals that Swahili has gained ground in South Sudan due to war, trade, education, cross-border interaction, religion and marriage practices. This study also discusses some of the impeding barriers to the growth and spread of the language, e.g., with reference to the status and use Arabic and English. It is also observed that among the main reasons for learning Swahili for many South Sudanese people is the need to identify with other East Africans. The study also argues that the future of the language will depend on the language policies in South Sudan and the implementation of the East African Community's aspirations to make Swahili a widespread language beyond its core regions

Pragmatic strategies in the use of Kiswahili demonstratives

This paper focuses on two spatial Kiswahili demontratives. In Kiswahili, demonstratives have been traditionally treated as morphosyntactic elements that modulate various elements and realize emphatic function. Demonstratives have also been studied as elements that express and facilitate cohesive relations and elements that realize deictic functions in discourse. In this paper we look at Kiswahili demonstratives as used in the standard Kiswahili language in Nairobi city. We argue that besides the traditionally recognized functions, demonstratives in standard Kiswahili are also used to pass subtle discourse messages which can only be explained by taking into account the pragmatic strategies employed in the use of demonstratives in specific discourse settings

The Ekegusii Determiner Phrase Analysis in the Minimalist Program

Abstract Among some of the recent syntactic developments, the noun phrase has been reanalyzed as a determiner phrase (DP). This study analyses the Ekegusii determiner phrase (DP) with an inquiry into the relationship between agreement of the INFL (sentence) and concord in the noun phrase (determiner phrase). It hypothesizes that the Ekegusii sentential Agreement has a symmetrical relationship with the Ekegusii Determiner Phrase internal concord and feature checking theory and full interpretation (FI) in the Minimalist Program is adequate in the analysis of the internal structure of the Ekegusii DP. In employing the Minimalist Program (MP), the study shall first seek to establish the domain of the NP in the Ekegusii DP and go ahead to do an investigation into the adequacy of the Minimalist Program in analyzing the Ekegusii DP. This study is also geared towards establishing the order of determiners in the DP between the D-head and the NP complement. The study concludes that the principles of feature checking and full interpretation in the minimalist program are mutually crucial in ensuring that Ekegusii constructions (DP and even the sentence) are grammatical (converge). This emphasizes the fact that the MP is adequate in Ekegusii DP analysis

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Politeness phenomena: a case of Kiswahili honorifics

This paper discusses Standard Kiswahili honorifics in Nairobi. It used observation as a means of obtaining data in Nairobi where Standard Kiswahili is also spoken. It points out that honorifics are a chief politeness strategy across many discourse domains; Kiswahili honorifics are conspicuously used and seem easy to learn; honorifics complement other politeness strategies; they are used in both formal and informal encounters. This paper also argues that honorifics in expressing face sav-ing ideals in Kiswahili language have both a social and individual appeal. There is, therefore, a strong suggestion for social face and communal based politeness as opposed to individual polite-ness in Kiswahili. This paper observes that politeness and especially by means of honorifics makes a Kiswahili conversational encounter fruitful. The honorifics also help to define, redefine and sus-tain social strata that are used as a basis of expressing face-saving ideals and politeness in Kiswa-hili and hence contributing to less conflict in interaction and strengthening cohesion in society in question

Maenezi ya Lugha ya Kiswahili Nchini Sudan Kusini: Mafanikio na Changamoto

Utafiti huu unachunguza maenezi ya lugha ya Kiswahili katika taifa la Sudan Kusini kwa kuangazia njia zilizotumika kuisambaza hii lugha ya Kiswahili nchini humo. Unachunguza pia changamoto za lugha ya Kiswahili nchini Sudan Kusini na mustakabali wake. Data ya utafiti huu imekusanywa nyanjani kupitia kifaa cha mahojiano ambapo tuliwahoji wenyeji wa Sudan Kusini na wafanyakazi wa mashirika mbalimbali nchini Sudan Kusini. Utafiti huu umebaini kuwa Kiswahili kimeingia Sudan Kusini kwa msaada wa nyenzo mbalimbali kama vile vita, biashara, elimu, maingiliano ya mipakani, dini na ndoa. Utafiti huu pia unajadili baadhi ya vizuizi vinavyoweza kutatiza ukuaji na ueneaji wa Kiswahili katika taifa la Sudan Kusini kama vile tishio kubwa la ushindani na upinzani wa makundi ya lugha za Sudan Kusini na lugha ya Kiarabu ambayo ndiyo lugha ya maenezi mapana, na hali kadhalika lugha ya Kiingereza ambayo ni moja katika lugha zinazoenziwa katika taifa la Sudan Kusini hasa kwa kuwa lugha ya kimataifa. Imebainika pia kuwa sababu kubwa za kujifundisha Kiswahili kwa wenyeji wengi wa Sudan Kusini kumechangiwa na haja ya kutaka kujitambulisha na kujinasibisha na makundi mbalimbali ya Afrika Mashariki. Utafiti huu unahoji pia kuwa mustakabali wa lugha ya Kiswahili utategemea sera ya lugha nchini Sudan Kusini na utekelezaji wa matakwa ya Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki ya kufanya Kiswahili kuwa lugha ya maenezi mapana katika eneo la Afrika Mashariki nakopatikana nchi ya Sudan Kusini.This paper examines the spread of Swahili to South Sudan. It explores the challenges of the language in South Sudan and its potential future status and use. Data from this study were collected through interviews with South Sudanese residents and employees of various organizations. The study reveals that Swahili has gained ground in South Sudan due to war, trade, education, cross-border interaction, religion and marriage practices. This study also discusses some of the impeding barriers to the growth and spread of the language, e.g., with reference to the status and use Arabic and English. It is also observed that among the main reasons for learning Swahili for many South Sudanese people is the need to identify with other East Africans. The study also argues that the future of the language will depend on the language policies in South Sudan and the implementation of the East African Community's aspirations to make Swahili a widespread language beyond its core regions