Assessment of Factors Influencing Food Security in Wenje Division, Tana River County – Kenya

Access to food is recognized as a right as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). However, food security is still not universally treated as a basic human right. Despite the various progressive measures adopted by the Government of Kenya and Non-governmental organizations, the status of food security in Tana River County is appalling. This study was designed to assess the factors influencing food security in Wenje Division in Tana River County. The main purpose of the study was to assess the extent to which, climate change, governance, access to markets and land use affected food security. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Stratified random sampling was employed to select 390 (10%) out of a total population of 3,908 households. Data was collected using a questionnaire and Focus Group Discussions. Descriptive statistics and regression modeling were used to analyze quantitative data. Qualitative data was presented in narrative form. The key results from the study show that climate change (p=0.001) and land use (p=0.001) had a significant effect on food security. These factors were also found to have a negative influence on food security in the area. Further, statistical findings show a significant relationship between access to markets and food security, while governance was not found to have a significant influence on food security perhaps due to the solitary nature of the farming households. The study concluded that climate change, market access and land use have a significant influence on food security in Wenje Division, while governance was found not to have a significant influence on food security in the area. The study recommended that the government in partnership with other stakeholders should develop strategies to reduce reliance on rain fed agriculture to mitigate the effects of climate change on food security. The study also recommended land use training and planning to empower farmers with skills in the area to enhance food production. Finally, deliberate efforts should be made by the government and other development actors to enhance market access as this was also found to significantly influence food security in the area

East African coastal forest under pressure

The Arabuko Sokoke dryland coastal forest along the East African coastline provides a unique habitat for many endangered endemic animal and plant species. High demographic pressure with subsequent land-splitting, soil depletion in combination with erratic rainfalls and the collapse of the tourism industry are negatively affecting food security and human livelihood quality in this region. Food crops were originally produced by subsistence farming, but have now to be purchased at local-and super-markets, constituting a major financial burden for the local people. In consequence, overexploitation of natural resources from Arabuko Sokoke forest (illegal logging, charcoal burning, poaching of wild animals) increased during the past years. In this commentary we document ecosystem heterogeneity leading to high species richness. We discuss direct and indirect drivers of habitat degradation of the Arabuko Sokoke forest, and critically reflect current and future solutions. Key drivers of habitat destruction and biodiversity loss are (i) illegal timber logging and removal of woody biomass, (ii) poaching of bush-meat, (iii) exceeding of the carrying capacity by the local elephant population, restricted to Arabuko Sokoke by an electric fence, and (iv) weak governance structures and institutional confusion exacerbating illegal exploitation of natural resources. Potential solutions might be: Provisioning of additional income sources; reforestation of the surrounding areas in the framework of REDD+ activities to create a buffer around the remaining primary forest; improving governance structures that formulates clear guidelines on future usage and protection of natural resources within the Arabuko Sokoke forest; and family planning to counteract human demographic pressure and the exploitation of natural resources

The Nexus between traditional food beliefs and nutritional status of children below two years A case study of the Giriama in Kilifi county Kenya

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IMPACT OF SOCIOECONOMICS ON THE LOW ACCESS TO BASIC EDUCATION AMONG GIRLS IN BALI LGA, TARABA STATE NIGERIA

The best asset for developing any society lies on investing in human capital, especially through education. Free basic education has been viewed as a panacea to the development of human capital, especially in the third world countries. One of these countries, such as Nigeria in West Africa, has compulsory policy on free basic education. However, despite heavy investment in the sector, access to basic education for the girl child remains a challenge. The study sought to establish factors influencing low access of the girl-child to free primary education in Nigeria with a focus on Bali Local Government Area (LGA).The researcher used a cross sectional survey research design. An interview schedule and questionnaire were used to collect data. Data collected was analyzed using content analysis and with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer programme respectively. Both qualitative and quantitative data was presented using descriptive statistics. The study has established that socio economic and cultural factors have huge influence in inhibiting the girl child’s access to basic education in Bali LGA. It was overwhelmingly (66%) reported that child labour was prevalent in the study area. However, the finding was a reflection of the economic living standards of the households in Bali LGA, where girls were used to support income generation for the households. It emerged during the study that child labour was necessitated by the economic hardships of the parents, drawing its root from poverty, which drives the girls to supplement and boost family income. High (60%) rates of early marriages were also reported in this study. The researcher recommends that the government of Nigeria should introduce new innovative initiatives to control child labour and enforce anti child labour laws.  Article visualizations

Ghost biofuel projects: Abandoned Jatropha Curcas plantations and community wellbeing in Tana River County of Kenya

ontext and background   In the mid-2000s there was aggressive promotion of large scale farming of Jatropha Curcas in Sub-Sahara Africa as a means to mitigate climate change through promotion of clean energy production and green energy security. However, many of these Jatropha projects were abandoned before reaching the production stage and ended up as a non-operational projects. The impact of abandoned Jatropha projects to the local communities that hosted them are an understudied phenomenon in Kenya and elsewhere.  Goal and Objectives:   The objective of this article is to explore how the failed Jatropha projects impact the wellbeing of local communities using the case study of Bedford biofuels project implemented by a Canadian investor in the Lower Tana Delta area of Tana River County in Kenya. Methodology:  Empirical evidence of this article was obtained through individual and focus group interviews, observation and complemented with secondary sources.  Results:   This article unpacks the impact of a non-operational land deals on the local communities to advance the growing literature on the consequences of large scale land investments projects that get abandoned before the production phase and it submits tha

Harmonizing multi-stakeholder interests to improve forest conservation in Southern Kenya

The cloud forests of the Taita Hills are valuable refuges for numerous endemic and rare animal and plant species. They also provide various ecosystem services that support subsistence farming. Due to the large-scale destruction and conversion of these species-rich natural forests into subsistence agriculture and plantations of exotic tree species, most of the natural cloud forest habitats have disappeared and ecosystem services have been significantly diminished. Despite numerous conservation initiatives, the destruction of the Taita Hills forest ecosystem continues, which also lowers livelihood quality of the local people. During a workshop with representatives of GOs, NGOs, researchers and representatives of the local community we identified potential factors which are essential to reverse this negative trend. We found that governance structures urgently need to be strengthened, and that the traditional conservation system needs to get transformed and revitalised. The basic prerequisite is a vital communication among generations, especially between the youth and the elders, as well as and improved communication of scientific knowledge to policy makers and the society. Furthermore, it is essential to harmonize stakeholders’ mandates, policies and actions to efficiently restore this unique forest biodiversity hotspot, and to secure livelihood needs for the local people

A meaningful performative experience: Using Forum Theatre as an ethical method in sustainability science

Sustainability scientists have engaged in extensive discussions on ethical ways of doing research and argued on the importance of co-production approaches to counter knowledge extractivism. The specific issue of research fatigue, often associated with knowledge extractivism, and the possible methods to counter it, have however received less attention. This paper seeks to contribute to discussions on ethical ways of doing research by focusing on our experience of using theatre, specifically, Forum Theatre, to investigate divergent perceptions of environmental change and related tensions among selected coastal communities in Kenya and Mozambique. We argue that Forum Theatre constitutes an ethical method for sustainability scientists for four reasons: (i) it allows to co-produce knowledge with participants; (ii) it facilitates horizontal exchange; (iii) it creates joyful moments; and (iv) it enables the transmission of skills that remain with participants beyond project durations. The paper engages with these four themes, first theoretically and then proposing a reflection based on our project experience. In the last section, we warn against some of the limitations of the approach

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Heroin use and abuse has become a widespread social phenomenon in Kenya. Heroin rehabilitation as a mitigating mechanism has emerged with the Civil Society Organizations (CSO5) taking the lead in the provision of such services than the mandated government agency namely National Agency for the Control Against Drug Abuse (NACADA) in Coast Province. However, the existence and provision of heroin rehabilitation services by the CSOs for over a decade in the country has been occuring against a backdrop of a lack of a legislative framework. This notwithstanding, demand for heroin rehabilitation services is overwhelming and escalating as documented in this work. This study therefore sought to examine the effectiveness of heroin centers in the rehabilitation and social reintegration of users.The main objectives of this study were three fold. First, was to identify factors that have a significant influence on the frequency of heroin use. Second, was to determine the factors that have a significant bearing on the predisposition of heroin users to seek professional help. Third, was to establish factors that account for the effectiveness of heroin rehabilitation centers.The study was an evaluation survey design based on a sample size of 459 informants comprising 384 heroin users, 60 participants in six (6) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) made up of members of the rehabilitation centers management boards and counsellors as well as 15 key informants drawn from police, prison and medical departments in the studied areas. To ensure a representative sample was drawn both probability and non-probability sampling techniques were used."No French Abstract

Conservation of cultural heritage for community socio-economic prosperity: The case of Lamu East and West Sub-Counties, Lamu County, Kenya

Worldwide, cultural heritage has become both an element and a tool for achieving socio-economic prosperity.This study assessed the contribution of conservation of cultural heritage as a resource for the development of Lamu County. A descriptive survey design was used to conduct the study. Proportionate and systematic random sampling procedures were used to sample key informants and households selected from a sampling frame obtained from Lamu West and East Sub-Counties. An interview schedule and a semi-structured questionnaire were used to collect data from key informants and households respectively. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and narratives. The results revealed that cultural heritage conservation contributes to job creation both directly and indirectly. However, cultural barriers contributed to observed exclusivity in benefitting from income generated from tangible and non-tangible activities. Revenue gains from the cultural heritage are also limited by the poor state of sites such as Pate and Ishakani ruins. The study recommends development and implementation of training programmes in cultural heritage conservation activities to ensure the community is educated and empowered to utilize cultural heritage for socio-economic development. The Government should also institute proper revenue sharing mechanisms to enhance socio-economic development of the Lamu County community.</jats:p

Large Scale Lands and Benefit-Sharing Conundrum: Insights from

The increasing trend of large-scale land investments by both local and international investors has had a significant impact on agricultural production in rural Africa over the past two and a half decades. Some of the investments have had transformative impacts, while others have resulted in negative outcomes. The outcomes of these projects are typically contingent on the unique circumstances of each case. This research article discusses the findings of a study conducted on the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project (GKFSP) in Galana Kulalu, Tana River County, Kenya. The Kenyan government to address food security challenges in the country and the surrounding region established the GKFSP. Given the historical marginalization of rural communities in Tana River County and their limited access to benefits from large-scale investments in land in the county, as well as the influence of commercial and political interests on land utilization and livelihoods, this study aimed to analyze benefit sharing from GKFSP within the context of large-scale land deals. The analyses of findings in this article rely on the primary data collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions from, as well as observations of, key stakeholders in a purposively selected case study of GKFSP, particularly members of the communities neighboring the project as well as government and civil society representatives. Secondary sources of data involving land deals were also used to complement primary data from the study. Findings from the study highlight the importance of adopting responsive policies when entering into large-scale land deals to ensure equitable benefit sharing among different stakeholders, including the investors, local communities, and other relevant institutions. Failure to do so could lead to conflict dynamics that hinder project implementation and may even cause the failure of such land deals, leading to high turnover of investors and apathy within the local communities. Although it is acknowledged that large-scale land deals may result in lower profits compared to alternative investments, it is contended that the limited or absent sharing of benefits between investors and local communities and other stakeholders in relation to land deals is not solely attributable to the lack of profitability generated by the investments. Other factors that may be peculiar to each project are often at play, and these should be analyzed to form part of the negotiations involving large-scale land investments and benefit sharing