A Duration Analysis of Poverty Transitions in Rural Kenya

Replaced with revised version of paper 10/04/07.Community/Rural/Urban Development,

A Test of the New Economics of Labor Migration Hypothesis: Evidence from Rural Kenya

Replaced with revised version of paper 11/01/06.Labor and Human Capital,

UNSTEADY MHD FLOW BETWEEN TWO HORIZONTAL PARALLEL SEMI-INFINITE POROUS PLATES

This study investigated unsteady MHD flow of an incompressible fluid through horizontal semi-infinite porous plates. A variable magnetic field was applied normal to the flow. The flow was assumed to occur along the positive x direction between two parallel horizontal plates stationed at y = ± L planes. Effects of different flow parameters were investigated when the lower plate was impulsively started in the positive x direction at a uniform velocity while the upper plate was kept stationary. The coupled non-linear partial differential equations governing the flow were first non-dimensionalised then solved using the finite difference method. The results obtained were presented in tables and graphs. It was noted that an increase in magnetic field intensity causes a decrease in both the primary and secondary velocity profiles. Key Words: MHD, Vorticity, Unsteady flow.

ESTIMATING COST EFFICIENCY AMONG MAIZE PRODUCERS IN KENYA AND UGANDA

A translog stochastic cost frontier is estimated to calculate cost efficiency index (CEI) of 203 Kenyan and Ugandan maize producers using survey data from 2003. Results show a mean CEI of 1.95, with greater inefficiency among farms in Kenya of medium-large size. Key sources of inefficiency are late planting and use of recycled seed.Farm Management,

Impact of Information Communication Technology on Education-Kenya

Kenya has made remarkable progress putting in place an ICT policy framework and implementation strategy, complete with measurable outcomes and time frames. The process has had the benefit of sound advice from officials and stakeholders and, perhaps more importantly, strong leadership from the office of the permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education. However, universal implementation is challenging given the lack of resources, national ICT infrastructure, and even electrical supply- particularly in the rural areas. As technology is bound to rule our present and future, it is good to obtain know-how of the technological reforms at the earliest. Children learn faster and can adapt to changes relatively easily. If they are trained during their school years, they have a high chance of becoming experts in technology. Computers can give lovelier explanations to various subjects. The internet is an ocean of information which can be harnessed for the rendition of information in school. The inclusion of technology in the learning process makes learning an enjoyable activity, thus inviting greater interest from the learners. The administration processes, the official procedures of the school can be simplified by the means of technology. School records, the information about all the students and the teachers and other school employees can efficiently be maintained by means of the advanced technology. Thus we see that technology not only benefits the school students but also eases the office work. It makes possible a more effective way of storage and distribution of information. The realization of the importance of technology in schools and its successful implementation is a necessity. The introduction of technology in schools is the means to bridge the long distance between the present and the future. Key words: Education, technology, information, performanc

Modelling the Volatility of Maize Prices Using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Model

This paper examined the monthly prices of maize using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models so as to determine the most efficient and adequate model for analyzing the volatility of the maize prices in Kenya. An exploratory research design and purposive sampling method was adopted for a sample of 55 observations. The monthly maize price data for 90kg bag of maize for a period of five years obtained from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and National Cereals and Produce Board archives. Time series Analysis was done using R-Gui software.  The results indicate that Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average models ARIMA (1,2,2) is the most adequate and efficient model. This was ascertained by comparing the various model selection criterion and the diagnostic tests for various models among them Akaike Information Criteria A better understanding of a country's maize price situation and future prices will facilitate users to make appropriate decisions regarding buying and selling patterns hence adequate policy for maintain stable maize prices. The forecasted results suggest that there are expectations of increasing maize prices in the next five months. This requires the government to take appropriate measures to ensure that this trend of increasing prices is regulated Key words: ARIMA Model, Volatility, Akaike Information Criteria, Maize Price

Competitiveness of Kenyan and Ugandan Maize Production: Challenges for the Future

The purpose of this study is to assess the costs of maize production in Kenya and Uganda, starting from the fact that there is no single “cost of production” for maize. Cost of production varies according to region, the type of technology package employed, farmers’ management practices, and the weather. In light of this, the study disaggregates cost of production into seven region/technology categories, five in Kenya and two in eastern Uganda, in order to compare the relative competitiveness of maize among these regions and technology packages. Variations in cost of production within each region/technology category reflect differences in farmer management practices and micro-variability in soils and rainfall.Food Security, Food Policy, Kenya, Uganda, Maize Production, Crop Production/Industries, Q18,

Remote sensing based assessment of land cover and soil moisture in the Kilombero floodplain in Tanzania

Wetlands provide important ecological, biological, and social-economic services that are critical for human existence. The increasing demand for food, arable land shortage and changing climate conditions in East Africa have created a paradigm shift from upland cultivation to wetland use due to their year-round soil water availability. However, there is need to control and manage the activities within the wetlands to ensure sustainable use while negating any negative effects caused by these activities. This is implemented through the decisions made by the land managers within the wetlands. Providing the users of the wetlands with scientific knowledge acts as a support tool for policy-making geared towards the sustainable use of the wetlands. The overall research contains two main components: First, the need for timely land cover maps at a reasonable scale, and secondly, the assessment of soil moisture as a major contributor to agricultural production. The objectives of the study were to generate land cover maps from multi-sensor optical datasets and to assess the performance of single-polarized Sentinel-1 Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) texture and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) features by applying multiple classification algorithms in a floodplain in the Kilombero catchment. Furthermore, soil moisture spatial-temporal patterns over three hydrological zones was assessed, estimation of soil moisture from radar data and generation of soil moisture products from global products was investigated. The correlation of the merged products to Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) measures was also investigated. RapidEye, Sentinel-2 and Landsat images were used in determining the areal extents of four major land cover classes namely vegetated, bare, water and built up. The acquisition period of the images ranges from August 2013 to June 2015 for the RapidEye images, December 2015 to August 2016 for the Sentinel-2 images and 2013 to 2016 Landsat-8 images were included in the land cover time series dynamic study. However, the major challenge arising was cloud coverage and hence Sentinel-1 images were tested in the application of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) in wetland mapping. Variograms were used in spatial-temporal assessment of soil moisture data collected from three hydrological zones, riparian, middle and fringe. A roughness parameter was derived from a semi-empirical model. Soil moisture was retrieved from TerraSAR-X and RadarSAT-2 with the retrieved roughness parameter as an input in a linear regression equation. Triple collocation was applied in error assessment of the global soil moisture products prior to development of a merged product. Cross-correlation was applied in relating NDVI to soil moisture. Optical data (RapidEye, Landsat-8, and Sentinel-2) generated land cover maps used in assessing the land cover dynamics over time. The land cover ratios were related to depth to groundwater. As the depth to groundwater reduced in June the bare land coverage was 45-57% while that of vegetation was 34-47%. In December when the depth to groundwater was highest, bare land coverage was 62-69% while that of the vegetated area was 27-25%. This indicates that depth of groundwater and vegetation coverage responds to seasonality. During the dry season, 68-81% of the total vegetation class is within the riparian zone. In the classification of the SAR images, the overall accuracies for the single polarized VV images ranged from 54-76%, 60-81% and 61-80% for Random Forest (RF), Neural Network (NN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) respectively. GLCM features had overall accuracies of 64-86%, 65-88% and 65-86% for RF, NN, and SVM respectively. PCA derived images had similar overall accuracies of 68-92% for NN, RF, and SVM respectively. The PCA images had the highest overall accuracy for the entire time series indicating that reduction in the number of texture features to layers containing the maximum variance improves the accuracy. The standard deviation of soil moisture was noted to increase with increasing soil moisture. Soil texture plays a key role in soil moisture retention. The riparian fields had a high water content explained by the high clay and organic matter content. A roughness parameter was derived and utilized in the retrieval of soil moisture from SAR resulting to R2 of 0.88- 0.92 between observed and simulated soil moisture values from co-polarized RadarSAT-2 HH and TerraSAR-X HH and VV. Merged soil moisture product from FEWSNET Land Data Assimilation System_NOAH (FLDAS_NOAH), ECMWF Re-Analysis Interim (ERA-Interim) and Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and FLDAS_Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC), ERA-Interim and SMOS had similar patterns attributed to FLDAS_NOAH and FLDAS_VIC forced by the same precipitation product (RFE). Cross-correlation of Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) NDVI and the merged soil moisture products revealed a 2-month lag of NDVI. Hence, the relationship is useful in determining the Start of Season from soil moisture products. In conclusion, the successful land cover mapping of the study area demonstrated the use of satellite imagery for wetland characterization. The vast coverage and frequent acquisitions of optical and microwave remotely sensed data additionally make the approaches transferable to other locations and allow for mapping at larger scales. Soil moisture assessment from point data revealed varied soil moisture patterns whereas global remotely sensed and modeled products rather provide complementary information about growing conditions, and hence a situational assessment tool of potential of physical availability dimension of food security. This study forms a baseline upon which additional monitoring and assessment of the Kilombero wetland ecosystem can be performed with the current results marked as a reference. Moreover, the study serves as a demonstration case of remote sensing based approaches for land cover and soil moisture mapping, whose results are useful to stakeholders to aid in the implementation of adapted production techniques for yield optimization while minimizing the unsustainable use of the natural resources.Feuchtgebiete erbringen wichtige ökologische, biologische und sozial-ökonomische Dienstleistungen, welche entscheidend für das menschliche Dasein sind. Der steigende Bedarf an Nahrung, der Mangel an landwirtschaftlichen Nutzflächen und die Veränderung der klimatischen Bedingungen in Ostafrika haben zu einem Paradigmenwechsel vom Anbau im Hochland hin zur Nutzung von Feuchtgebieten geführt. Allerdings sind Kontrolle und Management der Aktivitäten in Feuchtgebieten notwendig, um die nachhaltige Nutzung zu sichern und negative Effekte dieser Aktivitäten zu vermeiden. Die Implementierung erfolgt durch die Landverwalter in den Feuchtgebieten. Den Nutzern von Feuchtgebieten wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse bereitzustellen dient als Hilfsmittel zur politischen Entscheidungsfindung für die nachhaltige Feuchtgebietsnutzung. Die Forschung im Rahmen der Dissertation beinhaltet zwei Hauptkomponenten: erstens den Bedarf an aktuellen Landbedeckungskarten auf einer angemessenen Skalenebene und zweitens die Erfassung der Bodenfeuchte als wichtiger Einflussfaktor auf die landwirtschaftliche Produktion. Das Ziel der Untersuchung war, Landbedeckungskarten auf Grundlage von multisensorischen optischen Daten zu erstellen und die Eignung der Textur der einfach polarisierten Sentinel-1 Grauwertmatrix (GLCM) sowie der einer Hauptkomponentenanalyse (PCA) bei Anwendung unterschiedlicher Klassifikationsalgorithmen zu beurteilen. Des Weiteren wurden raum-zeitliche Bodenfeuchtemuster über drei hydrologische Zonen hinweg modelliert, die Bodenfeuchte aus Radardaten abgeleitet sowie die Erstellung von Bodenfeuchteprodukten auf Basis von globalen Produkten untersucht. Die Korrelation der Bodenfeuchteprodukte mit dem Normalisierten Differenzierten Vegetationsindex (NDVI) wurde ebenfalls analysiert. RapidEye, Sentinel-2 und Landsat Bilder wurden genutzt um die räumliche Ausdehnung der vier Hauptklassen (Vegetation, freiliegender Boden, Wasser und Bebauung) der Landbedeckung zu ermitteln. Für die Zeitreihenanalyse der der Landbedeckungsdynamik wurden RapidEye-Daten von August 2013 bis Juni 2015, Sentinel-2-Bilder von Dezember 2015 bis August 2016 und Landsat-8-Bilder von 2013 bis 2016 verwendet. Die größte Herausforderung war jedoch die Wolkenbedeckung, weshalb die Anwendung von Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) für die Feuchtgebietskartierung getestet wurde. Die gemessene Bodenfeuchte wurde mittels Variogrammen für die drei hydrologischen Zonen (Uferzone, Mitte und Randgebiete) raum-zeitlich interpoliert. Ein Rauhigkeitsparameter wurde aus einem semi-empirischen Modell hergeleitet. Die Bodenfeuchte wurde aus TerraSAR-X und RadarSAT-2- Bildern unter Verwendung des Rauhigkeitsparameters als Eingangsgröße in einer linearen Regression abgeleitet. Vor der Zusammenführung der Produkte wurde das globale Bodenfeuchteprodukt mithilfe von dreifacher Kollokation auf Fehler überprüft. Die Kreuzkorrelation zwischen NDVI und Bodenfeuchte wurde berechnet. Optische Daten (RapidEye, Landsat-8 und Sentinel-2) wurden genutzt, um die zeitliche Dynamik der Landbedeckung zu bestimmen. Die Landbedeckungsverhältnisse wurde mit der Höhe des Grundwasserspiegels korreliert. Ein hoher Grundwasserstand im Juni resultierte in 45-57% unbedecktem Boden, während der Anteil der Vegetation 34-47% betrug. Im Dezember, als der Grundwasserspiegel seinen Tiefststand hatte, erhöhte sich der Anteil des freiliegenden Bodens auf 62-69% und der Anteil der Vegetation verringerte sich auf 27-25%. Das zeigt, dass Grundwasserspiegel und Vegetation saisonalen Schwankungen unterworfen sind. Während der Trockenzeit liegen 68-81% der gesamten als Vegetation klassifizierten Fläche innerhalb der Uferzone. In der Klassifikation der SAR-Bilder liegt die Gesamtgenauigkeit der einfach polarisierten VV-Bilder im Rahmen von 54-76%, 60-81% und 61-80%, entsprechend für Random Forest (RF), Neuronale Netze (NN) und Support Vector Machine (SVM). Die GLCM ergab eine Gesamtgenauigkeit von 64-86%, 65-88% und 65-86% für RF, NN und SVM. Die über eine PCA abgeleiteten Bilder erreichten eine ähnliche Genauigkeit von 68-92% für NN, RF und SVM. Die PCA-Bilder weisen die höchste Gesamtgenauigkeit der gesamten Zeitreihe auf, was darauf hinweist, dass eine Reduktion von Textureigenschaften auf Layer der maximalen Varianz enthalten, die Genauigkeit erhöht. Die Standardabweichung der Bodenfeuchte stieg mit zunehmender Bodenfeuchte. Die Bodentextur spielt dabei eine Schlüsselrolle für das Wasserhaltevermögen des Bodens. Die Uferzone wies einen hohen Wassergehalt auf, was durch den hohen Anteil von Ton und Humus zu erklären ist. Die beobachteten und simulierten Bodenfeuchtewerte von co-polarisierten RadarSAT-2 HH, TerraSAR-X HH und VV Daten korrelieren mit einem R2 von 0.88 - 0.92. Die zusammengesetzten globalen Bodenfeuchteprodukte von FLDAS_NOAH, ERA-Interim sowie SMOS und FLDAS_VIC, ERA-Interim und SMOS zeigen ähnliche Muster wie FLDAS_NOAH und FLDAS_VIC, was über die Verwendung desselben Niederschlagsproduktes (RFE) zu erklären ist. Die Kreuzkorrelation von MODIS NDVI und den zusammengeführten Bodenfeuchteprodukten ergab eine zeitliche Verzögerung des NDVI von zwei Monaten. Dieser Zusammenhang kann daher bei der Bestimmung des Saisonbeginns aus Bodenfeuchtigkeitsprodukten nützlich sein. Zusammengefasst hat die Studie gezeigt, wie Satellitenbilder zur Charakterisierung von Wetlands genutzt werden können. Die große Abdeckung und häufige Aufnahme der optischen und Mikrowellen-Fernerkundungsdaten ermöglichen darüber hinaus die Übertragung der Ansätze auf weitere Gebiete und Kartierung auf größeren Skalen. Die Punktmessungen zeigen kleinräumige Muster der Bodenfeuchte, während globale Fernerkundungsprodukte und Modelle Informationen über die Wachstumsbedingungen liefern und somit ein Bewertungsinstrument der Ernährungssicherheit darstellen können. Weiterhin bildet die Studie eine Basis, auf der ein weitergehendes Monitoring und eine Bewertung des Feuchtgebietsökosystems durchgeführt werden kann. Sie ist ein Beispiel für fernerkundungsbasierte Ansätze zur Landbedeckungs- und Bodenfeuchtekartierung; ihre Ergebnisse sind nützlich, um Akteuren bei der Implementierung von Produktionstechniken zu unterstützen, welche die Erträge maximieren und gleichzeitig die nicht nachhaltige Nutzung der natürlichen Ressourcen minimieren

ASSESSMENT OF PARENT’S ENGAGEMENT IN IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETENCY-BASED CURRICULUM IN PRIVATE PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THARAKA SOUTH SUB-COUNTY OF THARAKA-NITHI COUNTY, NITHI COUNTY, KENYA

Education is a shared responsibility and all stakeholders need to understand and appreciate what is being done and what is required of them to make meaningful contributions to the process. Because the Competency-Based Curriculum shifted its focus from teaching-centric to collaborative-centered, parents are important stakeholders for its successful implementation. Therefore, empowering and engaging a parent in the learning process is essential to the learner’s growth and development. The study examined parents’ engagement in CBC implementation. This study specifically aimed to determine parents’ engagement in the implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum in private primary schools in Tharaka South Sub-County of Tharaka-Nithi County. To get this, the researcher went to private primary schools in Tharaka South Sub County to observe how parents are embracing CBC and randomly selected some parents for interviews, teachers, and head teachers to fill out questionnaires. The study adopted a descriptive survey design where the targeted population was drawn from the 30 private schools in the sub-county. The study targeted 528 respondents. 66 respondents were sampled: 42 parents, 18 teachers and 6 head teachers. Simple random sampling was then used to select the participant. The study conducted a pretest study in 3 private primary schools for the purpose of validating the research instruments. Data was collected using questionnaires for head teachers and teachers and interview schedules for parents. The validity of the research instruments was determined through expert judgment whereas the reliability of the questionnaires was determined through a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.7982 was obtained. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically whereas quantitative data was summarized using percentages, mean, standard deviation and frequencies were used. This was facilitated by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21. The study established a significant relationship between the parent’s literacy and the implementation of CBC with a significance value of p=0.000<0.05. The study concluded that the implementation of CBC is greatly challenged by a lack of sensitization on the implementation of the CBC and perceived CBC as expensive, demanding and time-consuming. Thus, recommended that the private schools get more time with their parents to sensitize them on the CBC implementation and get to know their role in the academic performance of their children and also try to change their perception of CBC as expensive, demanding and time-consuming.  Article visualizations

Approaches Made by University Libraries in Support of Inclusive Education: A Case of Kenyatta University Library, Nairobi- Kenya

Education sector is undergoing major transformations, rationalization, restructuring and redefinition. As an integral part of the university education, university libraries should be instrumental in responding to the changes taking place in university education and play a key role in this process. Although Inclusive Education is a new paradigm shift in the Education sector the provision of information and information services to all users has always been a cardinal principle of librarianship. The study sought to explore the approaches taken by Kenyatta University, post-modern library in support of inclusive education. Descriptive survey design was used. Findings revealed that the library structure was accessible and comfortable. A section on ground floor, well serviced and equipped was dedicated for users with disabilities. Information resources in different formants were available as well as varied Assistive technologies. A selected number of librarians had competencies in use of Assistive technologies. The approaches made by the library were rated as good. The ability to identify users with different forms of disabilities and changing technologies remain major challenges. The study recommends greater collaboration with other stakeholders in identification of special needs users, increase budget and train or deploys more staff in provision of various specialized information services. Keywords: University libraries, Special needs users, Inclusive Education DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-15-06 Publication date:May 31st 202