Acquisition of Materials and Performance of Road Construction Projects in Kenya: A Case of Nairobi County

This study sought to establish the influence of acquisition of materials on performance of road construction projects in Kenya: A case of Nairobi County. The objective of the study was to establish the extent to which acquisition of materials influences performance of road construction projects in Kenya. This study was anchored on the theory of controlling, theory of construction management, and stakeholder theory. The paradigm used was pragmatism and the research approach used was mixed methods. Cross sectional descriptive survey and correlational research design were used. The sample size was 74 senior engineers which comprised 30 senior engineers from consulting engineering firms and 44 senior engineers from construction companies; 74 managing directors which comprised 30 managing directors from consulting engineering firms and 44 managing directors from construction companies. A five point Likert type scale questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data while interview guides were used to collect qualitative data. The statistical tools of analysis that were used for descriptive data were frequencies, percentages, arithmetic mean and standard deviation while the statistical tools that were used for inferential statistics were Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and Linear Regression. The Fisher (F) test was used to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that with R²=0.246, F(6,40)=2.173, p=0.066>0.05, H1 was rejected and it was concluded that acquisition of materials had no statistically significant influence on the performance of road construction projects. However, establishment of quantities of materials required had a statistically significant influence on the performance of road construction projects. The study recommends that organizations that deal with road construction should have appropriate policies on establishment of quantities of materials required

Relationship Between Executive Compensation And Financial Performance Of Commercial State Owned Enterprises In The Energy Sector In Kenya

Purpose - This paper focused on the relationship between executive compensation and financial perfomance of commercial state owned corporations in the energy sector in Kenya Methodology - This study adopted a cross - sectional research design. Secondary data on net income, total assets and executive compensation were extrated from the individual company published financial statements for a five year period Findings - The study finds weak negative relationship between executive compensation and financial performance. Regression analysis models infer that 38.9% and 45.2% of variations in financial performance of the commercial state owned firms is explained by variations in the firm size and by variations in both the firm size and the levels of executive compensation respectively. The study found that any unit increase in firm size has a commensurate decline in ROA for the firms to an extent of 0.059 and a unit increase in executive compensation has a commensurate decline in ROA for the firms to an extent of 0.027. Implication – the findings imply that there is no increased value for higher executive compensation in the public sector corporations. Thus, Corporations boards should re evaluate the comensation to justify value for the executive pay levels. Value – It is recomended that there be harmonization and review of the executive renumeration  system  to  include  pay  for  performance  perks  and  to  rationalize productive capacity of assets acquired to ensure they are utlized in value creatio

Physical Learning Environment and Inmates Participation in Post Literacy Project in Government Prisons in Kenya

Adult illiteracy remains a worldwide phenomenon in spite of numerous efforts being made by the government, church, community-based and non-governmental organizations. The phenomena surrounding adult illiteracy is fundamentally an abuse of human rights since, it deprives the adult their psychological, social and physical provisions. It is against this background that research was conducted in the Nairobi government prisons (GK prisons) to establish the extent to which physical learning environment influences the participation of inmates in the post-literacy adult classes. Survey and naturalistic designs were employed. Probability sampling procedures were employed to select three adult education officers, six prison welfare officers, 32 teachers and 96 learners (prisoners) and one adult education teacher. To obtain the information from the respondent, questionnaires, interview guide, observation schedule and document analysis were used. Data was collected and summarized into frequencies, percentages, graphs, cross tabulations, charts and narrative reports. The null hypotheses were tested using independent samples t-test and One-way ANOVA. The findings of the study revealed that effective participation in post-literacy project in prisons has been hindered by lack of qualified adult education teachers, lack of facilities and teaching and learning materials

Effect of feeding supplemented sweetpotato silage on pig performance in smallholder production systems in Uganda.

European UnionInternational Fund for Agricultural Developmen

Technical report: Characteristics of silage based on sweetpotato with combinations of local feed resources in Uganda.

A study to determine the characteristics and chemical composition of different silages based on sweetpotato vines in combination with several local feed resources was conducted in the Animal Science laboratory at the Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute, Kabanyolo (MUARIK). Sweetpotato vines from variety NASPOT 11 were used. Maize bran and cassava root were used as ferment starters (additives) during the ensiling process. The silages were analyzed for pH, moisture content, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, ether extracts and ash, calcium and phosphorus. The results showed that sweetpotato vines can produce silage of acceptable quality even when no external ferment starter is added. However, addition of a solid ferment starter like maize bran served to absorb the moisture that would accumulate as effluent at the bottom of the silo and eventually lead to spoilage. The dry matter content of the silage was low (> 24%) and would not meet the requirements of young growing pigs. The resultant silage had crude protein content higher than 19 percent and would meet the requirements for growing pigs except for the balance of essential amino acids and low dry matter of the material. For efficient utilization, feeding sweetpotato silage diets would require supplementation to satisfy requirements for dry matter and essential amino acids

Sweetpotato silage manual for smallholder farmers.

This sweetpotato silage manual is made to benefit farmers and business entrepreneurs that would want to engage in sweetpotato silage making, marketing and use. It is based on practical experiences that were gained from studies and experiments conducted in Uganda by the International Potato Centre (CIP) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in collaboration with other partners between 2014 and 2016. The manual focused on the piggery enterprise and covers five key aspects: importance of sweetpotato in small-scale farming systems, sweetpotato establishment and management, pig production in Uganda, sweetpotato as a feed resource for pigs, sweetpotato silage production. It is expected that the manual will give the reader incites for sweetpotato production and making sweetpotato silage to address feeding constraints

Identification moleculaire des champignons des semences chez l\u2019Assamela suivi de leur protection a partir des poudres et extraits issus de plantes medicinales

Seedborne fungi constitute one of the major constraints of natural regeneration of Assamela ( Pericopsis elata ) stands in Cameroon\u2019s forest production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capacity of a botanical ( Vitex doniana , Paullinia pinnata , Citrus sinensis , Ageratum conyzoides and Carica papaya ) to protect Assamela seeds against seedborne fungal pathogens. Fungal DNA extraction was done using the Zymo Research Kit and the internal transcribe spacer (ITS) portions of ribosomal DNA genes were sequenced. Plant powders were tested at 10% (mass/mass) and the efficiency of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts was evaluated at 100 g ml-1 and 48 g ml-1, respectively. Thirame (reference fungicide) was used as positive control. Pathogenic seedborne fungi were found to be Aspergillus niger , Macrophomina phaseolina , Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium equiseti. Seed infection was 67% in the negative control. Seeds stored in plant powders gave infection rates of less than 8% (P<0.05) comparable to those of the synthesis fungicide Thirame (3.33%). The powders had no effect on germination at 10%. Only aqueous extracts of Citrus sinensis, Ageratum conyzoides and Carica papaya gave high germinations of 92, 92 and 97%, respectively. The plant powders tested and the aqueous extract of A. conyzoides could be considered as alternatives to chemical protection of P. elata seeds.Les champignons des semences constituent l\u2019une des contraintes majeures de r\ue9g\ue9n\ue9ration naturelle des peuplements de l\u2019Assamela ( Pericopsis elata ) dans les for\ueats de production au Cameroun. Cette \ue9tude a avait pour objectif de contribuer \ue0 la protection des semences chez l\u2019assamela par l\u2019utilisation des substances naturelles d\u2019origine v\ue9g\ue9tale ( Vitex doniana , Paullinia pinnata , Citrus sinensis , Ageratum conyzoides et Carica papaya ). Le Kit (Zymo Research) a \ue9t\ue9 utilis\ue9 pour l\u2019extraction d\u2019ADN des champignons et les portions ITS des g\ue8nes de l\u2019ADN ribosomial s\ue9quenc\ue9s. Les poudres v\ue9g\ue9tales ont \ue9t\ue9 test\ue9es \ue0 10% (m m-1) et les extraits aqueux et \ue9thanoliques, aux concentrations respectives de 100 g ml-1 et 48 g ml-1. Le fongicide Thirame a \ue9t\ue9 utilis\ue9 comme t\ue9moin positif. Les champignons pathog\ue8nes des semences ont \ue9t\ue9\ua0: Aspergillus niger , Macrophomina phaseolina , Aspergillus flavus et Fusarium equiseti. Le taux d\u2019infection des semences a \ue9t\ue9 de 67% chez le lot t\ue9moin n\ue9gatif. Les semences conserv\ue9es dans les poudres ont donn\ue9 des taux d\u2019infections inf\ue9rieurs \ue0 8% significativement comparable (P<0,05) \ue0 ceux du fongicide de synth\ue8se Thirame (3,33%). Les poudres n\u2019ont pas eu d\u2019effet sur la germination \ue0 la concentration test\ue9e10%. Seuls les extraits aqueux de Citrus sinensis, Ageratum conyzoides et Carica papaya ont offert des taux de germination \ue9l\ue9v\ue9s de 92\ua0; 92 et 97% respectivement. Les poudres test\ue9es et l\u2019extrait aqueux de A. conyzoides pourraient constituer des alternatives \ue0 la protection chimique des semences de P. elata