Board Acitivity and Firm Performance: Astudy of Financial Institutions in Kenya

The research set out to determine whether board activity impacts institutional performance. Secondary data for a ten-year period between 2006 to 2015 from 98 sampled institutions from the financial sector was collected and analysed. The study adopted stratified sampling to ensure that all the categories of financial institutions were included in the sample. Analysis of the data was done by multiple regression analysis and generalized estimating equations. The study was anchored on several theories among them; the agency theory, stakeholder theory, and resource dependence theory. The findings are that board activity operationalised as the number of board meetings, significantly affect institutional performance. Additionally, the results further show that there exists an optimal number of board of director meetings with a statistical significant impact on institutional performance. 11 to 15 board of directors’ meetings annualy were found to optimize institutional performance. The research findings will aid in managerial policy formulation and managerial practice that promote better governance practices hence leading to enhanced institutional performance

Financing MSMEs Green Growth, Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production in East Africa

Resource efficiency, including cleaner production and energy efficiency (CP/EE), play an important role in supporting Africa’s sustainable growth in the future. Since the 1990s both the governments and development agencies in Africa have promoted such strategies to help firms reduce their negative environmental impact while enhancing their economic performance. The main objective of this study was first to explore opportunities and constraints for the commercial financing of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for resource efficiency and cleaner production (RECP) projects in East Africa (EA), and to develop a sustainable financial scheme for firm-level RECP programs; secondly, to interrogate financing opportunities for RECP advisory services allowing for the growth of the RECP agenda and providing the opportunity to make RECP programs self-sustaining; and thirdly, to increase the use of, and investment in RECP technologies by Enterprises (Industries and MSMEs) in EA. A survey was undertaken across EA and stratified sampling was used to ensure all the partner states were included in the sample. A mixed method approach was used where both primary and secondary data were collected. The sample size comprised of 36 financial institutions and 42 enterprises across the EA region. Key respondents across the industries were interviewed, and a semi–structured questionnaire was used. Quantitative data was analysed by descriptive analysis using SPSS and presented in form of frequency tables. Content analysis was used for the qualitative data and then presented in prose. A hybrid kind of scheme(s) was developed. The study recommends a guarantee scheme whereby the government and or development partners provide guarantee to commercial banks at 50% and the enterprises would be required to raise 50% collateral to unlock funding to enterprises. However, most MSMEs indicated the lack of capacity to raise the 50% collateral hence the study proposes a revolving fund supported by the development funds to set aside a kitty to cater for this category of enterprises. Additionally, a rigorous process has been put in place to implement these two models of financing. Through the study formulation of managerial policy and practice that promote better RECP practices and green growth will be operationalized

A Cryptography-Based System for Offline Collection and Verification of Tax Revenue by County Governments in Kenya

In the current setting of county governments in Kenya, efficient tax collection is highly dependent on validation of payment documents. This has led to challenges due to the fact that revenue collection has traditionally employed paper-based collection receipts. The research targets to address the challenges of validation of payment receipts in offline revenue collection systems. It supports automation attempts that have been made through the introduction of electronic mobile point of sale terminals. The solution is based on providing an offline model that supports the distributed nature of payment stations. This approach focuses on using cryptography-based techniques to enable offline validation of receipts even in cases of unreliable network connectivity. The objective is to provide a solution that affords ease of both revenue collections for the county governments and payments for the citizenry while stopping revenue leakages, ensuring reliable verification of payment receipts, thus maximising of revenue collection by providing reliable accounting reports. The research provides a reliable revenue collection system that enables offline receipting and verification of payment receipts in integrated mobile point of sale terminals. The solution presented has successfully been implemented and tested in one of the County Governments in Kenya

Gender Diversity of Boards, Board Composition and Firm Performance

The broad objective of this research was to determine whether gender diversity of boards and board composition, affects performance. Secondary data was collected for a ten-year period from 2006 to 2015 from 98 sampled financial institutions. Multiple regression analysis and generalized estimating equations were used in analysis of the collected data. Parametric and nonparametric methodologies were used. The study was anchored on the agency theory, stakeholder theory, the human capital theory and resource dependence theory. The results show that, gender diversity of boards and board composition had no independent significant influence on performance of financial institutions. Through the study formulation of managerial policy and practice that promote better governance practices and appropriate firm characteristics that improve performance of financial institutions will be enhanced

Revenue Management: Automation, Challenges, & Legal Perspectives of County Governments in Kenya

In today’s competitive and fast-paced business landscape, getting the most out of every available resource is not an option but rather a requirement. Organizations are taking a highly proactive approach to systems modernization and operations in an effort to increase efficiency and effectiveness in their operations. There is an increasing need by governments to enhance revenue collection through taxes to meet the ever-increasing financial expenditures budgeted by countries. It has been noted that most of the county governments were not meeting their own targets for own-source revenue and over time this has been reducing. This paper aims to establish the status of automation of revenue collection by county governments in Kenya, document the legal framework, establish the challenges of revenue collection and management, and also sought to determine whether there exists an optimal revenue automation model that can be adopted for the purpose of optimizing performance. The design of this research was done using a descriptive survey. The population for this study was composed of 47 county governments. Stratified proportionate random sampling technique was used to select the sample of 24 counties spread across the entire country. The study used a semistructured self-administered questionnaire to collect data from the respondents. The study established that the counties face a myriad of challenges including weak revenue bases, lack internal audits, have poorly trained personnel, use partially automated revenue collection systems, poor infrastructure, and some county revenue officers are reluctant to embrace change. This, however, has a negative impact on revenue collection within the counties. The results further show that adherence by counties to the provided guidelines, training, and technical assistance was widely varied and disparate. This ranged from counties that did very little to nothing in enabling and enhancing their OSR, to those that partially and/or conveniently followed guidelines where it suited them, to those that made honest efforts to comply.A model of a good automated system is also presented. The study recommends that counties should fully automate their revenue management to enhance efficiency and service delivery to their citizens

Board Structure, CEO Tenure, Firms’ Charactersitics and Performance of Financial Institutions in Kenya

The broad objective of this research was to determine the effect of board structure on the performance of financial institutions in Kenya and also to find out what the intervening and mediating influence of the tenure of the CEO and firm’s characteristics on this relationship might be. The specific objectives included; to examine the influence of board structure on performance of financial institutions in Kenya; to determine the intervening influence of CEO tenure on the association among board structure and performance of financial sector firms in Kenya; to examine the moderating effect of the firms’ characteristics on the association among board structure and performance of financial institutions in Kenya; and to ascertain the joint effect of board structure, CEO tenure and firms’ characteristics on performance. Secondary data was collected for a ten-year period from 2006 to 2015. Moderated and stepwise regression models and correlation analysis were adopted for the investigation of the association among the variables. The results showed that board structure had independent significant influence on performance of financial institutions; there was no significant intervening effect of CEO tenure on this relationship; there was a significant moderating effect of firms’ characteristics on the relationship; and the joint effect of board structure, CEO tenure and firms’ characteristics was significant. Through this study, the formulation of managerial policies and practices which will promote better governance practices and also appropriate the characteristics of firms and that will improve performance of financial institutions will be enhanced

The Impact of Technology Adoption on Efficiency and Transparency in Public Procurement Processes in Kenya

In recent years, global public procurement has witnessed a paradigm shift with the integration of technology, a phenomenon embraced by countries like Kenya. The Kenyan government has actively modernized its procurement system through the adoption of e-procurement systems, blockchain, and artificial intelligence, aiming to bolster efficiency and transparency. The purpose of this research work was to assess the impact of technology adoption on efficiency and transparency in public procurement processes in Kenya. This research addressed a critical gap in understanding the nuanced impacts of these technological advancements on the intricate dynamics of public procurement in Kenya. Investigating the adoption's influence on efficiency and transparency, the study explored experiences, challenges, successes, and overall implications. The findings are of significance to public governance, offering insights to policymakers, practitioners, and technology developers. Aligned with global sustainable development initiatives, the study advocated for digital literacy training, cybersecurity measures, infrastructure improvement, policy incentives, a national digital procurement strategy, private sector collaboration, policy reviews, and data-sharing initiatives. By embracing the recommendations, Kenya can navigate challenges and capitalize on technology for an efficient, transparent, and resilient future in public procurement, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals