Assessment of Small and Medium Enterprises Alignment of Investment Decisions to overall Business Strategy in Mombasa County, Kenya.

The background problem is that the precise handlings of a firm’s resources are critical for the firm’s endurance. Companies usually have official procedures for calculations of their profitability of investment projects. On one hand is the corporate strategy which directs the company’s activities, determines how company resources should be used. The corporate strategy and the financial calculations should work together to ensure the best and most efficient allocation of the resources of the company. Regrettably, it does not happen like this all the time or most of the time. Therefore, the purpose of this study is the analysis of SME’s, alignment of investment decisions to overall business strategy to enhance performance. The objectives of the research are to determine the extent of SME’s alignment of investment decision to overall business strategy to enhance performance. Therefore, it will be established the nature of SME’s investment decisions practices. In addition, there will be the establishment of the business strategy adopted by different SME’s. What is more, the establishment of the challenges faced by the SME’s in the alignment of their investment decisions to overall business strategy. And in addition to come up with recommendations on how SME’s can address the challenges faced when aligning investment decisions to overall business strategy. The study will thus focus on divisionalized companies, where it is to be expected that investments and strategy are not planned by the same people but by employees in different departments. The literature reviews on alignment of investment decision and strategy which has been drawn from different authors. It will contain two parts: the theoretical review and the empirical review. Significant issues related to the research topic and finally the research gap filled by the research embarked on. The methods that will be embarked on are Phenomenological research, the goal being to qualitatively describe a lived experience of the phenomenon; it will draw attention to the research design; in order to avoid bias and human error a mix of naturalistic observation and interview as well as surveys will be made use of in the research design. Data will thus be collected quantitatively and qualitatively, and the targeted populations are that of entrepreneurs with more than one investment in Majengo and central business district. The raw data once collected will be analyzed and represented by using tables and graphs and the data analysis tools that will be used are ANOVA, SPSS, t-test and frequency to eliminate human error and come up with usable data for the research.  Keywords: Small and Medium Enterprises, Investment Decisions, Business Strategy.

Comparative Analysis of Environmental influence on Growth of Low vis-a-vis High performing Insurance Agents in Mombasa County, Kenya

The insurance industry in Kenya has realized rapid growth over the past years stretching to two decades. This is evidenced by the large number of insurance companies currently operating in Kenya which currently stand at forty seven insurance companies. Behind these insurance companies are one hundred and fifty seven (157) insurance brokers, twenty three (23) Medical insurance providers and a staggering four thousand two hundred and five (4205) registered and licensed insurance agents who act as intermediaries to the business of underwriting risks. The insurance industry gross premium as shown in the year 2012 annual report by the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) is Kshs.108.6 billion up from Kshs.97.5 billion in 2011 translating into business growth of 11.4% at a time when the Kenyan economy growth rate was less than 4% p.a. The research survey sought to investigate the environmental issues influencing low performing insurance agents vis-à-vis high performing insurance agents that causes remarkable disparity on business growth witnessed amongest insurance agents. Special focus was put on Mombasa County. The survey highlighted on challenges faced by insurance agents in Mombasa County. It showed strategies employed by those agents who have excelled in business. The survey was meant benefit the insuring public as well as researchers and academics interested in the insurance sector for future references and scholarly contribution in the area of study. A descriptive survey design was used. The research targeted insurance agents within the Mombasa County. Random sampling as well stratified sampling techniques was adopted. Questionnaire and observation schedules were used to extract information from sampled respondents. The data was then analyzed using a software package for statistical analysis originally Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The research found that business growth among insurance agents is anchored upon the overall operational environmental factors. Keywords: Comparative Analysis, Insurance Agents, Low Performing Agents, High Performing Agent

An Analysis of the extent of Training Needs Assessment by the Organizations offering Training to Youth Organizations in Kinango County, Kenya

The mobilization of youth in Kenya and growth of youth group enterprise projects took centre stage in the last four years with the creation of Ministry of youth affairs and sports in the year 2005.   The Department of Youth development was established in January 2007 with an aim of spearheading the general empowerment of the youths with key objectives being; promoting Youth-owned Small and Micro Enterprise (SME) projects, promoting thriftiness and self-reliance among the youth, promoting an entrepreneurial culture among the youth, and promoting marketing of Youth Products and Services. (The national youth policy 2007). The study aimed at broadening understanding about the factors that influence performance of various youth group income generating projects in Taita district. It also aims at giving remedial measures to the problems faced by youth group initiated projects so as to improve their performance and realize their goals.  The groups were stratified according to their categories of projects/activity. From the targeted population a random sample of 60% will be taken from each category to give a total sample of 35 projects. Data for the study will consist of primary data collected by use of questionnaires and secondary data based on youth group performance reports submitted to the respective group coordinators to the Provincial director in the Ministry of youth affairs, department of Youth development. The data will be analyzed using statistical package of social sciences software and findings will be presented in form of tables, charts and figures. Keywords: Training Needs Assessment, Small and Micro Enterprise’s, Entrepreneurial Cultur

Contributions of Cost Leadership and Differentiation Strategies on Customer Satisfaction at Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company, Kenya

This study examines the contributions of cost leadership and differentiation strategies on customer satisfaction at Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company. The specific objectives for this study was to establish measures Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company limited has undertaken to achieve cost leadership; to determine the contributions of differentiation as a strategic management principle on customers’ satisfaction and to provide recommendations on how to improve customer satisfaction at Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company. The metrics for measuring customers’ satisfaction are customer retention; fewer customers’ complaints and less number of referrals. Descriptive research design is used in the study and the self-administered questionnaire that collected both quantitative and qualitative data were sent directly to the respondents. Before processing the responses, the completed questionnaires were edited for completeness and consistency. Both qualitative and quantitative research techniques have been used. The target population were both public staff working at Mombasa County Water Supply and Sanitation sector and customers from public and private institutions. The stratified random sampling was used to draw a sample of 300 that include management staff working at Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company, Coast Water Services Board, Mombasa County Government (formerly City Council of Mombasa), Water Resources Management Authority, selected registered Water Action Groups and some major water consumers such as Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Petroleum Refineries limited, Association of Hotel Keepers and Coast Province General Hospital. The data was then analyzed using a software package for statistical analysis originally Statistical Package for Social Sciences later modified to read Statistical Product and Services Solutions (SPSS). The data was coded to enable the responses to be grouped into various categories. Content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data collected while descriptive methods were used to analyze quantitative data. The research proves that with efficient application of strategic management principles of cost leadership and differentiation, the desired customer satisfaction can be achieved and enhanced at Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company. Keywords: Cost Leadership, Differentiation, Sustainabilit

Livestock Enterprise in Kinango Sub - County, Kenya: Challenges, Constraints and Opportunities.

Livestock production at the coast is undertaken in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) and it heavily relies on traditional breeds mostly carried out by small-scale farmers whose performance in terms of production, management, processing and marketing has not been encouraging. The falling production trends and the inefficient market outlets have adversely affected smallholder producers through reduced earnings. The sector is also faced with severe drought, high prevalence of pests and diseases, inferior local breeds, poor rural access roads, poor farmer-processor linkages and lack of affordable credit facilities. Pest and disease infections have severely affected the quality of livestock produce whereas price fluctuation especially of live animals has contributed to low earnings to livestock owners/traders. Nonetheless, the arid conditions of the region and the vast lands offer conducive conditions for commercialisation of livestock for wealth creation and improved economic conditions. Despite the existing natural resources, the coast region has a high incidence of absolute poverty with 62% of the population living below the poverty line while 59.46% and 44.78% are food and hard-core poor respectively (Welfare Monitoring Survey III, 1997). The Kenya government focuses on the livestock and meat industry strategic areas for self-sufficiency in basic foods. In addition to the achievement of broad food self-sufficiency, other sector objectives include employment creation, income and foreign exchange earnings and stimulation of off-farm income generating activities in the rural areas.  These in turn will lead to reduction in poverty as highlighted by the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) whereby livestock production is ranked highly in its contribution to poverty reduction. Kinango district is part of the Arid and Semi Arid Lands that fall under the livestock-producing zone covering 80% of the total land area in the coast region. The district is endowed with land supporting livestock production most of which are operating below capacity. This has led to the under exploitation of natural resource base in the district hence low production in livestock which is the most important livelihood for the local communities.  This trend has contributed significantly to the high poverty incidence, food insecurity malnourished populace and reduced incomes. The research employed a descriptive study design while undertaking the baseline study of livestock enterprises in Kinango, Kenya. The target population were livestock keepers and traders where thirty-five of them were selected using stratified random sampling. The views of the sample population were collected by administering a questionnaire, undertaking interviews and making observations and the information and data collected was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) the results of which are intended to inform the strategic approach by livestock farmers and the government in putting in place policies and measures aimed at promoting and commercialising livestock farming in Kinango. Keywords: Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, commercialisation of livestoc

Strategic Planning Practices by Coast Development Authority in Promoting Regional Development

Unbalanced regional development in Kenya has persisted over time even after the government implementing and experimenting with different macro and sectorial policies. The proportion of the population living below the poverty line has been increasing in the Coast and North Eastern Regions. Despite these development challenges, Kenya is richly endowed with natural resource base which should be harnessed to address the challenges. To address the regional disparities and other development challenges, the Government through the Ministry of Regional Development Authorities (MORDA) developed the Regional Development Policy (2007) that provided guidance for sustainable development by Regional Development Authorities (RDAs). The contribution of RDAs to balance regional development cannot be understated though the full potential of these institutions have not been convincingly realised. The project proposal therefore aims at analysing strategic planning practices by Coast Development Authority (CDA) in promoting regional development so as to establish effectiveness and success of such plans, their contributions to performance and challenges faced in implementing strategic planning. CDA has been employing both multi-disciplinary and multi-sectorial approaches with success depending on close collaboration amongst all implementing institutions and stakeholders. The study employed a descriptive study design in achieving its objectives. The target population was CDA staff where a sample of 50% was selected using stratified random sampling based on management category. The views of the sample population was collected by administering a questionnaire, undertaking interviews and making observations. The information and data collected was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The results from the study are intended to inform the design of appropriate policies and measures as well as promote the use of existing ones in the promotion of regional development with a focus on the coast region. Keywords: Strategic Planning, Regional Development, Sustainable Development

Patterns of tobacco use in the United Arab Emirates healthy future (UAEHFS) pilot study

© 2018 Al-Houqani et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Introduction Self-reported tobacco use in the United Arab Emirates is among the highest in the region. Use of tobacco products other than cigarettes is widespread, but little is known about specific behavior use patterns. There have been no studies that have biochemically verified smoking status. Methods The UAE Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS) seeks to understand the causes of non-communicable diseases through a 20,000-person cohort study. During the study pilot, 517 Emirati nationals were recruited to complete a questionnaire, provide clinical measurements and biological samples. Complete smoking data were available for 428 participants. Validation of smoking status via cotinine testing was conducted based on complete questionnaire data and matching urine samples for 399 participants, using a cut-off of 200ng/ml to indicate active smoking status. Results Self-reported tobacco use was 36% among men and 3% among women in the sample. However, biochemical verification of smoking status revealed that 42% men and 9% of women were positive for cotinine indicating possible recent tobacco use. Dual and poly-use of tobacco products was fairly common with 32% and 6% of the sample reporting respectively. Conclusions This is the first study in the region to biochemically verify tobacco use self-report data. Tobacco use in this study population was found to be higher than previously thought, especially among women. Misclassification of smoking status was more common than expected. Poly-tobacco use was also very common. Additional studies are needed to understand tobacco use behaviors and the extent to which people may be exposed to passive tobacco smoke. Implications This study is the first in the region to biochemically verify self-reported smoking status

Types of tobacco consumption and the oral microbiome in the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future (UAEHFS) Pilot Study

© 2018, The Author(s). Cigarette smoking alters the oral microbiome; however, the effect of alternative tobacco products remains unclear. Middle Eastern tobacco products like dokha and shisha, are becoming globally widespread. We tested for the first time in a Middle Eastern population the hypothesis that different tobacco products impact the oral microbiome. The oral microbiome of 330 subjects from the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future Study was assessed by amplifying the bacterial 16S rRNA gene from mouthwash samples. Tobacco consumption was assessed using a structured questionnaire and further validated by urine cotinine levels. Oral microbiome overall structure and specific taxon abundances were compared, using PERMANOVA and DESeq analyses respectively. Our results show that overall microbial composition differs between smokers and nonsmokers (p = 0.0001). Use of cigarettes (p = 0.001) and dokha (p = 0.042) were associated with overall microbiome structure, while shisha use was not (p = 0.62). The abundance of multiple genera were significantly altered (enriched/depleted) in cigarette smokers; however, only Actinobacillus, Porphyromonas, Lautropia and Bifidobacterium abundances were significantly changed in dokha users whereas no genera were significantly altered in shisha smokers. For the first time, we show that smoking dokha is associated to oral microbiome dysbiosis, suggesting that it could have similar effects as smoking cigarettes on oral health

The AGE-RAGE axis in an Arab population: The United Arab Emirates Healthy Futures (UAEHFS) pilot study

© 2017 The Authors Aims The transformation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from a semi-nomadic to a high income society has been accompanied by increasing rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. We examined if the AGE-RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation endproducts) axis is associated with obesity and diabetes mellitus in the pilot phase of the UAE Healthy Futures Study (UAEHFS). Methods 517 Emirati subjects were enrolled and plasma/serum levels of AGE, carboxy methyl lysine (CML)-AGE, soluble (s)RAGE and endogenous secretory (es)RAGE were measured along with weight, height, waist and hip circumference (WC/HC), blood pressure, HbA1c, Vitamin D levels and routine chemistries. The relationship between the AGE-RAGE axis and obesity and diabetes mellitus was tested using proportional odds models and linear regression. Results After covariate adjustment, AGE levels were significantly associated with diabetes status. Levels of sRAGE and esRAGE were associated with BMI and levels of sRAGE were associated with WC/HC. Conclusions The AGE-RAGE axis is associated with diabetes status and obesity in this Arab population. Prospective serial analysis of this axis may identify predictive biomarkers of obesity and cardiometabolic dysfunction in the UAEHFS

Incense Burning is Associated with Human Oral Microbiota Composition

© 2019, The Author(s). Incense burning is common worldwide and produces environmental toxicants that may influence health; however, biologic effects have been little studied. In 303 Emirati adults, we tested the hypothesis that incense use is linked to compositional changes in the oral microbiota that can be potentially significant for health. The oral microbiota was assessed by amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene from mouthwash samples. Frequency of incense use was ascertained through a questionnaire and examined in relation to overall oral microbiota composition (PERMANOVA analysis), and to specific taxon abundances, by negative binomial generalized linear models. We found that exposure to incense burning was associated with higher microbial diversity (p \u3c 0.013) and overall microbial compositional changes (PERMANOVA, p = 0.003). Our study also revealed that incense use was associated with significant changes in bacterial abundances (i.e. depletion of the dominant taxon Streptococcus), even in occasional users (once/week or less) implying that incense use impacts the oral microbiota even at low exposure levels. In summary, this first study suggests that incense burning alters the oral microbiota, potentially serving as an early biomarker of incense-related toxicities and related health consequences. Although a common indoor air pollutant, guidelines for control of incense use have yet to be developed