Spatial-temporal trends of rainfall, maximum and minimum temperatures over west Africa

Open Access Article; Published online: 25 May 2020This article investigates the magnitude and significance of spatial-temporal trends of 37 years' time series of the gridded data for rainfall, maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) temperature for West Africa. A modified Mann-Kendall test and Theil-Sen's slope estimator were utilized to test the significance and the magnitude of trends, respectively. The magnitude of significant trends for three variables between six agroecological zones (AEZs) was compared. Gridded climate data represented gauge data with high accuracy and, therefore, can reliably complement the sparse observation network in West Africa. The three variables showed significant positive and negative trends of varying magnitude and spatial extent. June to September rainfall showed a positive increase (0.1-5 mm/month/year) that mostly occurred north of 11° latitude. October rainfall showed a positive trend across the region, but the magnitude was higher south of the same latitude. A widespread significant warming trend was observed across all AEZs and months. However, a localized cooling in August and September over the Sahel and Sudan Savanna was an exception. The cooling over the two AEZs coincided with a positive trend of rainfall. The zonal analysis revealed that the magnitude of the positive trend of June, September, and October rain increased following a North-South gradient from the Sahel to humid forest AEZs. Results provide spatial evidence of climate change in a limited data environment to guide the targeting of appropriate adaptation measures. The information generated from this article helps the design of early warning systems against droughts and floods

Youth in conflict in the Horn of Africa: A comparative analysis of mungiki in Kenya and Al-shabaab in Somalia

Youth constitute the largest percentage of the total world population and are considered core to the development of society. However, even with the large numbers, researches on youth in Africa tend to be skewed on employment and labour distribution, education and human development. Outside these formalized sectors, youth are studied as the most controversial group based on their behavior and seemingly misplaced roles. The place of youth in conflict in Africa is thus unexplored as available research focuses more on child soldiers in relation to recruitment, effects of conflicts, disarmament and reintegration. Beyond this, youth in conflict are studied in relation to violence and delinquency particularly in the United States of America and Europe and hardly in Africa. This is despite the growing involvement of youths in conflict as militias, rebels, vigilante groups as well as victims. This article explores the place of youths in conflict of post-colonial Africa where their role has increasingly grown. As a comparative analysis, it uses the case study of Al-shabaab in Somalia and Mungiki in Kenya Key words: Youth, Mungiki, Al-Shabaab, Kenya, Somalia

Complementary feeding practices and their determinants in infants and young children on follow up at a private tertiary Hospital in Nairobi

Background: More than a third of all deaths in children under five years of age worldwide, are linked to maternal and child under-nutrition. Appropriate complementary feeding is one of the interventions with the greatest potential for reduction of nutrition-related diseases and mortalities, yet uptake of the recommended World Health Organisation (WHO) infant and young child feeding practices in Kenya remains low. Despite provision of nutrition education at Aga Khan University Hospital- Nairobi (AKUH-N), both growth faltering and over-weight trends have been observed, pointing to both under- and over-nutrition. Objectives: This study investigated caregivers\u27 knowledge , attitude and practice (KAP) of complementary feeding of infants and young children on follow up at AKUH-N well baby clinic based on WHO guidelines. In addition, it sought to evaluate the factors influencing compliance with these guidelines. Methodology: This was a mixed methods descriptive, cross-sectional study. A total of 290 caregivers of infants and young children aged between nine and twenty-four months were recruited for the quantitative part of the study. Twenty-one caregivers were purposively sampled for the qualitative arm of the study. Results: Caregivers had an average to good knowledge score, with majority(88.3%) of them reporting the paediatrician as an information source on matters child nutrition. Less than half (43.1%) of caregivers were fully compliant with the WHO guidelines for complementary feeding. Timely introduction, continued breastfeeding, minimum meal frequency and minimum meal diversity were estimated at 76.9%, 74.1%,95.2% and 91.7% respectively. Underweight and stunting rates were at 6.9% and 1.7%, respectively, while that of overweight was 8.6%. Caregivers whose education was below college level were 80% less likely to comply with WHO complementary vi feeding guidelines [OR 0.2 (95% CI 0.05- 0.8) p=0.04].Other factors that affected complementary feeding practice included access to information, support from healthcare workers and fear of allergic reactions. Conclusion: Caregivers had a good grasp of broad concepts, as evidenced by good knowledge scores, but lacked clarity in specific and practical aspects. This could have led to the incongruence seen between knowledge and practice. Specific knowledge gaps identified were in the areas of responsive feeding, continued breastfeeding, use of feeding bottles and adequacy of feeds. More attention needs to be paid to providing practical guidelines for the complementary feeding period in our setting

Community Stigma and Discrimination Against Persons Living With HIV/AIDS in Kenya

Introduction: HIV/AIDS is a significant public health problem. An estimated 36.7 million people in the world are living with HIV/AIDS, and the largest burden of HIV/AIDS is in sub-Saharan Africa, where approximately 25.6 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, accounting for approximately 70% of the people infected with HIV/AIDS worldwide. The purpose of this study is to examine associated factors among persons who exhibit stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. Methods: Secondary data with a probability sample of 11,909 participants who took part in the 2008-2009 Kenya Demographic Health Survey were analyzed. Logistic regression models and ordinal logistic regression models were conducted to examine associated factors among persons who exhibit stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. The factors examined included age, sex, education, wealth quintile, marital status, literacy, and knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission. All analyses accounted for complex sampling design. All analyses were performed using SAS 9.4. Results Overall, the majority (74%) of respondents indicated that they were willing to buy vegetables from a vendor with HIV/AIDS, and the majority (96%) reported that they would be willing to care for family members with AIDS. Approximately 51.6% of persons with primary education (95%CI: 50.4-52.9) were willing to care for a family member with AIDS in the household compared to 5.4% persons with no education (95% CI: 0.2-4.9). Primary education was significantly associated with being willing to buy vegetables from a vendor with HIV/AIDS (OR: 3.5; 95% CI: 2.9-4.2) compared to no education. Persons in the “richest” wealth index (OR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.9-3.4) were more likely to report that a female teacher with AIDS should be allowed to teach, compared to persons in the poorer wealth index. No association was detected between marital status and exhibiting stigma and discrimination. Persons with correct perceptions of HIV exhibited lower levels of stigma and discrimination compared to persons with incorrect perceptions of HIV. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of educating individuals and communities on the risks of stigmatizing attitudes toward PLWHA. Education may promote acceptance and understanding, which may ultimately affect people’s attitudes, behaviors and opinions towards PLWHA

Challenges in policy transition: In situ upgrading of informal settlements in Johannesburg and Nairobi

There has been a gradual shift in informal settlement intervention policies across the world, with In situ upgrading being considered an ideal approach as it addresses poor conditions in settlements without negatively impacting on beneficiaries’ lives. However, despite policy and programme shifts, implementation outcomes have remained limited. This study focused on the gap between informal settlement policy intents and implementation outcomes in Johannesburg, South Africa and Nairobi, Kenya. It draws from implementation experiences from the two case studies, building contextual accounts of this challenge into a comparative study. Implementation gaps in the two cities were attributed to a number of issues, including: how policies were designed; tensions and challenges within and between implementing agencies; politics of beneficiaries and other stakeholders; among others. The study’s key argument is that policy has given insufficient regard to the context of implementation and the means of implementation before coming into effect

Factors Influencing Provision of Play and Learning Materials among Children with Physical Challenges a Case Study of Joytown Special School, Kiambu County

In Kenya there is still a high population of children either born with or who develop physical challenges. These children are often neglected and most do not join school at the expected age. In joining school they encounter several difficulties in their play and learning activities. These children with physical challenges have developmental needs and rights like other children but due to their exceptionality they call for more attention in provision of adequate quality play and learning materials to enhance their holistic development. However, it is apparent that provision of materials to children with physical challenges has not been possible due to various factors which are not yet understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of parents in the provision of play and learning materials to children who are physically challenged. The study sought to establish parents’ involvement in provision of play and learning materials and factors influencing the kind of support they offer. The study was carried out in Joytown Primary School for the Physically Challenged in Thika Town. The school was purposefully selected because it is best suited for the study since it caters for children in the category of special needs being addressed in the study that is physical challenges. Case study design was used in order to gather in-depth information about roles of stakeholders in support of physically challenged children. Target population of the study was 100 children with physical challenges, 200 parents and 4 teachers and the head teacher. Stratified random sampling method was employed to arrive at a Sample size of 30 children with physical challenges, purposive and opportunity sampling to arrive at 30 parents and purposive sampling to arrive at 4 teachers. Therefore, the total sample size was 64. The data were collected using various techniques which included questionnaires for the teachers, interview schedules for parents and observation schedules for children. Collected data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative methods entailed use of descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages which enhanced discussion of qualitative data which was organized into themes and categories and presented in discussion form. Microsoft excel was used to ease data analysis. The study established that parental involvement in provision of play and learning materials is minimal. The major factors which influenced support offered by parents’ were inadequate finance and complexity of some physical challenges which requires further investigation to establish the most appropriate play and learning materials to suit the needs of the child. It was evident that children were capable of engaging in various plays and learning activities where appropriate play and learning materials were availed consequently enhancing holistic development. The main recommendation of the study is that government should have a budgetary allocation meant specifically for purchase of play and learning materials and maintenance of facilities since it’s a noble course which would ensure that children are actively involved in play and learning activities therefore enhancing holistic development molding children with physical challenges to become self-reliant and productive citizens. Keywords: Provision of Play and Learning Materials, Physical Challenge

A Representative of the People: A review of Dominic Burbidge’s An Experiment in Devolution: National Unity and the Deconstruction of the Kenyan State

This article is dedicated to analyze Dominic Burbidge’s An experiment in devolution. Published by Strathmore University Press in 2019, the 319-page volume is a welcome addition to the growing scholarship on devolution in Kenya. This text, indeed, brings with it a much needed ‘empirical grit’ to a discourse previously saturated with historically and theoretically derived conjecture. The hallmark of the book is, therefore, this attention to the material, the meticulousness with which it relays empirical findings and finally, how the author manages to successfully marry empirical data and theory; resulting in an interesting telling of the story of devolution. Thus, Burbidge sets out to test the performance of devolution in the counties where it was most predicted to fail: the former Central Province. He investigates how devolution has actually played out in this region; taking into consideration the historically complicated relationship between Mount Kenya and Nairobi and the enduring scepticism as to the compatibility of devolution and the interests of Central Kenya

The Impact of Military Exercises and Operations on Local Environment

Like other countries in the world, Kenya and its neighbors have developed their militaries into more complex and highly organized institutions. The military which comprises air, sea and ground forces was largely a creation of the colonial government but have become vital in dealing with conventional and non-conventional security matters. Among the non-conventional security matters, environment has emerged as a new sphere in which the military has been actively involved; as a benevolent and malevolent agent through its exercises and operations. Despite the notable positive contributions, the negative impact of military exercises and operations in the environmental sphere has overshadowed the military as an institution. Sadly, these effects have for a long time been limited to military as a state institution while the negative impacts emanating from military-like activities of non-armed state groups such as militias, rebels, terrorists and guerillas have been ignored. This paper examines the impact of military services and operations on the environment in relation to military as an institution as well as those linked to military- like activities of the non-armed state groups such as militias, rebels, guerillas, and terrorist groups. The study relied on desktop review of existing literature on military, military activities. The analysis showed that military activities and exercises affect local environment directly and indirectly.Key Words: Military, Services, Operations, environment, climate change, Impacts, Non-Armed State Group

CONFLICTS AND HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION IN AFRICA: IS TOMORROW TOO LATE?

ABSTRACT A disturbing trend of contemporary conflict in Africa has been the increased vulnerability of civilians, often involving their deliberate targeting. The current debate about intervention for human rights purposes, as a result of proliferation of armed conflict within and between states, takes place in the context not just of new actors, but also of new sets of issues. At the heart of the debate is the issue of whether foreign intervention, by other states or inter-governmental organizations, can be used for good in Africa in cases of mass killings and other crimes against humanity. Focusing on the experience of the Rwandan genocide, this study seeks to explore the failures of the international community, in particular the United Nations and its implications on the unfolding tragedy in Sudan's Darfur region. It addresses the question as to whether inconsistencies and a lack of timely effect by the UN and the international community have created conditions that have contributed to some of the worst human rights violations, in some cases resulting in genocide

Evaluating the impact of defamation judgments on coverage of corruption by Kenyan media: a case study of standard group PLC and nation media group

The media in Kenya has been under much pressure to remodel the news business to attract revenue amidst technology disruption, tough regulations and defamation cases. This study set out to evaluate the impact of defamation judgments in the coverage of corruption in Kenya. It employed questionnaires and oral interviews as ways or tools of gathering data. Data was collected at two levels: interviews with editors, and questionnaires administered to journalists. Purposive sampling was used to select Nation Media Group (NMG) and Standard Group (SG) in Nairobi as the study locations and a sample of 10 editors. In addition, 242 journalists were randomly selected for the survey. At the same time, the editorial policies of the two media houses were reviewed. At the same time, a thematic approach was applied while analysing interviews conducted by the researcher on the editors. The study established that the two media houses had not reviewed their editorial policies despite the judgments handed by the court. It also established that the media houses have processes to deal with defamatory information in the pre-production stage. However, there are no guidelines for dealing with post-production grievances even in the digital era. The study established that the two media houses have strategies to cushion themselves from defamation as journalists continue their work. It concluded that they needed to do more than the punitive measures to encourage journalists to investigate and cover corruption issues without fear of sanctions and being sued for defamation