The "New" East African community : effects on trade, welfare and productive activities in East Africa

This research seeks to examine the effects of the establishment of regional trade agreements (RTAs) among developing nations on trade, welfare and production activities. The focus here is on the “new” East African Community (EAC) formed between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and established in 1999. The formation of the “new” EAC raises the important question of whether this regionally based trading agreement is of economic merit to its members. This study begins by reviewing trends in regional trade flows and the extent to which regional integration has affected trade patterns and productive activities. Using a gravity model augmented with several sets of dummy variables, I estimate the effect of the EAC-RTA on trade and welfare on members and non-members. The results show that intra-bloc trade is on average 18 times higher than what would be expected in the absence of the agreement. However, this trend does not seem to be influenced by the official lowering of trade barriers with the formation of the EAC. Model results also show a decline in bloc exports to the rest of the world suggesting that the bloc has trade diverting tendencies. Since static gains from the EAC-RTA are quite low, possibly dynamic gains from regional integration lend more support to the economic merit of the EAC

Aspects of migrants' theology of God and of human beings : a missiological exploration of some responses to the xenophobic violence in and around Tshwane, May 2008

When violence towards fellow humans deteriorates to the extent of setting fire on others, it becomes a matter of grievous concern and a subject of empirical research. This study therefore inquires into xenophobic violence in South Africa of 2008 and tries to understand the victims‟ plight in the light of their conception of the image of God. To achieve this, a questionnaire survey among migrant victims from other African countries was conducted, analysed and critiqued. The findings established a deep feeling of animosity from a section of a South Africans with consequent loss of property, physical harm and death, as well as emotional trauma. The study deduces that such hostile treatment by hosts results from a loss of African humanity, Ubuntu. Going forward a theology of the image of God is critical for human relations in South Africa and essential for reconciliation between migrants and locals.Christian Spirituality, Church History and MissiologyM. Th. (Missiology

Calibration of rainfall in weather index - based micro - insurance for agriculture

A research project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Business Science Actuarial at Strathmore UniversityThis project presents the calibration of rainfall in weather index-based micro-insurance for agriculture in Kenya. It simply seeks to determine if rainfall alone is a significant factor in order to use it as an index that will determine indemnity payments when an event arises. Using linear regression the study found the relationship between expected yield and rainfall, thereafter a payment index was calibrated. The results showed that rainfall is a significant factor in determining the yield of a crop in Kenya and would be a very useful product in micro-insurance for agriculture in Kenya. It is recommended that this product should be administered in different geographic framing regions in Kenya having tailor made the index to the specific region's specifications