Formalization of Mining Rights in the East African Community; Cadastre perspective on artisanal mining rights

Context and backgroundArtisanal mining has long been integral part of livelihood structure and economic systems of certain rural communities. Artisanal mining operates informally in developing countries coupled with social, environmental, and economic challenges. Formalization of artisanal mining is being adopted in many countries in order to tackle the challenges of artisanal mining. Formalization entails enactment of legislations for recognition of artisanal mining, creation of mining rights cadastre and granting of mining titles.Formalization of artisanal mining has been embraced in East African community countries of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania. These countries are enacting laws and developing mining and minerals cadastral systems. However, access to seasonal resources like the sub-surface artisanal mining rights are regulated by customary tenure arrangements.  Moreover, the artisanal miners are sometimes migrants, the rights are seasonal and the mining area boundaries not easily identifiable. This paper examines how legislations in East African Community countries provide for the formalization of artisanal mining operations.Goal and Objectives:The objective of this article is to compare artisanal mining formalization in the East African Community countries through legislations and development of the mining cadastre. The article compares how different countries specify entities of artisanal mining rights for the inclusion in the mining cadastral system. Methodology:The methodological approach adopted for this article was comparative review of legislations, theoretical and empirical literature from the six East African Community countries.Results:Four countries; Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda directly legislate artisanal mining and grant artisanal mining titles. Artisanal mining titles are reserved for citizens and are transferable.  Only South Sudan specify artisanal mining cadastral unit. Therefore identification of cadastral unit remains a puzzle in artisanal mining registration. However, all the mining legislations do not provide for initial adjudication of artisanal mining rights for registration.

SEMI-STOCHASTIC MIXTURE MODEL FOR PREDICTING THE RATE OF ROAD CARNAGES IN KENYA

In this paper we consider the problem of modeling and predicting the rate of road carnage in Kenya inthe presence of randomly changing road conditions. In the literature review, accident prediction ratemodels are typically regression models and discrete time series models. We study such models andexamine their strengths and weaknesses and propose a Semi-stochastic Mixture Model to describethe relation between the highway accidents and the road environment dynamics.The aim of theresearch paper is to propose a model that captures both the deterministic and stochastic nature ofroad parameters to explain the cause of high rate of road accidents in Kenya. We apply the proposedmodel to a simulated data set for the local condition. Our analysis from show that apart from annualaverage daily traffic (AADT), road curvature is an important component of road carnage.Keywords: Road system, Semi-stochastic mixture model, road curvature, road carnage,Simulation

Stakeholder Empowerment and Implementation of Sustainable Community Food Security Projects in Nyando Basin, Kenya

Implementation of sustainable community food security projects is a major challenge not only in Kenya, but also in many developing countries affected by acute food insecurity. Anecdotal evidence suggests that stakeholder empowerment may have an influence on implementation of community food security projects. However, few studies have established the association between stakeholder empowerment and implementation of community. The study was conducted in the Nyando basin of Western Kenya. The Nyando basin is one of the regions in Kenya that experiences serious food insecurity. The perennial flooding and with the basin exposes the families and communities in the Nyando Basin not only to food insecurity but also to diseases that cumulatively affect the productive capacity of the families and communities living within the basin.  A cross-sectional study design was used. The target population was 769 people composed of members of three food security projects (cassava, sorghum and sweet potato projects), agricultural extension officers, county government officials, managers of non-governmental organizations providing technical support to community food security projects within the basin.  A sample size of 260 was computed using Krecjie and Morgan (1970) sample size estimation. Data was collected using questionnaire. Simple random sampling and stratified sampling procedures were used. Descriptive and inferential data were analysed. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, means and standard deviation, while inferential statistics included Pearson product moment correlation coefficient, coefficient of determination, ANOVA and regression coefficients. There was statistically significant relationship between stakeholder empowerment and implementation of sustainable community food security projects ((r = 0.292 and p = 0.000; thus, p value of 0.000 < 0.05). It is recommended that stakeholder empowerment processes should be prioritized in community food security projects to make them sustainable. It is also recommended that stakeholder empowerment should be integrated in community food security policies and projects. Keywords: Stakeholder Empowerment, Food Security, Sustainable Community Food Security Projects, Nyando Basin. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/11-4-15 Publication date: February 29th 202

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome in a premature dizygotic female twin: a case report

Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome is a congenital disease that is rare and has low prevalence worldwide. It presents classically with features of macroglossia, abdominal wall defects (omphalocele), and macrosomia at birth. Other typical manifestations include facial nevus simplex, ear lobe abnormalities (creases and/or pits), transient hypoglycemia, and renal abnormalities seen on ultrasound. We report a case of a female preterm infant of twin gestation presenting at our level 4 hospital’s newborn unit with typical features of the syndrome. We aimed to create further awareness on the diagnosis in secondary health institutions and management of common features and complications of the syndrome. There is a paucity of pictorial evidence of morphology and literature related to the syndrome in an African child and this case report aims to improve that. No case has been previously reported in the Kenyan setting

Optical and electrical properties of ion beam modified materials

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Smallholder marketed surplus and input use under transactions costs: maize supply and fertilizer demand in Kenya

This paper assessed the effects of transactions costs—relative to price and non-price factors—on smallholder marketed surplus and input use in Kenya. A selectivity model was used that accounts not only for the effects of fixed and variable transactions costs but also for the role of assets, technology, and support services in promoting input use and generating a marketable surplus. Output supply and input demand responses to changes in transactions costs and price and non-price factors were estimated and decomposed into market entry and intensity. The results showed that while transactions costs indeed have significant negative effects on market participation, cost-mitigating innovations—such as group marketing—are also emerging to mitigate the costs of accessing markets. Output price has no effect on output market entry and only provides incentives for increased supply by sellers. On the other hand, both price and non-price factors have significant influence on adoption and intensity of input use. Overall, the findings suggest that policy options are available other than price policies to promote input use and agricultural surplus.Commercialization, Marketed surplus, Fertilizer use, Transactions cost, Kenya, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Consumer/Household Economics, Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, International Relations/Trade, Marketing, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Participatory Evaluation of Integrated Pest and Soil Fertility Management Options Using Ordered Categorical Data Analysis

During participatory rural appraisals, farmers at the Lake Victoria basin of Kenya and Uganda identified Striga, stemborer and declining soil fertility as three major constraints to maize production To reduce food insecurity, several innovative integrated technologies to address these constraints have been developed, including push-pull (maize intercropped with Desmodium and surrounded by napier grass), maize-soybean and maize-crotalaria rotations, and Imazapyrresistant (IR) maize seed coated with the herbicide. To let farmers evaluate the new technologies, 12 demonstration trials, comparing the different technologies, were established in four villages in Siaya and Vihiga districts (Western Kenya) and two villages in Busia (Uganda). These evaluations, where farmers' appreciation and feedback on the technology are captured, are an important step in technology development. During field days at the end of short rainy seasons of 2003 and 2004, 504 farmers individually observed and rated each treatment under the different cropping systems, with and without IR maize, and with and without fertilizer, with a maize continuous monocrop as control. Farmers scored each of the 16 treatments on an ordered scale of five categories: very poor, poor, average, good, and very good. The treatments were scored for each of the criteria farmers has previously determined (including yield, resistance to Striga and stemborer, and improvement of soil fertility). Analysis of the evaluation, using ordinal regression, show significant differences in farmers' preference by year and site. There was, however, little effect of farm and farmer characteristics such as farm size and gender of the observer. Ordinal regression of farmers' scores are not as intuitive and also bit cumbersome to use, but they have a better theoretical foundation than other methods, in particular the use of means. This paper shows how the method can be used, and concludes that, with some effort, it is a convenient way to analyse farmers' ranking of a large number of options.farmers' preference, technologies, ordinal regression, Crop Production/Industries,

Evaluation of crop arrangement and phosphorus rate on performance of maize-common bean intercropping in western Kenya

The effect of phosphorus (P) rate and crop arrangement on the performance of component crops in maize-bean intercropping systems was investigated at two sites; Malanga and Bugeng’i in western Kenya. A split plot design with five crop arrangements in the main plots i.e., one row of maize alternating with one row of beans (conventional), maize and beans planted in the same hole, two rows of maize alternating with two of beans (Mbili), sole maize and sole beans, in a factorial combination with three P rates; 0, 30, and 60 kg ha-1 in the subplots, was used. Bean yields were low (< 1 t ha-1) but they increased with increasing P rate at both sites. Response of maize to P fertilizer was however poor at Malanga mainly due to Striga weed infestation. Yields of beans did not significantly differ among crop arrangements at both sites. At Bungeng’i, there was a significant interaction between P rate and crop arrangement. At this site, the maize yield in the conventional arrangement increased with increasing P rate but for the Mbili arrangement, the grain yield from application of 30 kg P ha-1 was significantly higher than that at 0 kg P ha-1 and similar to that 60 kg P ha-1. Therefore, it is not beneficial to fertilize beyond 30 kg P ha-1 at this site with the Mbili arrangement. Intercropping was beneficial in all crop arrangements (Land equivalent ratio >1) and can therefore be practiced, except for maize and beans planted in the same hole with no P application at Bugeng’i

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background: Cost is a major concern for delivery of minimally invasive surgical technologies due to the nature of resources required. It is unclear whether factors extrinsic to technology availability impact on this uptake. Objectives: To establish the influence of institutional, patient and surgeon-related factors in the adoption of minimally invasive surgical technologies. Methods: Eighty surgeons in tier 4 hospitals in Nairobi were subjected to questionnaires and key informant interviews between January and May 2015. The respondents were required to cite one surgical procedure for which they had the option of either open or minimally invasive surgical approach (MIS). Of the factors presented, they were required to grade them from 1 for least recurring to 5 for most recurring. Results: The response rate was 100%. A total of 9 surgical interventions emerged from the respondents. The most common impediment to MIS was unavailability of the required equipment and non-functional equipment (mean score, 2.61). The most common patient related factors that led to an open approach were patient presentation, obesity, co-morbidities and age (mean score 2.87). The most common surgeon related factor was lack of confidence in the MIS approach (mean score, 2.55). Conclusions: Absence of enabling functional equipment or device at the time of surgery is the most significant institutional factor that impedes the adoption of MIS. Intraoperative complications and the surgeon’s comfort emerged as the most significant patient and surgeon factors respectively.Keywords: Minimally Invasive Surgical Approaches, Health System Pillars, Service Delivery

Modeling e-learning implementation level for Primary Schools in Nairobi County through Stratified Random Sampling

Recent policy initiatives on education have focused on improving access to education and retaining pupils in schools through equity and enhancing quality education. However, the Government of Kenya has not unveiled detailed programme that will be a roadmap in implementation of e-learning policies in Kenyan primary and secondary schools set in the year 2006 under the Ministry of Information and Communications. The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), formerly KIE, has worked towards production of e-learning content and materials but the consumption of digital print materials to be produced by publishers have been given little attention in terms of provision of ICT infrastructures at school level. Thus there has been a need to carry out a research to evaluate the e-learning implementation level in Kenyan primary schools. The findings of the research are of great benefit to scholars, government and education private developers. The mathematical equation on finite union of sets is based on the concept of set theory and probability theory models. The scholars will appreciate the utility of mathematical concepts in solving real problem wherefore the link may not be easily observed in usual instructions. On the other hand, the government may find this applied equation, a useful tool to be used in provision of ICT infrastructures at various education centres while emphasis is on equity of resources as exposed by the model. Both the government and private developers can use it to implement e-learning policies to a particular proportion or percentage. The research was carried out in Nairobi County by drawing three independent samples using stratified random sampling strategy from private and public primary schools. Neyman allocation scheme was applied in determination of strata sample sizes per region whereas purposive sampling was applied to obtained regions of the county. Similar questionnaires were administered to selected fifty-one schools and observation used concurrently. The research results are numeric vectors for mean of e-learning implementation level (Y) per stratum per region. The mean e-learning implementation level is greater than 40% in each of the stratum, though some regions have higher and others have lower values. From the Shapiro-Wilk test, all samples have the variable Y from non-Gaussian family except one case, prompting the non-parametric test. At 5% level of significance, Kruskal-Wallis test carried out shows that the sample per region per stratum forms a stratified population. Keywords: Modeling E-learning, E-learning implementation level, Set and probability theory, Stratified random samplin