Ezekiel 5:5-17 and Theodicy: A Theological Investigation of the Character of God

The question of the character of God has been an issue of contention among many biblical scholars, particularly when considering the severe punitive actions that he unleashes upon humanity from time to time. This contention makes it imperative to reexamine the biblical corpus to ascertain its portrayal of YHWH\u27s character in the light of his harsh and severe judgments. The exegetical examination of Ezek 5:5-17 in the context of Ezek 1-24 has revealed that YHWH is a God who upholds the terms of the covenant. When his people breach the covenant stipulations, as the Israelites did, he takes appropriate disciplinary measures, some of which may be unprecedented, to register his disapproval of the people\u27s sins. What this implies is that his punishments, although they are painful and may cause intense suffering, are deserved and justified, because of the Israelites\u27 persistence in the worship of idols and other abominable practices. Furthermore, YHWH, unlike some of the ancient Near Eastern gods, whose punishments are based on flimsy and baseless reasons, metes out judgments based on weighty matters, such as moral and cultic violations. Despite the severe judgments unleashed on the Israelites, the book of Ezekiel reveals that God is still loving, gracious, and merciful. This is based on the actions he takes, such as calling the Israelites to repentance, offering them a new heart, a new spirit (spiritual transformation), and being present with them even in exile. After the introduction in chapter 1, chapter 2 of this dissertation explores the challenges to the character of God as reflected in Ezek 5:5-17. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 respectively examine the basis, the function, and the nature of YHWH\u27s retributive judgment on the people of Israel in Ezek 5:5-17 within its context. Chapter 6 investigates theodicy in Ezek 5:5-17 within its context. This chapter elucidates the implications that YHWH\u27s retributive justice has on his character. Chapter 7 looks at the intratextual and intertextual relations Ezek 5:5-17 has with the rest of Ezekiel and other sections of the Old Testament. Chapter 8 offers acomparison of the character of Israel\u27s God with the gods of the ancient Near East. Chapter 9 synthesizes the findings of the entire study

Fiscal illusion as an incentive for local government public expenditure efficiency: The influence of community sensitization

Although the effect of public expenditure efficiency on local government fiscal performance is widely-documented, what precisely explains expenditure efficiency remains largely unclear. Nevertheless, past research holds fiscal illusion as the most likely predictor and community sensitization very critical for fiscal illusion-expenditure efficiency formation. We employed fiscal illusion theory to investigate possible fiscal illusion-community sensitization-expenditure efficiency mediation in 16 districts, 6 municipalities, and 160 sub-counties of Uganda’s northern region. Over the years, Uganda; an East African country, is applauded for its fiscal federalism proficiency. But presently, its northern region is grappling a 20-year post-conflict trauma likely to compromise entity spending efficiency. Structural equation modeling results suggest that all the four fiscal illusion constructs: fiscal imbalances, political divide, tax payment bias, and fiscal sabotage, predict changes in expenditure efficiency. However, community sensitization does not mediate the fiscal illusion-expenditure efficiency linkages. Implications for these findings and possible direction for future research are discussed

Digital financial inclusion and fiscal solvency in Uganda’s local governments: A review of regulation mediation

Fiscal solvency has become a popular phenomenon in numerous decentralizing countries in recent years. The ability to mobilize adequate revenue to fund expenditure in a given budget period, and provide public goods and services, makes fiscal solvency very pertinent, especially in local government. However, policy, practice, and research, claim that most local entities, both in the developed and developing world, rarely achieve required fiscal solvency standards. While no clear explanation of the problem abounds, digital financial inclusion dominates the ongoing debate. Besides, regulation is also considered a very crucial factor for fiscal solvency. This study examines the probable mediation effect regulation has on the digital financial inclusion-fiscal solvency relationship in local governments in Uganda, East Africa. Based on a cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 21 districts, nine municipalities, and many sub-counties in the country’s post-conflict northern regions. The data were then subjected to structural equation modeling analysis. Its findings reveal that digital financial inclusion explains changes in fiscal solvency in surveyed local governments. Moreover, regulation has an indirect influence on the digital financial inclusion-fiscal solvency formation. Findings implications to practice and theory are discussed, and future research direction is provide

Study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial of an NCD access to medicines initative: Evaluation of Novartis Access in Kenya

INTRODUCTION: Novartis recently launched Novartis Access, an initiative to provide a basket of reduced price medicines for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to be sold through the public and private nonprofit sectors in programme countries. This study will evaluate the impact of Novartis Access on the availability and price of NCD medicines at health facilities and households in Kenya, the first country to receive the programme. METHODS: This study will be a cluster randomised controlled trial. 8 counties in Kenya will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control group using a covariate constrained randomisation method to maximise balance on demographic and health characteristics. In intervention counties, public and private non-profit health facilities will be able to order Novartis Access NCD medicines from the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS). Data will be collected from a random sample of 384 health facilities and 800 households at baseline, midline after 1-year of intervention, and end-line after 2 years. Quarterly surveillance data will also be collected from health facilities and a subsample of households through phone-based interviews. Households will be eligible if at least one resident has been previously diagnosed and prescribed a medicine for an NCD addressed by Novartis Access, including hypertension and diabetes. The primary outcomes will be availability and price of NCD medicines at health facilities, and availability, price, and expenditures on NCD medicines at households. Impacts will be estimated using intention-to-treat analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Boards at Strathmore University and at Boston University. Informed consent will be obtained from all participants at the start of the trial. The findings of the trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, international conferences, and meetings and events organised with local stakeholders

LEADERSHIP STYLES PRACTICED BY PRINCIPALS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SIAYA, KISUMU AND KAJIADO COUNTIES, KENYA

The leadership style practiced by a principal is one fundamental factor that determines the success of any school. A principal with appropriate leadership competencies can positively impact on the way teachers undertake their duties which in turn will determine the students’ performance. This study examined the predominant leadership style practiced by principals in public secondary schools in Siaya, Kisumu and Kjiado counties. The study adopted a descriptive survey paradigm. The study was guided by the Full Range Leadership Theory. The target population comprised of 397 principals, 379 deputy principals, 1010 heads of departments, and 2208 teachers in public secondary schools in Siaya, Kisumu and Kajiado counties, Kenya who had served for more than two years in the same school. Stratified and simple random sampling was used to sample 40 secondary school principals, 38 deputy principals, 101 heads of departments and 221 teachers giving a total of 400 respondents. The data for this study was collected using Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Form 5X which classified, the leadership style of principals as transformational, transactional and laissez-faire. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found out that transformational leadership style was the predominant leadership style practiced by principals in Siaya, Kisumu and Kajiado counties. The study however established overlapping scores between transactional contingent reward and transformational intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration. The study concluded that even though teachers perceived their principals as more transformational than transactional, one’s leadership style cannot be explicitly categorized as both styles complement each other. The study recommends that teacher development programs should provide training on leadership styles to help school leaders understand when and how apply the various leadership styles depending on the situation at hand.  Article visualizations

LEVELS OF TEACHERS’ JOB SATISFACTION IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SIAYA, KISUMU AND KAJIADO COUNTIES, KENYA

Teachers’ job satisfaction is one of the fundamental factors that determine the success of any school. A satisfied teacher would most likely put in more effort towards the success of a school while a dissatisfied teacher would lazy around and students would not reap the full benefits of education. This study examined the levels of teachers’ job satisfaction in public secondary schools in Siaya, Kisumu and Kjiado counties, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey paradigm. The study was guided by the Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory. The target population comprised of 379 deputy principals, 1010 heads of departments, and 2208 teachers in public secondary schools in Siaya, Kisumu and Kajiado counties, Kenya who had served for more than two years in the same school. Stratified and simple random sampling was used to sample 38 deputy principals, 101 heads of departments and 221 teachers giving a total of 360 respondents. The data for this study was collected using Teacher Job Satisfaction Survey Questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found out that most (56.7%) teachers were dissatisfied and that most (63.9%) of them would not choose teaching as a profession if they were to start over again in a new career. The study concluded that a dissatisfied teaching force is disastrous for the education sector in Kenya as this will prevent learners from reaping the full benefits of education. The study recommends that education stakeholders and policy makers should put in place appropriate mechanisms that will address the challenges around the attainment of teachers’ job satisfaction in Kenya.  Article visualizations

Impacts of Climate Change on Small Pelagic Fish Catches in the Coastal Artisanal Fishers Communities of Tanzania

Climate-related effects occur across all regions in Tanzania, affecting primary sectors such as agriculture and fishing. This study investigated the impacts of climatic change on small pelagic catches in fishers in Kilindoni, Kipumbwi and Kilwa Kivinje villages along the Tanzanian coast. We studied how changes in rainfall, sea surface temperature, wind speed and chlorophyll a affect small pelagic fisheries using primary and secondary data. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied. Primary data collection involved questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Secondary data was obtained from Tanzania Meteorological Agency and remote sensing from Modi's sensor. Results showed an increase in sea surface temperature (tau = 0.0151, 0.0121, 0.0238 for Kilindoni, Kilwa Kivinje and Kipumbwi, respectively) and unpredictable changes in rainfall patterns which affected small pelagic fisheries. The average rainfall was 284.6, 97.5 and 56.4 mm in Kilindoni, Kilwa Kivinje and Kipumbwi, respectively. In recent years, rain has been unreliable compared to the past 20 years. Unpredictable rainfall, increased sea surface temperature, wind speed and chlorophyll a had negatively impacted the small pelagic fishery. There was a strong relationship between the decline of small pelagic catches and climatic variables. The findings of this study have implications for coastal fisher's livelihood, income and food security. Keywords:  Coastal communities; small pelagic fishery; climate change; fisheries; livelihoo

Invisible Possibilities: Poverty Alleviation in Small-scale Fisher Communities

Poverty is currently among the challenging global problems that requires sound alleviation strategies. The challenge relates to how poverty presents itself as highly varied in both context and content. Quite often, conventional approaches to the study of poverty and its alleviation have focused on what communities are deprived of or lack. This is a state in which poor communities face unacceptable hardship given their inability to access what they are supposed to get. That which they are supposed to get is to a large extent visibly absent in their communities. We refer to these absences in this paper as the visible absences. There is however another side that we seldom hear of about the poor, the invisible presences. These are what the poor communities have but are not obviously visible. The invisible presences appear to be the lifeline of the poor communities where all activities and behaviour are pegged. They appear to be the basis upon which poor communities generate meaning for life, ground, establish and operate their institutions and power system. They appear to be what poor communities use to create and utilize what political ecologists refer to as ocean space. This paper examines what these invisible presences are and how they are used in poor small-scale fisher communities of Lake Victoria Tanzania.Keywords: Fisheries Economics, Special Topics, Too Big to Ignore: Enhancing Visibility and Possibilities in Small-Scale FisheriesKeywords: Fisheries Economics, Special Topics, Too Big to Ignore: Enhancing Visibility and Possibilities in Small-Scale Fisherie