Future Projections of Urban Waste Flows aand their Impacts in African Metropolises Cities

This paper presents future trends of urban wastes and their impacts on the environment of African cities using plausible mitigation scenarios. To accomplish this, an integrated dynamic model for urban waste flows was developed, tested, calibrated and validated. Its parameter sensitivity was analyzed. Using population projection up to 2052 with different levels of technological implementation, policy enforcement and awareness raising, four runs were executed. The “business as usual” run showed that with no additional mitigation measures, the environmental quality in Kampala and Dar es salaam Cities deteriorates. The “more enforcement” and “more collection” scenarios showed good reduction in environmental loads but they perform less well in resource recovery. The “proper management” scenario that combines enhanced technological implementation, awareness raising and policy enforcement, produced the smallest environmental loads, and recovered the largest amount of resources. Thus, the city authorities, general public, community based organisations and Non-governmental organizations would have to increase their efforts in finances and commitment to improve the urban environmental quality and increase resource recovery

Foreign languages in African science classrooms: perspectives on and approaches to language use during teaching

Africa is perhaps the only continent in the world where most formal or school education is conducted in instructional languages that are foreign to most learners and their teachers. In contexts where formal learning is conducted in a foreign language, achievement of general profi ciency in the instructional language is a necessary fi rst step if any learning is to be expected in that language. In this article, the objective is to argue an appropriate perspective on – and suggest approaches to – the use of (the foreign) language by science teachers during teaching. This article is the outcome of sustained literature reviews of cross-national research on language in science education over the last 40 years. In this article, a plural nature of school science is adopted, including it being a distinct language foreign to all learners, irrespective of their fi rst language. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to highlight the role of the instructional language as used by the science teacher and in science texts. This article targets the science teacher with regard to the well-known need for teacher intervention in the learning of school science.Proceedings of the 4th biennial International Conference on Distance Education and Teachers’ Training in Africa (DETA) held at the Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique, 3-5 August 2011

EFFECT OF BIO-STIMULATORS ON PRODUCTION OF COWPEA SEED FOR FOOD SECURITY AND WEALTH CREATION IN JUJA, KENYA

A study was done to evaluate the effect of bio-stimulators on seed production of cowpea crop in Juja, Kenya during short rains season 2014-15. Bio-stimulators are plant and animal derived substances that trigger plant processes when applied to the plants at very low concentrations. They contain amino acids, low molecular weight polypeptides, vitamins, enzymes, hormones, sugars, betaines and antioxidants. Drought causes slow rate of the majority of plant growth and development processes leading to discontinuation of cell growth, stomatal closures, increased abscisic acid and proline, drop in cytokinins levels, reduced protein synthesis and reduced activity of nitrate reductase leading to retarded growth and plant senescence. In reducing the impact of the water stress therefore, cytokinins in bio-stimulators promote growth and slow down plant senescence. Parameters investigated were germination rate, days to flowering and pod formation, number of seeds per pod, length of pods, total number of pods and weight of seeds. Results on the effect of bio-stimulators on cowpea seed production are discussed

Culture and democray in Africa: a philosophical inquiry.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.That there is an incessant struggle for the establishment of a viable and meaningful democracy in post-independence Africa is not in doubt. Contemporary Africa is characterized by political instability and abysmally poor governmental performance indicative of lack of consonance and congruence between traditional African political values on the one hand, and the practice of Western democracy on the other. In contradistinction to pre-colonial polity that had highly developed democratic political systems, almost all political regimes in post-colonial Africa have consistently claimed to be democratic and yet their rule has largely been characterized by political authoritarianism, illegitimate seizure of power, massive corruption, political assassinations, escalating insecurity, food crisis et cetera. These challenges are further compounded by the fact that the practice of Western democracy in Africa has created of the African populace a dichotomy, which is diametrically opposed to African humanism. Against this backdrop, the study employs textual and conceptual analysis of philosophical inquiry to appraise the practice of democracy; and investigate the basis of traditional African democratic polity. It also examines whether Western notions of democracy are well-suited for contemporary African polities by asking the following fundamental questions: a) What makes democracy democratic? b) In what ways can traditional African system of government benefit contemporary democratic practice in Africa? In view of the foregoing, the study concludes that: a) The failure of democracy to function properly in post-independence Africa is hinged on illegitimacy and ineffectiveness of Western democracy, which is an illegitimate colonial construct: b) For democracy to be meaningfully and viably established in contemporary Africa, it should be hinged on political communal existence of Africans, which in effect relates to equality within a polity; and, c) There is need for an alternative form of democracy in Africa hinged on African cultural values and practices. In the foregoing respect, the study proposes “Integrated Consensual Democracy” as an alternative form of democracy for contemporary Africa. It is argued that this is a viable form of self rule responsive to the needs and aspirations of Africans as it is premised on their cultural values and practices. The study makes, however, among others, the recommendation that further research should establish why even with communal solidarity, which is so widespread in rural societies of Africa, contemporary Africa is still far from producing modes of governance that the populace can freely accept

Bantu and Nilotic children' s singing games : a comparative study of their value communication

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 229-238).This study is based on the premise that Luo and Luhya children's singing games are creative works that subtly reflect the aesthetics of the two communities. The aim is to critically examine how the performance of the singing games and their texts reflect the aspirations, norms and values of the macro cultures of the two Nilotic and Bantu communities respectively. The sampled singing games include those done in the traditional setting, sung in vernacular and those that are taken from the urban or cosmopolitan settings

Osteoarthritis: a look at pathophysiology and approach to new treatments: a review

Objective: To review old, current, emerging and potential pathophysiological mechanisms in osteoarthritis and its approach to new treatments. Data sources: Published original research work and reviews from 1995 till early 2008 were searched in English on subjects related to pathogenesis, pathophysiology and potential new approaches to treatment of osteoarthritis. Study design: Articles that emphasized the pathogenesis and pathophysiology and new treatment approaches to the management of osteoarthritis. Data extraction: Online and manual library searches. Data synthesis: Data added up and summarized. Conclusion: Although osteoarthritis is characterized by cartilage degeneration, changes also involve the synovial membrane and the subchondral bone. Evidence suggests the involvement of a number of factors in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis, like the proteases,pro-inflammatory cytokines, nitrous oxide, calcium crystals, leptin, angiogenesis and T cells and in turn using some of these to formulate some of the potential for new treatments for osteoarthritis

Knowledge sharing as a catalyst for enhanced performance in micro, small and medium enterprises (msmes) in Migori county, Kenya

In the last decade the role of knowledge sharing in business organizations has been emphasized by practitioners, academics and entrepreneurs. Ironically, most of these studies have focused on large organizations, yet others have predominantly focused on secondary literature of past studies for their findings. In addition, some studies have focused on particular aspects like tacit knowledge or explicit knowledge without giving a clue on the relationship to performance using both. This study sought to find out the effect of knowledge sharing on organizational performance with particular reference to MSMEs, thereby filling the gap on small organizations. The study was also empirical and addressed both tacit and explicit forms of knowledge. The study was conducted by cross sectional survey, data being collected using questionnaire and structured interview responses from a sample of 46 owner and 110 employed managers of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises randomly selected from the accessible population using stratified random sampling technique. Findings revealed that knowledge sharing indeed had a significantly positive effect on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Migori County, Kenya. The study recommends that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises be encouraged to facilitate implementation of knowledge sharing so as to realize significant improvements in their performance

Socio-demographic and clinical aspects of rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: To determine the socio-demographic profiles and some clinical aspects of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Design: Prospective, cross-sectional study.Setting: Ambulatory out- patient clinics of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), a public national and referral hospital.Subjects: Out of 180 patients interviewed and examined, 60 met American College of Rheumatology (ACR) diagnostic criteria of RA.Results: Of the 60 patients recruited 52 (87%) were females with male: female ratio of 1: 6.5. The mean age of patients was 41.38(± 16.8) years. There were two peaks of age of occurrence, 20-29 and 40-49 years. In 75% of the study patients, one or more of metacarpophalangeal joints of the hand were involved in the disease. Other frequently involved sites were - wrists, elbows, knees, ankles and glenohumeral joints of shoulders in a symmetrical manner. Serum rheumatoid factor was positive in 78.9% while rheumatoid nodules were present in 13.3% of the study patients. A large majority of patients (88%) had active disease with 18% having mild disease, 38% moderate activity and 32% having severe disease. Only 12% of patients had disease in remission. Forty six point seven per cent (46.7%) of the study patients were on at least one Disease Modifying anti Rheumatic Drugs (DMARD) from a selection of methotrexate, sulphasalazine, hydroxychloroquine and leflunamide. The most frequent drug combination was methotrexate plus prednisolone at 30% of the study population; while 66.7% were on oral prednisolone with 25% of the study patients taking only Non-Steroidal anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS).Conclusion: A large majority of ambulatory patients with RA had active disease. Most of’ them were sub-optimally treated, especially the use of DMARDS. About two thirds were on oral steroids. Sub-optimal therapy in relatively young patients, peak 20-29 and 40-49 years is likely to impact negatively on their disease control and quality of life

Challenges and Opportunities in Cycling Safety in Nairobi City, Kenya

The road transport in Kenya is the most common means oftransport for people living in both urban and rural areas. The use of bicycles for transport dates back in the pre-colonial time and has been used as a mode of transport until 2008 when the use of motorcycles became a popular mode of travel in the rural and urban areas. However, the use of bicycle as a means of travel has declined consistently over the years until now and many have shifted to the use of car, public transport and most commonly motorcycles which are popularly known as 'boda boda' in Kenya. This modal shift can be attributed to a number of factors identified as challenges in the use of bicycles as a common mode of transport in comparison to other emerging modes of transport both in rural and urban areas. However, despite this modal shift, there are a substantial number of road users who would still prefer to use the bicycle mode amid prevalence in road traffic fatalities and injuries in Kenya. The government of Kenya has established initiatives to provide safe and inclusive transport system by investing in transport infrastructure that includes cycle tracks especially for roads located in the urban cities. This has been enabled by innovation in design, mixed traffic composition, change of legislation and road design standards especially in regards to non-motorized transport in Kenya. Cycling is still low in cities in Kenya despite this effort to improve geometric design of roads. This paper explores these challenges and opportunities in cycling in Kenya focusing on Nairobi city as a case study. [From: Introduction

Identification of Main Verbal Indicators of Mental Status of University Students’ at Onset of Unrest.

Many factors which includes biological or environmental, influence variation in the mental status of an individual if he/she is exposed to them. Negative factors are the root cause of mental status at the onset of unrest and this can have specific manifestations. During social unrest, people’s entire way of life is torn apart. These problems may exhibit themselves verbally since the body’s verbal dispensation is a reliable sign of internal state of affairs. Several research findings show that University students’ unrest is a common phenomenon all over the world and that most Universities are focused on the aftermath of students’ unrest. However, studies have not been done on identifying verbal indicators of mental status of University students’ at the onset of students’ unrest and then implementing appropriate preventive measures to forestall University students’ unrest. The objective of the study was to identify the main verbal indicators of mental status of University students’ at onset of unrest. It was a survey research design which used mixed research method approaches. Data was collected using structured questionnaires. The research population included Security officers, secretaries, of selected public Universities in Kenya. Simple random sampling was used which gave a total sample size of 145 which was obtained from a target population of 177. The quantitative data collected was analyzed using SPSS programme into frequency counts, percentages, means and independent ttest analysis. From the findings, the main verbal indicators of mental status of University students’ at the onset of unrest were identified as:the use of the word ‘comrade’ in speech being the most common, followed by a ‘threatful speech’, the use of the word ‘power’ in speech, increased talkativeness in speech, loud speech tone, very fast speechrate and hurtful speech, in that order