Local Understandings of Soil Fertility, Rainfall and Conservation Agriculture in Laikipia, Kenya: A Qualitative Analysis.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is mostly referred to in the literature as having three principles at the core of its identity: minimum soil disturbance, permanent organic soil cover and crop diversity. This farming package has been described as suitable to improve yields and livelihoods of smallholders in semi-arid regions of Kenya, which since the colonial period have been heavily subjected to tillage. Our study is based on a qualitative approach that followed local meanings and understandings of soil fertility, rainfall and CA in Ethi and Umande located in the semi-arid region of Laikipia, Kenya. Farm visits, 53 semistructured interviews, informal talks were carried out from April to June 2015. Ethi and Umande locations were part of a resettlement programme after the independence of Kenya that joined together people coming from different farming contexts. Since the 1970–80s, state and NGOs have been promoting several approaches to control erosion and boost soil fertility. In this context, CA has also been promoted preferentially since 2007. Interviewees were well acquainted with soil erosion and the methods to control it. Today, rainfall amount and distribution are identified as major constraints to crop performance. Soil fertility is understood as being under control since farmers use several methods to boost it (inorganic fertilisers, manure, terraces, agroforestry, vegetation barriers). CA is recognised to deliver better yields but it is not able to perform well under severe drought and does not provide yields as high as ‘promised’ in promotion campaigns. Moreover, CA is mainly understood as “cultivating with chemicals”, “kulima na dawa”, in kiswahili. A dominant view is that CA is about minimum tillage and use of pre-emergence herbicides. It is relevant to reflect about what kind of CA is being promoted and if elements like soil cover and crop rotation are given due attention. CA based on these two ideas, minimum tillage and use of herbicides, is hard to stand as a programme to be promoted and up-scaled. Therefore CA appears not to be recognised as a convincing approach to improve the livelihoods in Laikipia

Formulation of Furosemide Dispersible Tablets for Use in Paediatrics

Furosemide (4 mg) dispersible tablets tailored for paediatric patients were formulated by direct compression using granulated lactose as the filler. Combinations of superdisintergrants namely sodium starch glycolate-crospovidone, sodium starch glycolate-croscarmellose and croscarmellose-crospovidone were incorporated to form three tablet batches; with a total superdisintegrant concentration of 4% w/w per tablet. The quality of the resultant tablets was evaluated using pharmacopoeial physicochemical tests. Tablets prepared with sodium starch glycolate-crospovidone and croscarmellose-crospovidone as superdisintegrants were found to comply with all specifications for tablet quality, while those formulated with sodium starch glycolate-croscarmellose, failed both the uniformity of weight and friability tests. This study showed that low dose furosemide dispersible tablets for pediatric use can be formulated using 4% w/w combinations of sodium starch glycolate-crospovidone and croscarmellosecrospovidone as superdisintegrants.Keywords: Furosemide, dispersible tablet, pediatric, formulation, superdisintegrant

In and out of place: correspondence as a means to understand and redesign complexity

New methods are needed to understand, visualise and work around complexities of socially oriented design research and practice. This chapter reflects upon the experiences of researchers undertaking work for a research and innovation staff exchange project and makes use of a lens of critical complexity to determine scenarios that frame the project’s significant moments. The chapter discusses complexities that are related to project work in three scenarios – institution, individual and activity – and reveals how these complexities were experienced and related to in the case of the project Participatory Tools for Human Development with the Youth (PARTY). As an outcome, the chapter presents the people, objectives and methods (POM) framework, a method for identifying and understanding the challenges that complexities can present to designers as they aim to grasp what is to be – in place, out of place and in place with others

A Policy Brief on Adopting the Somali Camel for Enhanced Profitability and Pastoral Resilience in Northern Kenya

Persistent drought and high temperatures in Isiolo and Marsabit counties of northern Kenya repeatedly devastate livestock herds particularly cattle making the pastoralists less resilient, more vulnerable to climate change and poor. To address this challenge, an IGAD funded project promoted adoption of Somali camel breed, trained farmers on improved management and also estimated potential profitability of rearing the camel. Through the project, trainers were trained and facilitated to train 240 peri-urban Somali camel producers in Isiolo and Marsabit on breeding, health, routine husbandry and marketing. Impact study documenting positive stories of change was conducted at the end. Producers who hitherto made zero money from their camels were making KES. 42,000 a month from sale of 20 litres of milk daily from only 5 milking camels; producers had adopted a new grazing management strategy that ensured daily access of the camel milk market and conservation of grazing areas around settlements; motor bikes had been adopted as means delivering milk to collection centers thus creating jobs for the youth; the beneficiary producers were spending more money on production inputs. In terms of policy, the county governments of Isiolo and Marsabit need to appreciate the huge business potential in Somali camel rearing and the magnitude of positive change that can be brought about by capacity training of producers on improved camel management technologies and agree to allocate more funds in support of livestock production extension services

Diversification : a safety net for Kenya's dryland farmers in the face of climate change

Crop diversification supports income, food, and nutrition security under climate change. By allocating 10% more of their arable land to food crop production, research findings showed that households improved their food security by 18%. Supplementing animal feeds with crops and crop residues increased feed supplies by 8%. On average, due to the program successes, 40% of the farmers sought climate information in order to make decisions on food production. To enhance income and food security, county governments should invest in competent extension services, farmer field schools and demonstration centers, and as well, support seed multiplication and distribution of improved, climate-resilient crop varieties

Comparative studies on the structure of an upland African stream ecosystem

Upland stream systems have been extensively investigated in Europe, North America and Australasia and many of the central ideas concerning their function are based on these systems. One central paradigm, the river continuum concept is ultimately derived from those North American streams whose catchments remain forested with native vegetation. Streams of the tropics may or may not fit the model. They have been little studied. The Amani Nature Reserve in the East Usambara Mountains of north-eastern Tanzania offers an opportunity to bring these naturally forested systems to the attention of the ecological community. This article describes a comparison made between two lengths of the River Dodwe in this area. The work was carried out by a group of postgraduate students from eighteen European and African countries with advice from five staff members, as part of a course organised by the Tropical Biology Association. Rigorous efforts were made to standardise techniques, in a situation where equipment and laboratory facilities were very basic, through a management structure and deliberate allocation of work to specialists in each area.The article offers a summary of invertebrate communities found in the stream and its biomass. Crabs seem to be the key organism in both sections of the streams

Assessing awareness and use of HIV self-testing kits after the introduction of a community-based HIV self-testing programme among men who have sex with men in Kenya

Men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionate burden of new HIV infections in Kenya, while experiencing discrimination, leading to suboptimal levels of HIV care. HIV self-testing (HIVST) is a tool to increase HIV screening and earlier diagnosis; however, questions remain regarding how best to scale-up HIVST to MSM in Kenya. The main objective of this study was to examine changes in knowledge and use of HIVST after implementation of a community-led HIVST project. Participants were MSM recruited from Kisumu, Mombasa, and Kiambu counties. Data were collected from two rounds (Round 1: 2019; Round 2: 2020) of serial cross-sectional integrated biological and behavioural assessments (IBBA), pre-, and post-project implementation. Two main outcomes were measured: 1) whether the respondent had ever heard of HIVST; and 2) whether they had ever used HIVST kits. Changes in outcomes between IBBA rounds were examined using modified multivariable Poisson regression models; adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) are reported. A total of 2,328 respondents were included in main analyses. The proportion of respondents who had heard of HIVST increased from 75% in Round 1 to 94% in Round 2 (aPR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.2-1.3), while those reporting using an HIVST kit increased from 20% to 53% (aPR: 2.3, 95% CI: 2.0-2.6). Higher levels of education and HIV programme awareness were associated with both outcomes. Awareness and use of HIVST kits increased after implementation of a community-led HIVST implementation project, demonstrating the importance of integration with existing community groups