Feasibility of the Proposed Monetary Union in East African Community: Generalized Method of Moments Approach

This study examined the suitability of Theory of Optimum Currency as a basis for feasibility of proposed monetary union in East African Community EAC countries Uganda Burundi Kenya Rwanda and Tanzania The study sought to determine symmetry of monetary shocks inflation rates fiscal deficit public debt real Gross Domestic Product GDP and degree of openness Exploratory was used employing panel data covering 2000Q1-2016Q4 Generalized Method of Moments approach was utilized Results showed convergence in the real exchange rate was statistically significant and negative implying formation of a monetary union reduced combined GDP Policy makers in EAC countries could concentrate in adapting unfulfilled macroeconomic convergence criteria and strengthening cooperation in monetary policy co-ordination

Influence of Teacher Preparation for Instruction and Educational Resource Provision on Students’ Academic Achievement in Public Day Secondary Schools in Chesumei Sub-County Nandi County Kenya

Curriculum leadership in its entirety plays a vital role in academic achievement in educational institutions. However, majority of studies show that administrators have insignificant impact on learners’ academic achievement. This is not the case since school principals are curriculum leaders and are responsible for learners’ performance in many ways. This study investigated the influence of curriculum leadership on learners' academic achievement in public day secondary schools in Chesumei Sub-County, Kenya. The research focused on two specific objectives: (1) examining the influence of teacher preparation for instruction on students' academic achievements and (2) exploring the influence of educational resources’ provision on students' academic achievement The study drew theoretical inspiration from Fielder's contingency theory, which posits that a leader's efficacy is determined by the alignment between their dominant traits and the situational context. To accomplish these objectives, the researcher employed a descriptive survey research design, offering a comprehensive understanding of the current state of curriculum leadership and its impact on academic achievement. The target population was from 19day schools in Chesumei. Pilot study was conducted in two schools. The study utilized purposive sampling, whereby 17 principals, 17 deputies, 17 director of studies and 85 heads of departments were sampled.  Random sampling technique was used to select a representative sample from the 10 % of form four students in each day school in Chesumei Sub-County. There were no adequate textbooks for all subjects in the school which had negatively affected learners’ academic achievement. The study concluded that teacher preparation and educational resource provision enhances students’ academic achievement. Schools should have adequate textbooks for all subjects, enough laboratories, enough teachers and adequate number of classrooms. The findings from this research Endeavour may provide valuable insights into the dynamics of curriculum leadership in the context of Kenyan public day secondary schools. It is expected that the results may aid educational policymakers, school administrators, and teachers in refining strategies and practices to enhance students' academic achievement, consequently contributing to the overall improvement of the education system in Chesumei Sub-County and Kenya at large

Effect of Foreign Exchange Rate on Maritime Sector Performance in Enhancing Economic Growth in Kenya

Maritime transport remains backbone of globalized trade and manufacturing supply chain as more than 80 of world merchandise trade by volume is carried by sea Maritime transport in Kenya takes care of 90 of Kenya s international trade by volume The objective of this study was to establish effect of labor productivity on maritime sector performance in enhancing economic growth in Kenya Target population was Kenya Ports Authority and Kenya Ferry Services while Kenya Maritime Authority coordinated implementation of policies relating to maritime affairs The study was guided by the Solow growth model and the production theory The study adopted explanatory research design employing panel data using data on annual basis over the period 2000-2019 Simple Linear Regression and GMM Models were utilized Using STATA 13 0 and applying Simple Regression model results indicated that coefficient of foreign exchange rate was 3 5694 which was positive and significant at 5 level implying every one percent increase in coefficient of foreign exchange rate output increased by 3 569

Is Housing Gap a Consequence of Willingness and/or Eligibility to Mortgage Financing by Respondents in Uasin Gishu, Kenya?

Despite significance of mortgage financing, previous research indicated that at best only 3% of households in urban areas in Kenya were eligible for mortgage financing. The study sought to establish the role of socio-economic factors (income level, rental income and education level) on willingness or/and eligibility to mortgage financing. The study adopted explanatory research design. Target population was obtained in the records of all the 16 financial institutions licensed by Central Bank of Kenya offering mortgages in Uasin Gishu County. Purposive and convenience sampling was used in picking the 16 Financial Institutions and 749 respondents respectively. Structured questionnaires and a Double Hurdle Model were employed. Income level and rental income positively and negatively influenced willingness to participate in mortgage financing respectively. Income level and rental income significantly and positively influenced eligibility. The findings are important to the Uasin Gishu Government, financial institutions and other stakeholders in making appropriate policies. Keywords: Mortgage financing, willingness, eligibility, double hurdle model, Uasin Gishu, Keny

Risk factors for Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and Campylobacter occurrence in primary production of leafy greens and strawberries

The microbiological sanitary quality and safety of leafy greens and strawberries were assessed in the primary production in Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, Norway and Spain by enumeration of Escherichia coli and detection of Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and Campylobacter. Water samples were more prone to containing pathogens (54 positives out of 950 analyses) than soil (16/1186) and produce on the field (18/977 for leafy greens and 5/402 for strawberries). The prevalence of pathogens also varied markedly according to the sampling region. Flooding of fields increased the risk considerably, with odds ratio (OR) 10.9 for Salmonella and 7.0 for STEC. A significant association between elevated numbers of generic E. coli and detection of pathogens (OR of 2.3 for STEC and 2.7 for Salmonella) was established. Generic E. coli was found to be a suitable index organism for Salmonella and STEC, but to a lesser extent for Campylobacter. Guidelines on frequency of sampling and threshold values for E. coli in irrigation water may differ from region to region

An assessment of the interest rate channel on monetary policy transmission in Kenya 2006-2015

A Research project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Business Science in Financial Economics at Strathmore UniversityFor the government to achieve its desired level of economic growth, appropriate monetary policy needs to be formulated and implemented. Theoretical and empirical literature highlights the importance of the interest rate channel. However in Kenya there have been inconclusive evidence on the effectiveness of this channel. This study attempts to investigate the effectiveness of the interest rate channel of monetary policy transmission in Kenya during the period 1996-2015. The study employed Vector Autoregressive Models. The paper also employs time series techniques namely Unit root tests, cointegration, impulse responses and variance decomposition. Cointegration tests showed the presence of 2 cointegrating equations and the study proceeded to use Vector error correction models (VECM). From the impulse response tests, the interest rate channel of monetary policy is proved to be effective since the Central bank rate (CBR) is able to transmit effects on output and prices but its effectiveness is with the four lags for CPI and three lags for GDP. The forecast error variance decomposition show that in forecasting CPl, all fluctuations were attributed to itself, with decreasing significant contribution from CBR in the long run. Forecasting GDP showed that GDP fluctuations were greatly denominated by itself, however in the long run there was significant contribution in the other variables. The results show that the interest rate channel of monetary policy transmission is effective in Kenya

Crystallization of calcium oxalate on molecularly imprinted polymer surfaces

Bibliography: leaves 100-114.Calcium oxalate (CaOx) is the most common component of human kidney stones. Heterogeneous nucleation is regarded as the key mechanism in this process. As such, crystallization of this substance has been studied in several different model systems. However, molecular imprinting has not been previously used in this field. In the present study, template crystals of calcium oxalate mono- and di-hydrate (COM and COD respectively) were used to imprint a copolymer of 6-methacrylamidohexanoic acid and divinylbenzene

Antecedents of Business-Government Relationship: Evidence from 13 African Countries

A strong Business-government relationship is one method of rent-seeking activity of firms. Using novel proxies of political connectivity from the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES), we study the relationship behavior of 7733 firms from 13 African countries with their government. According to the results of the baseline estimation and subgroup analysis using robust Tobit and Probit models, we find business regulations and policies trigger the relationship introspects of a firm’s strategic choices. The result further indicates that the strength and magnitude of the business-government relationship are subjected to specific country-level characteristics including, corruption level, regulatory quality, economic development, duration of government tenure, and the level of the bureaucracy of countries. Moreover, firm-specific characteristics including firm size, age, government dependency, extensive exporters, and the existence of informal market competition are among the firm-level antecedents of the Business-government relationship. Our separate analysis further provides that old, big, and manufacturing firms have more likely to form a strong relationship than others. Keywords: Business-Government Relationship; Corporate Political Connectivity; Institutional Qualities; Small and medium firms, censored data. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/14-20-02 Publication date:October 31st 202