A Theoretical and Empirical Review of the Relationship between Head Teachers’ Leadership Styles and KCPE Performance in Public Primary Schools in Kenya

The quality of education depicted in any school is largely influenced by the quality of leadership exhibited by the school administrator in that institution. Effective teamwork and networking among stakeholders in a school is a source of motivation that drives all people involved to work towards the achievement of the goals of that institution. It is the obligation of the institution leader to influence those workers under him or her to strive to achieve the institutional goals through the application of appropriate leadership skills. In this article, the authors discuss the findings from the study carried out on the relationship between headteachers’ leadership styles on KCPE performance in public primary schools in central region of Kenya. The study is based on normative decision theory by Vroom and Yetton (1973). The study adopted mixed methods and applied sequential exploratory design which involved quantitative and qualitative procedures in data collection and analysis. The study adopted purposive and stratified simple random sampling and data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedules and document analysis for the secondary data. The instruments’ validity was established through the guidance of the experts in the department of management, administration and leadership of Mount Kenya University. The researchers established instrument reliability by using split half technique which involved calculating the Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) between the two halves of the tests.  Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 21 and qualitative data was analyzed thematically according to the objectives. The findings of the study indicated that pupils’ performance in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education corresponded to leadership styles to a very great extent. The study also found out that there was laxity by the headteachers in delegating power and duties to their teaching staff and lack of participation of all stakeholders in the welfare of the school thus affecting the pupils’ performance. The findings of this study drew conclusion that would assist education policy makers and implementers to formulate strategies that could be used to improve leadership styles that would promote better examination performance at primary school level. Keywords: Leadership, leadership styles, performanc

COMPARISON OF SOME ESSENTIAL AND HEAVY METALS IN THE TOENAILS AND FINGERNAILS OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN IN KENYA

This paper describes the determination of the levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe) in the toenails and fingernails of children under the age of six years in urban and rural areas in Kenya by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Lead levels in urban areas ranged from 8.0-49.0 μg/g in fingernails and 7.0-62.0 μg/g in toenails as compared to those in rural areas (5.0-36.5 μg/g and 5.5-31.5 μg/g, respectively). A similar trend was observed for Cd where significantly high levels were found in children in urban areas than those in rural areas. The Fe and Zn levels were significantly higher in children in rural areas than those in the urban areas. The levels of all the metals studied were higher in the toenails except for Fe and Ca where the levels were higher in fingernails; however, the difference in the levels was not significant. These results indicate that either the toenails or fingernails can be used as a reference for levels of metals environmental exposure. KEY WORDS: Children, Essential elements, Heavy metals, Fingernails, Toenails, Kenya Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2009, 23(1), 117-122

Antimicrobial and phytochemical investigation of herbal suspensions used in management of oral health in Nairobi County, Kenya

An increasing number of Kenyans are using natural herbal products for general and oral health care due to high cost of conventional medicine. Few of these products, however, have undergone rigorous testing, as evidenced by the limited amount of information on their safety and efficacy in the literature. This study investigated the antimicrobial and phytochemical properties of 10 suspensions based on herbal products sold in Nairobi Kenya. Phytochemical evaluation was carried out using standard methods while agar well diffusion was used to study antimicrobial work.  Results reveal lack of detectable levels of phytochemicals while 50% of the investigated products lacked antimicrobial activity against test bacteria (Staphyloccus aureus ATCC 25923, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.a) ATCC 27853, Proteus vulgaris ATCC 6380, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 14579, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Esherichia coli ATCC 25922, Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, ATCC 9790 and Lactobacillus acidophilus). The study concludes that some products in the market may not be based on herbs as indicated in the label. Thorough investigation of antimicrobial, phytochemical work as well as toxicity should be carried out on such products. The results provide practitioners and consumers with insight into the claims of natural herbal products antimicrobial effects. Key words: antimicrobial activity, herbal products, activity index, phytochemica

Recovery of Zn2+, Fe2+ and Mn2+ from Some Selected Edible Vegetables and Pumpkin using Modified Maize Cobs

This study reports on the pre-concentration of some essential trace elements from vegetables using modified maize cobs by sorption. This was enabled by some functional groups anchored within the chemical structure of the material. Modification was achieved by treating the dry powdered material with thionylchloride (SOCl2) which was dispersed in dimethylformaldehyde (DMF) then reacting with ethylenediamine air drying the resultant for 24 hours. The presence of the anchored group was confirmed by FT-IR and it was used for Batch sorption experiments. The effect of pH, concentration, and dosage on the adsorption of zinc, iron and manganese ion by the parent and modified materials were carried out. Using the optimal parameters, the modified material was used for the pre-concentration of the trace metal ions from solutions of some selected vegetables samples. Pre-concentration of nutrients from fermented samples showed significantly high levels than non-fermented samples. This new method of pre-concentrating metal ions shows promising results and can improve the nutrition value in the preparation of dietary supplements. The method is effective and is of low cost

A Comparative Study of Modified and Unmodified Algae (Pediastrum boryanum) for Removal of Lead, Cadmium and Copper in Contaminated Water

The presence of heavy metals in water is of concern due to the risk toxicity. Thus there is need for their removal for the safety of consumers. Methods applied for removal of heavy metals include adsorption, membrane filtration and co-precipitation. However, studies have revealed adsorption is highly effective technique. Most adsorbents are expensive or require extensive processing before use and hence need to explore for possible sources of inexpensive adsorbents. This research work investigated the use an algal biomass (pediastrum boryanum) as an adsorbent for removal of Lead, Cadmium and Copper in waste water in its raw and modified forms. The samples were characterized with FTIR and was confirmed a successful modification with tetramethylethlynediamine (TMEDA). Sorption parameters were optimized and the material was finally applied on real water samples. It was found that the sorption was best at lower pH values (4.2-6.8). Sorption kinetics was very high as more that 90% of the metals were removed from the solution within 30 minutes. The adsorption of copper fitted into the Langmuir adsorption isotherm indicating a monolayer binding mechanism. Cadmium and lead fitted best the Freundlich adsorption mechanism. Sorption of lead and cadmium was of pseudo-second order kinetics, confirming a multisite interaction whereas copper was pseudo-first order indicating a single site adsorption. The adsorption capacity did not improve upon modification but the stability of the material was improved and secondary pollution of leaching colour was alleviated. This implies that the modified material is suitable for application on the removal of metals from water

A Theoretical and Empirical Review of the Relationship between Head Teachers' Leadership Styles and KCPE Performance in Public Primary Schools in Kenya

Abstract The quality of education depicted in any school is largely influenced by the quality of leadership exhibited by the school administrator in that institution. Effective teamwork and networking among stakeholders in a school is a source of motivation that drives all people involved to work towards the achievement of the goals of that institution. It is the obligation of the institution leader to influence those workers under him or her to strive to achieve the institutional goals through the application of appropriate leadership skills. In this article, the authors discuss the findings from the study carried out on the relationship between headteachers' leadership styles on KCPE performance in public primary schools in central region of Kenya. The study is based on normative decision theory b

Influence of Soil and Rain on the Levels of Inorganic Anions in Amaranth Leaves from Selected Parts of Kenya

The aim of this work was to determine the level of inorganic anions (NO3-, Cl-, SO42-, PO43-, F- and I-) in the leaves of two species of amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Amaranthus cruentus) planted in Kenya. The mean levels of inorganic anions, nitrate (NO3-), chloride (Cl-), sulphate (SO42-), phosphate (PO43-), fluoride (F-) and iodide (I-), in the soil from four study regions (Kenyatta University (KU), Bureti, Kisii and Elgon) of Kenya were quantitatively determined. The levels were determined using spectrophotometric, potentiometric and titrimetric methods. The mean levels of  Cl-, SO42-, PO43-, NO3-, F- and I- in soils ranged from 1146.54 to 2733.31 mg/100 g, 1821.60 to 2185.33 mg/100 g, 828.54 to 1111.36 mg/100 g, 1015.55 to 1910.66 mg/100 g, 66.95 to 79.77 mg/100 g and  8.00 to 12.57 mg/kg respectively. The levels of most anions in leaves of A. hypochondriacus and A. cruentus were not significantly different. The means levels of the anions in leaves of the two species indicated that Cl- ion had range of 503.74 to 673.81 mg/100 g, SO42- 701.61 to 955.17 mg/100 g, PO43 532.36 to 629.46 mg/100 g, NO3- 495.79 to 880.99 mg/100 g, F- 7.22 to 9.67 mg/100 g while I- ranged from 2.54 mg/kg to 5.26 mg/kg dry weight. The levels of all inorganic anions determined were found to be within the allowed daily intake (ADI) values. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that leaves and grains from both species of amaranthus grown in most regions in Kenya may be consumed for nutritional requirements. The consumption of between 250 g and 300 g of fresh amaranthus leaves is sufficient to provide the required daily intake of all the anions considered in this study for all healthy individuals. Keywords: Amaranth, Anions, Amaranthus, Tonui

PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY TO VALIDATE THE ETHNOBOTANICAL IMPORTANCE OF Dioscorea steriscus TUBERS OBTAINED FROM ZIMBABWE

Modern people have embraced plants as a source of useful bioactive compounds. As such, plants with medicinal properties have become essential components in human life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the phytochemical profile of the extract of Dioscorea steriscus tubers obtained from Zimbabwe. Phytochemicals were extracted from tubers of D. steriscus using aqueous acetone. UV-Visible Spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry and highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques were used to determine the phytochemical profile of the tuber extract. The yield of phytochemicals extracted from D. steriscus tubers was found to be 6.38 %. The presence of bioactive compounds possessing phenyl, organic hydroxyl, amine, carboxyl, carbonyl, acyl, alkyl and aromatic functional groups was confirmed using UVVisible and FTIR analysis. The presence of substantial amounts of vanillic acid and kaempferol in D. steriscus tubers was confirmed using HPLC analysis. In support of the ethnobotanical values of Dioscorea species, the study confirmed the presence of potent phytochemicals in the extract of D. steriscus tubers obtained from Zimbabwe

Improving early childhood development in the context of the nurturing care framework in Kenya: A policy review and qualitative exploration of emerging issues with policy makers

Introduction: The Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) describes “nurturing care” as the ability of nations and communities to support caregivers and provide an environment that ensures children's good health and nutrition, protects them from threats, and provides opportunities for early learning through responsive and emotionally supportive interaction. We assessed the extent to which Kenyan government policies address the components of the NCF and explored policy/decision makers' views on policy gaps and emerging issues.Methods: A search strategy was formulated to identify policy documents focusing on early childhood development (ECD), health and nutrition, responsive caregiving, opportunities for early learning and security and safety, which are key components of the NCF. We limited the search to policy documents published since 2010 when the Kenya constitution was promulgated and ECD functions devolved to county governments. Policy/decision-maker interviews were also conducted to clarify emerging gaps from policy data. Data was extracted, coded and analyzed based on the components of the NCF. Framework analysis was used for interview data with NCF being the main framework of analysis. The Jaccard's similarity coefficient was used to assess similarities between the themes being compared to further understand the challenges, successes and future plans of policy and implementation under each of the NCF domains.Results: 127 policy documents were retrieved from government e-repository and county websites. Of these, n = 91 were assessed against the inclusion criteria, and n = 66 were included in final analysis. The 66 documents included 47 County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) and 19 national policy documents. Twenty policy/decision-maker interviews were conducted. Analysis of both policy and interview data reveal that, while areas of health and nutrition have been considered in policies and county level plans (coefficients >0.5), the domains of early learning, responsive caregiving and safety and security face significant policy and implementation gaps (coefficients ≤ 0.5), particularly for the 0–3 year age group. Inconsistencies were noted between county level implementation plans and national policies in areas such as support for children with disabilities and allocation of budget to early learning and nutrition domains.Conclusion: Findings indicate a strong focus on nutrition and health with limited coverage of responsive caregiving and opportunities for early learning domains. Therefore, if nurturing care goals are to be achieved in Kenya, policies are needed to support current gaps identified with urgent need for policies of minimum standards that provide support for improvements across all Nurturing Care Framework domains

LEAD AND ZINC IN FINGER NAILS AND SCALP HAIR OF ADULT MALES IN KENYA

Lead and zinc concentrations were determined in scalp hair and finger nails of exposed and unexposed males by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The mean levels of Pb in the finger nails ranged from 50-480 μg/g, and 50-240 μg/g for exposed and unexposed males respectively. The mean levels of Pb in the scalp hair ranged from 30-410 μg/g, and 30-200 μg/g for exposed and unexposed males respectively. The mean levels of Zn in the finger nails ranged from 40-400 μg/g and 80-450 μg/g for exposed and unexposed males respectively, while in the scalp hair the mean levels of Zn ranged from 30-490 μg/g and 50-440 μg/g for exposed and unexposed males respectively. The study established that there was a negative correlation between Pb and essential element Zn in both scalp hair and finger nail samples of unexposed male respondents. However, Pb was found to have a positive correlation with Zn in the finger nails and scalp hair samples for the exposed males. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) indicated when Pb and Zn mean levels were compared in the combined samples of finger nails and scalp hair. Comparing the mean lead concentration in scalp hair with finger nails a significant difference was indicated in the two tissues (P<0.05). Human hair and finger nails are therefore recording filaments that can reflect metabolic changes over long period of time and hence furnish a print out of post nutritional event of dietary levels of some of the essential elements