The overall objective of the study was to determine the influence of firm characteristics and industry competition on the relationship between marketing strategies and export performance of fresh produce firms in Kenya. The specific objectives were: to establish the influence of marketing strategies on export performance of fresh produce firms; assess the effect of firm characteristics on the relationship between marketing strategies and export performance of fresh produce firms; examine the influence of industry competition on the relationship between marketing strategies and export performance of fresh produce firms and to determine the joint effect of marketing strategies, firm characteristics, industry competition on export performance of fresh produce firms. This study builds on export marketing literature by establishing the influence of marketing strategies, firm characteristics, industry competition on export performance of fresh produce firms. This research was anchored on the marketing mix theory and supported by the dynamic capability view and industry organization theory. A census survey was carried out on all the 100 fresh produce firms that were ordinary members of the Fresh Produce Export Association of Kenya as at 31st June 2019. Ordinary members are those actively involved in growing, consolidating and exporting of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. Affiliate members are the institutions that provide services such as marketing, capacity building to the ordinary members of Fresh Produce Export Association of Kenya. This study was guided by a positivist approach. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted. Descriptive statistics established that a large number of the fresh produce firms were categorized as small and medium enterprises. Diagnostics tests revealed that assumptions of normality, linearity, multicollinearity and homoscedasticity were met. Results indicated that the relationship between marketing strategies and export performance was positive and statistically significant. The moderation effects of firm characteristics on the relationship between marketing strategies and export performance were statistically insignificant. Industry competition was found to have a moderating influence on the relationship between marketing strategies and export performance. The joint effect of marketing strategies, firm characteristics, industry competition on export performance was found to be positive and significant. Findings of the study made contribution to theory, policy and management practice. Specifically, this research contributes to theory by empirically examining the moderating role of firm characteristics, industry competition on the relationship between marketing strategies on export performance. This research also recommends that policy makers should lobby for regional and bilateral trade agreements that seek to increase market share for fresh produce firms. To management practice the study provides guidelines to managers on how to design and implement marketing strategies for the export market. The study had certain limitations; the cross- sectional nature of data could not measure changes in marketing strategy, firm characteristics, industry competition on export performance over a long period of time. The study focused on identifying the role of the marketing strategies within the product industry. Due to the nature of product, findings could not be generalized to the service industry which display unique characteristics such as intangibility and heterogeneity. These limitations however did not affect the robustness of the study. Future studies may include and simultaneously analyze alternative modes of foreign market entry such as licensing, joint ventures, franchising, and strategic alliances. A much broader study that includes more developing countries/multiple industries that would allow generalization of findings to larger populations.

DT-SACCOs play a role in financial intermediation which has included 6.3% Kenyans and approximately 60% of Kenyans are dependent on them. The last decade has seen DT SACCOs in Kenya embrace integrated mobile banking. This innovation of integration of mobile banking has revolutionized the convenient means of accessing financial services. Mobile banking platforms are perceived as enablers for formal financial services through remote transactions. The main aim of this research was determining integrated mobile banking effect on efficiency of DT-SACCOs in Kenya. The independent variables for the research were integrated mobile banking, credit risk, liquidity risk, SACCO size and capital adequacy while the dependent variable was efficiency measured as the ratio of outputs to inputs. The research was guided by financial intermediation theory, diffusion of innovation theory and technology acceptance model. Descriptive research design was utilized in this research. The 175 DT-SACCOs in Kenya as at December 2021 served as target population. The research obtained secondary data for five years (2017-2021) on an annual basis from SASRA and individual DT-SACCOs annual reports. Descriptive, correlation as well as regression analysis were undertaken and outcomes offered in tables followed by pertinent interpretation and discussion. The research discovered a 0.083 R square value implying that 8.3% of changes in DT-SACCOs efficiency can be described by the five variables chosen for this research. The multivariate regression analysis further revealed that individually, both credit risk and liquidity risk have a negative effect on efficiency of DT-SACCOs as shown by (β=-0.157, p=0.000) and (β=-0.254, p=0.000) correspondingly. Integrated mobile banking unveiled a positive though not statistically significant influence on efficiency. SACCO size displayed a positive and significant efficiency influence as shown by (β=0.104, p=0.008) while capital adequacy displayed a positive and not significant influence (β=0.021, p=0.592). The study recommends that DT-SACCOs should work at reducing their liquidity risk and credit risk as these two adversely affects efficiency in a negative way. Future research ought to focus on other financial institutions in Kenya to corroborate or refute the conclusions of this research.

Management efficiency focuses on changing and creating operational capabilities. This positively affects firm performance and reduces information asymmetry. Highability managers focus on innovating and increasing productivity, whereas low-ability managers make ineffective decisions. High managerial ability prompts scanning a firm’s environment to identify threats, opportunities, and competitive advantages. The main aim of this research was to determine management efficiency effect on ROA of DT-SACCOs in Kenya. The independent variables for the research were management efficiency, asset quality, liquidity, firm size and capital adequacy while the dependent variable was financial performance measured using ROA. The study was guided by xefficiency theory, agency theory as well as the stewardship theory. Descriptive research design was utilized in this research. The 175 DT-SACCOs in Kenya as at December 2021 served as target population. The study collected secondary data for five years (2017-2021) on an annual basis from SASRA and individual DT-SACCOs annual reports. Descriptive, correlation as well as regression analysis were undertaken and outcomes offered in tables followed by pertinent interpretation and discussion. The research discovered a 0.5301 R square value implying that 53.01% of changes in DT-SACCOs ROA can be described by the five variables chosen for this research. The multivariate regression analysis further revealed that individually, management efficiency unveiled a positive though not statistically significant influence on ROA. Asset quality has a negative effect on ROA of DT-SACCOs (β=-0.337, p=0.017). Firm liquidity exhibited a positive and significant effect on ROA (β=0.178, p=0.043). The other control variables which were SACCO size and capital adequacy displayed a positive and significant ROA influence as shown by (β=0.679, p=0.011) and (β=0.858, p=0.006) respectively. The study recommends that DT-SACCOs should work at improving their liquidity and their asset quality as they significantly affect ROA. Future research ought to focus on other financial institutions in Kenya to corroborate or refute the findings of this research.

Tasnifu hii imeshughulikia utafiti kuhusu athari za lugha kipindi ya Sheng’ miongoni mwa wanafunzi wa Kiswahili ambao ni wazaliwa Watachoni na wanaotoka katika lokesheni ya Lwandeti. Tumetalii vyanzo vya utumizi wa lugha hii ya Sheng’ kwa kuangalia ni kwa namna gani leksimu za Sheng’ huundwa na ni kwa kiwango gani lugha hii imeathiri lugha sanifu ya Kiswahili haswa katika kitengo cha kimofolojia na kile cha kisemantiki. Pia tumeangalia ni kwa namna gani makosa haya yatokanayo na Sheng’ huathiri wanafunzi katika shule za upili ambazo ni pamoja na shule ya upili ya Lukhokho, shule ya upili ya Lwandeti D.E.B na shule ya upili ya Maturu katika kiwango cha mitihani ambayo ni ya kitaifa. Tumetumia mifano ya Insha ambazo wanafunzi hawa wameziandika kisha kuonyesha makosa ambayo wamefanya kwa kupigia mistari makosa hayo na kisha kuonyesha majibu sahihi juu yake kwa kutumia kalamu ya wino mwekundu. Pia, tumehoji walimu wanaolifunza somo hili la Kiswahili na kutambua jinsi lugha hii huenea katika mazingira ya shuleni. Vijana wengi haswa wa mijini wanatumia lugha hii ya Sheng’ katika mawasiliano yao hivyo utafiti huu umeonyesha kwamba siyo tu vijana wa mijini wanaoitumia lugha hii bali pia imeenea vijijini na kutumika na vijana wote katika mawasiliano yao. Tumependekeza tafiti zaidi zifanywe kuhusiana na suala hili nyeti ili kuepusha athari hasi kama hizi sio tu miongoni mwa wanafunzi wa Kiswahili walio Watachoni bali wakenya kwa jumla.

Microfinance banks play a vital function in the economy by ensuring there are credit facilities to the less-privileged and banking services to people. The annual reports by the CBK reveals that MFBs in Kenya have been reporting financial losses with a few who have low profits. There are different contributing factors to losses in firms and weak corporate governance structures could be one of them. Good corporate governance is essential for MFBs to grow their profitability, increase their accountability, boost transparency, efficiency, and sustainability. Empirical evidence shows that corporate governance directly impacts the financial performance, hence this background imposed the need to scrutinize the corporate governance impact on Kenyan MFBs’ performance. The research's goal was to assess the impact of corporate governance practices on the Kenyan MFBs’ financial performance. The researcher exploited secondary data and descriptive research design and the population were all deposit-taking microfinance banks as at 31st December, 2020. To analyze the amassed information, the scholar employed Pearson correlation together with a multiple regression model to establish the interconnection between the variables of study. The outcomes revealed a significant positive link between the Kenyan microfinance banks’ financial performance and board independence. Additionally, the study uncovered that board size possesses a significant inverse interconnection with the microfinance banks’ performance. Moreover, the scrutiny discovered that board diversity positively and significantly influences the MFB performance. Besides, the findings uncovered that board activity positively and significantly influences microfinance banks performance. Additionally, the research found board competencies positively impact MFB financial performance. Hence, the researcher made a conclusion that corporate governance influences the Kenyan MFBs’ financial performance; thus, there is need to develop robust corporate governance structures that can ensure there is accountability, transparency, and financial sustainability of the MFBs.

Competency-based curriculum was put in place at the same time that Kenya was working hard to reach its Vision 2030 goals, which require a skilled workforce. The goal of the study was to figure out how school readiness affects how well the CBC is put into place. The human capital theory was the basis for the study. The research design was a descriptive survey. The study was done in Nairobi, Kenya. Teachers, education managers, and headteachers were the people this study was meant for. The researcher chose six teachers, one education manager, and one headteacher from 10 schools that were meant to be representative. There were a total of 80 questionnaires sent out, and 65 were filled out and sent back. This is an 81% response rate. Questionnaires were sent to key informants, parents, and teachers in the selected schools to get the needed information. The people who answered the questions were given both structured and unstructured questions with clear instructions. First, all of the field data was checked to make sure it was complete and free of mistakes. Then, the questionnaires were put in order, coded, and put into the computer using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The data was then analyzed. The study made the following conclusion; curriculum development practices adversely affected the effective implementation of CBC because of its inherent inadequacies especially inadequate training of teachers on the appropriate teaching methods and CBC contents. Another conclusion was that physical infrastructure was a challenge to the effective implementation of CBC in Kenyan primary schools. The study also concluded that human capacity negatively affects the effective implementation of CBC because important areas of human capacity that support the implementation of the curriculum were inadequate. Finally, the study concluded that some aspects of implementation techniques promoted the effective implementation of CBC xiiwhile some other aspects derailed the effective implementation process. The study made the following recommendations based on the findings of the study; there is need for thorough review of the implementation requirements of CBC to ensure the curriculum is well implemented by all stakeholders particularly teachers, parents and students. The study further recommends the swift provision of the requisite resources in all schools especially the public schools which are mainly government funded. Another recommendation is the need for provision of sufficient infrastructure, including telecommunication, internet, lighting, and security to schools to ensure the efficient implementation of the curriculum

Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) are contractual agreements between a public agency or publicsector authority and a private-sector entity that allow for greater private sector participation in the delivery of public goods and services that leads to developing an environment that improves the quality of life for the general public. The study sought to identify the impact that the PPP strategy had on performance of public sector firms in Kenya‟s electricity energy sector. The study adopted qualitative approach. The study focused on six (6) public sector firms in the electricity sector in Kenya. Data was collected through face to face interviews by use of an interview guide. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The study findings showed that PPPs were adopted mainly as a way of mitigating high cost of energy development projects. In addition, the study concluded that all the projects earmarked for delivery through PPPs are part of the government‟s long term development agenda. The study also concluded that the Ministry of Finance and Planning as well as the Ministry of Energy are critical to the success of Public Private Partnerships and that transaction costs varied with the highest being 15% while the lowest was between 3 and 5% of the entire project cost. The study made recommendations based on the findings that public firms engaging in capital sensitive PPPs should set up measures that eliminate the risk of failure. The study also recommends that more research to be conducted on PPPs and better guidelines and policies on PPPs to be formulated in order to enhance the performance levels and success rates of PPP projects in the energy sector and beyond. Moreover, the study also recommends that public firms should align their organizational objectives to match the needs of the public they are mandated to serve. The study further recommended that government institutions should provide training to the staff responsible for PPP projects so as to equip them with the necessary skills and capacity to carry out feasibility studies. The study also recommended further studies in PPPs carried out in different sectors of the public in order to make a comparative study of the different sectors.

This report details the working of a conventional Customer Interface Unit (CIU) for Kenya Power pre-paid meters. We study the functionality of the meters and pay particular attention to the recharge system that involves buying of tokens from Kenya Power (The vendor) and crediting the same to the customer’s account. The monetary value of the tokens is predetermined by the customers metering tariff, as issued by the vendor, and is quantified as ‘Units’ where 1KWh = 1 Unit. The process of purchasing the tokens involves a transaction through various mobile money avenues, such as Mpesa, Airtel Money, Equitel, amongst others. When a customer makes a payment to Kenya Power, an SMS is sent to their mobile phone containing a set of numbers which represent the value of units purchased. The customer is expected to input these numbers into the CIU for their electricity account to be credited with the said units. Therefore, after purchase, there must be some form of human operation in order for the recharge process to be complete. This recharge process defines the research problem and, in this report, the method currently used by Kenya Power to issue the customer units is studied in detail and an alternative method which makes the pre-paid method more efficient and faster by automating the recharge process is designed and validated. This improvement has several advantages such as simplifying the recharge process and introducing the ability to remotely recharge the electricity accounts. The method used in achieving this solution was by introducing GSM capabilities in the prepaid metering system and the outcomes of the research were noted and the proof of concept was documented. The outcomes of the research proved that the addition of a GSM module to replace the keypad in the CIU would improve the efficiency by eliminating the need to key in the token numbers in the process of recharging the customers accounts. Also, by addition of the GSM capabilities, the prepaid metering system removed the inconvenience of having to manually enter the tokens into a CIU that is, at times, at a distance especially in country homes. The GSM enabled prepaid metering system was a success and formed a basis of future study and further improvements.

The goal of IFRS for SMEs is to simplify financial reporting on SMEs by generating high-quality financial statements that can help capital providers and other participants make sound economic decisions. This study examined the adoption of IFRS for SMEs and its effect on the quality of financial reporting in Kiambu County. It examined how SMEs operationalized the qualitative aspects of financial reporting using an attitudinal research design. The respondents of this study comprised of managers and loan officers of 14 SACCOs headquartered in Kiambu County and licensed by SASRA. The survey adopted the 21-item index for operationalization of qualitative characteristics (Beest, Braam, & Suzanne, 2009) for collection of data. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. The results of this study indicated that comparability has a positive and significant effect on quality of financial reporting (β= 0.281, p<0.016). Relevance, faithful representation, understandability and verifiability had (β = 0.065, p< 0.546), (β =0.112, p < 0.287), (β= 0.011, p< 0.332) and (β= 0.018, p< 0.870) respectively indicated a positive but insignificant effect on the quality of financial reporting. Timeliness (β = -0.023, p< 0.830) indicated a negative and insignificant effect on the quality of financial reporting. This confirms that the adoption of IFRS for SMES has improved the Quality of Financial Reporting though the improvement is not significant.

This paper strived to observe impact of various determinants on financial performance of general insurers operating in Kenya. Return on asset ratio of different companies represented financial performance. Populace was 37 general insurers operating in Kenya. A nine-year timeframe of data was analyzed for the study; that is the year 2013 all the way to the year 2021 inclusive. The survey employed descriptive design. The data used was sourced from supervisory annual reports issued by the Insurance Regulatory Authority of Kenya for the different time periods. The information collected was then analysed in SPSS by using the model on multiple linear regression. The analysis performed gave a result that 60.1 percent change in general insurance firms’ performance is explainable by the five predictors of the study. The remaining 39.9% movements in the financial performance is explainable by other predictors. The survey did find a weak link around some selected predictors to asset return of the general insurance firms. The outcome concludes that premium retention has an inverse and inconsequential effect on performance. In addition to this, solvency margin and performance is inversely and inconsequentially linked. The outcome of the study further show that the leverage ratio possesses an inverse impact on ROA. A further result was obtained with respect to underwriting risk. It was observed that underwritings risks show inverse effects on ROA. The survey observed that the size of a firm and performance are directly linked. Survey recommends need of additional consideration to roles played by reinsurers in general insurance in Kenya. This is in regard to the levels of premium retention ratios to be maintained by general insurers. When a firm’s premium retention ratios is high, the result would be a worse off financial performance. The insurance regulatory authority (IRA) needs to observe the levels of the solvency margin of the general insurers. This is done for various reasons, however, the regulator doesn’t have to require the threshold to be too high unnecessarily as the study found solvency margin does not possess substantial influences on financial performance.