Quality of institutional management is arguably a major determinant of organizational performance. The role of managers and the activities and tasks they perform as aided by the organizational structure could lead to the effective and efficient implementation of organizational objectives and goals. This study was undertaken to establish the perception of university managers on the influence of organizational structure on the quality of institutional management of universities in Kenya. The study applied a descriptive research survey design which was deemed to be appropriate since the researcher was investigating characteristics in a population in order to obtain opinion regarding a situation or a phenomenon. There was a population of 705 university managers in the public and private universities.

For many years, pest management has been a big problem in Africa, especially in Uganda. Pest proliferation has been exacerbated by climate change. With temperature rise, change in rainfall patterns, and change in humidity and windspeed patterns, the pest's metabolism is modified, increasing their proliferation and resistance to pesticides. Farmers in Uganda for a long time have been using agrochemical products for pest management which are not environmentally friendly. The study was conducted in Mbale and Namutumba, among Uganda's tomato-growing districts. Some of the invasive insect pests recorded during the study were Tuta absoluta, spider mite, thrips, aphids, and American bollworms. This study's general objective was to assess tomato production's climate resilience using climate-smart pest management technologies. The three study's specific objectives were, respectively, to determine climate change trends and effects on tomato invasive insect pests; identify opportunities and challenges associated with Climate Smart Pest Management (CSPM) technologies, and assess the perception of smallholder farmers on the role of digital tools in the implementation of CSPM. The study used a mixed research design. The study utilized temperature, rainfall, humidity, windspeed data (1981-2020), and household surveys (N=410). Trend analysis, Mann-Kendall test, Pearson's correlation, and Generalized Linear Model (GLM-quasi-Poisson) were used for data analysis for the first objective while Factor Analysis, percentages, means, and frequencies were used for the second objectives data analysis. For the third objective, expect the percentages, regression analysis was used during data analysis. The data shows that the climate has changed in Mbale and Namutumba, and temperature, rainfall, humidity, and windspeed have contributed to the increase of invasive insect pest occurrence in the districts. The results showed an increasing annual temperature trend in Kampala and Namutumba and some abnormalities in Mbale over the last 40 years by 0.04oC. The rainfall increased significantly in Kampala (0.24 mm/year) and Mbale (0.0011mm/year), with a significant decrease in the humidity in Kampala and Namutumba with an increased rate of 0.05 m s−1 and 0.003 m s−1, in Kampala and Namutumba during the study period. Though there was a shifting in humidity pattern in the three districts, the study revealed in Mbale and Namutumba, humidity has decreased with an increase in pests. The concurrent variations in all the variables are likely to have a low effect on the pest occurrence (p= 0.054). This change has affected the tomato farmers in Mbale and Namutumba who turned to CSPM technologies. The study found that CSPM technologies have contributed to the adaptation of climate change effects on tomato production, such as reducing chemical use, decreasing pest density in their farms, and improving crop yield while lowering the environmental pollution. At the same time, our study noticed some key challenges/barriers to the upscaling of CSPM by farmers, such as cultural beliefs, lack of strong publicity from the national government, and lack of good infrastructure like roads and good markets. The results conclude there is a need for providing digital tools to farmers to help sensitise the importance of CSPM technologies and their dissemination and upscale. The study recommends that policies emphasise strengthening the agricultural extension services and supporting the dissemination of CSPM technologies. Capacity enhancement and availability of digital tools and access to agricultural information tailored to the needs of farmers are needed for upscaling CSPM technologies practices.

In 1945, at the height of the Second World War, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the United Nations Charter. The aim was to establish a post war order that would secure the peace, advance global prosperity, alleviate poverty and unemployment, and promote human rights worldwide. These were lofty goals. The UN provides a unique platform for international action. It offers unparalleled legitimacy for global engagement, owing to its universal membership; its inclusive decision-making processes; its unequalled reach; and its ability to provide critical services that are essential to international peace, security, stability and prosperity. However the world of today is not the world of 1945 and since the late 1990s there have been many calls for reform of the United Nations (UN) since an assessment of the UN’s performance returns a mixed record. It is only just beginning to implement effective global social and economic policies, and its development strategies are under attack from many quarters. It is widely regarded as bureaucratically unwieldy, unnecessarily expensive, and weakened by poor personnel recruitment. Both those who want the UN to play a greater role in world affairs and those who want its role confined to humanitarian work or otherwise reduced, use the term "UN reform" to refer to their ideas. The range of opinion extends from those who want to eliminate the UN entirely, to those who want to make it into a full-fledged world government. This study looked at the purpose of the UN, its structure and whether it has lived up to its mandate/agenda. The problem this study seeks to address stems from the fact that there is little clarity or consensus about what reform might mean in practice since the range of opinion extends from making it a world government or eliminating the UN in total. This study will therefore seek to identify and document the areas that need reform and the nature of reforms required. In chapter two the study anchors its arguments on the liberalism theory of international relations. Chapter three provides a case study of the Change Management Team (CMT) led by Atul Khare which was appointed by SG Ban Ki-moon tasked with guiding the implementation of a reform agenda at the UN that starts with the devising of a wide-ranging plan to streamline activities, increase accountability and ensure the organization is more effective and efficient in delivering its many mandates. Chapter four details new issues that emerged in the course of the study: for instance before the CMT was formed there have been other attempts at reform and some have sailed through but there are obstacles among them is finding common ground among the disparate definitions of reform held by various stakeholders. The global community has no common definition of U.N. reform and, as a result, there is often debate among some over the scope, appropriateness, and effectiveness of past and current reform initiatives. There also exists fundamental differences that exist between developed and developing countries which makes reform a herculean task as reform requires cooperation amongst all member states. Chapter five outlines key findings and recommends areas for further research and issues that should inform any change efforts. The study employs a qualitative approach. Qualitative methods facilitate new perspectives on things about which much is known or to gain also more in-depth information that may be difficult to convey quantitatively It is expected that this study will contribute to the growing academic discourse on UN reform. The issue of reform in academic circles still requires clarity as to what aspects of the UN require reform and why this reform should be instituted in the first place. This study will therefore seek to enrich this academic area by examining the various aspects of UN reform.

Kenya’s Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Act has been hailed as one of the most critical legislations and indeed one of the few landmark achievements of the ninth parliament and indeed of the NARC Government. Increasingly, however, concerns about the utilization of funds under this program are emerging. Most of them revolve around issues of allocative efficiency, rampant abuse and mismanagement in CDF operations, which has given rise to an increasing number of complaints from the public. However, while majority of CDF Committees countrywide are embroiled in acrimony and even legal battles, a few enjoy appreciation from their constituents and have even been recognized by various stakeholders for best management practices. These Committees have had excellent performances in the management of the funds towards the achievement of the intended purpose and as such have been able to attain real economic and resources decentralization. The question therefore is why some Constituencies are doing well in managing CDF. The specific objective of the study was to assess the extent to which achievement of CDF objectives has been a success factor in the management of CDF in Gatanga Constituency, one of those that have been rated among the successful ones in the management of CDF. The study, which took place between June, 15 and July 31, 2009 adopted a cross sectional survey to meet its objectives. The population of interest was the various stakeholders in the CDF activities and the data collected was analysed using descriptive and correlation types of data analysis. The study noted that Constituents generally felt that if CDF was well managed, it would change the face of the country in terms of providing social infrastructure. The study also revealed that though majority of the constituents were generally satisfied with CDF management since it was established in the year 2004. However, management needs improvement in terms of both the projects and resources. Planning, organizing, compositions of CDF committees also require major improvement to bring about more successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. The CDF’s National Management Committee (NMC) and Ministry of Finance should also ensure committee compliance to laid out procedures for project selection. It is hoped that the findings of this study will inform national policy dialogues and reforms in the CDF management.

Cassava (Manihot escutenta, Crantz), is one of the high yielding, disease and drought resistant crop that can be used as an alternative to maize in Kenya. The leaves are highly nutritious and serve as an alternative to green leafy vegetables. However, cassava leaves production, consumption and processing has been low due to the lack of a well-structured cassava value chain and standard postharvest handling practices. Additionally, the high content of anti-nutrients discourages consumption at household. This study sought to evaluate the harvesting and postharvest practices, microbial and chemical profile of fermented cassava leaves from selected Kenyan coastal varieties. A total of 247 respondents were nominated from the two counties 120 and 127 respondents in Kilifi and Taita Taveta respectively. A completely randomized experimental design was used for chemical and microbial analysis. Almost all respondents (99.6%) grew cassava for food and Kibanda meno was the most preferred variety. In both counties, farmers harvested few leaves or piecemeal by handpicking and most commonly in the morning hours. Additionally, cassava value addition was limited to drying (82.6%) and fermentation (4.1%). The respondents (65.2%) preserved cassava for a maximum of 15 days. Fermentation followed by oven-drying and sun-drying significantly (p<0.001) reduced the tannins, oxalates and cyanide to recommended levels. The sensory scores of the fermented leaves averaged at 5 points on a sevenpoint hedonic scale stating, that they were likeable in comparison to the non-fermented samples. The results also indicated that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were the predominant microorganisms in cassava leaves fermentation. The mean log CFU of yeasts and molds, LAB and coliforms were 6.96, 7.99 and 8.70 respectively. Leaf position and cassava leaves variety significantly (p<0.001) influenced microbial load during fermentation. Since LAB is the predominant microorganism in cassava leaves fermentation there is need for isolation of its pure cultures. This study concludes that fermentation reduces the anti-nutrient content in cassava leaves making it safe for consumption thus should be adopted for value addition of cassava leaves.

A company has competitive advantage whenever it has an edge over its rivals in securing customers and defending against competitive forces. Firms respond to competition in different ways. Some may opt to move into product improvement, some into divestiture and diversification, while others enter into new markets and others merge or buy out competitors. The non-profit organizations in Kenya are under increasing pressure to meet their organizational objectives and goals. This is not easily attainable without a good sense of the competitive strategies that can be practically applied to mitigate against financial challenges and cut throat competition for resources that make self-reliance a mirage to many. The problem escalates when the donors to the NGOs prefer to fund specific humanitarian emergencies such as food insecurity, health care or outbreak of such other natural calamities. Our study focused on investigating competitive strategies adopted by governance Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi Kenya. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey. Descriptive cross-sectional survey is a comprehensive design that enables large and diverse amounts of data to be collected within a short time frame and analysed quantitatively, giving a credible presentation of results. The research was conducted on a sample of 35 respondents from different NonGovernmental Organizations to which questionnaires were administered. The findings show that the main competitive strategies adopted by the Governance Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi include quality of services offered, lead time is necessary, costs and flexibility. some factors that influence choice of competitive strategy include; changing donor funding patterns; quest to remain relevant; quest for sustainability; limited financial resources. The study recommends that NGOS should focus on clients’ since this can lead to the adoption of different approaches to various actors in the NGO environment. It is a signal towards their target audience, their beneficiaries, and their donors.

Cancer of the cervix is the leading cause of cancer related deaths among women in Kenya. Cervical cytology screening programs have been shown to significantly reduce mortality and morbidity associated with cancer of the cervix. Since 90% of pregnant women in Kenya attend antenatal clinic (ANC) at least once, the ANC offers an excellent opportunity for cervical cytology screening. Objective: To determine the prevalence of abnormal cervical cytology among pregnant women attending ANC at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital antenatal clinic. Study population: Pregnant women attending the first (booking) antenatal visit from February 2008 to August 2008. Methods: A Papanicolaou (pap) smear was taken for each consenting participant during the first antenatal visit. A cervex™ brush was used to collect the cervical smears. The specimens were analyzed and reported on a standardized laboratory form. The social demographic profiles of the participants were obtained using a structured questionnaire. HIV serostatus was obtained from the participants' routine antenatal profiles. Results: A total of 171 women attending their first ANC visit were recruited. The mean maternal age was 28.5 years with a range of 18 to 42. The mean gestation at the booking visit was 28 weeks with 57.9% of the participants initiating ANC in the 3rd trimester. Only 10.5% had had previous screening for abnormal cervical cytology. One hundred and sixty-six (97.1%) pap smear specimens were satisfactory for evaluation. Five (2.9%) were unsatisfactory for evaluation. The prevalence of Squamous intra-epithelial lesions was 5.8% (3.5% LSIL, 2.3% HSIL). Thirty one percent were inflammatory, 1.2% had Trichomonas vaginalis, 7% had bacterial vaginosis (diagnosed by the presence of clue cells) and 10.5% had Candida spp. Forty nine percent of the pap smears were reported normal. HIV sero-positive status and abnormal vaginal discharge were significantly associated with the presence of any pap smear abnormality (p value <0.05). 11 Conclusion The prevalence of abnormal cervical cytology was 5.8%. Positive HIV sero-status and presence of abnormal vaginal discharge were noted to be associated with a higher risk of pap smear abnormalities. The rate of previous screening for cervical cytology was low. Only 10.5% of the participants had had a pap smear done in the past. Cervical cytology screening should be included in routine antenatal care in our hospitals. This would be in line with the WHO model on focused antenatal care which recommends cervical cytology screening on the first antenatal visit. Antenatal care givers should actively promote and provide counseling and testing for HIV as this was observed to increase the risk of abnormal cervical cytology. Antenatal mothers with vaginal discharge should be evaluated to rule out reproductive tract infections.

COVID-19 began as a health emergency and rapidly deteriorated into an economic, financial, and social crisis. It has impacted every sector of the economy and has harmed the majority of the population in various aspects. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the stock market reaction to COVID-19 by examining companies listed in the Nairobi securities exchange. To accomplish the research objectives, the research concentrated on price reaction through the use of daily stock returns. The research was based on the EMH hypothesis, which states that an efficient market quickly absorbs and reacts to new information, it also considers the behavioural finance theory in the human reaction. The research employed an event-based technique. The event period was 61 trade days, including the event day, from 29th January to 27th April 2020, with the event day being 12th March 2020, the day the first case of COVID19 in Kenya was confirmed. The research used the NSE 20-share index as the market return benchmark. According to the study's findings, the market reaction was negative following the incident, but there were positive abnormal returns in the days preceding the disclosure. As indicated by the negative cumulative returns that are statistically significant, it was established that COVID-19 had a detrimental effect on stock returns. The CAAR has a pvalue of (.000), which is less than the 5% level of significance. The greatest influence was detected during the event period, which lasted several days before and after COVID-19. According to the study's conclusion, COVID-19 are extremely relevant information events that are followed by big negative anomalous returns. According to the data, share prices suffered a significant decline. This rebuts the EMH's claim that markets are inefficient. In practice, the findings show that when investors make investment decisions, they should consider elements other than economics. An investor makes an investment decision based on the available information. The information flow in the capital market is affected by the state of the environment, whether economic or otherwise. While the non-economic environment is not inextricably linked to capital market processes, it cannot be separated from them. Stock prices are affected by a variety of market events. These phenomena manifest themselves in a variety of ways. Although the COVID-19 pandemic is a onetime event that does not occur annually, a pandemic can hit at any time, causing havoc on the stock market. It is advised that businesses, shareholders, regulatory bodies, and governments work cooperatively during times of crisis to expedite the market's recovery.

The purpose of this study was to find out the effect of internal controls on the financial performance of deposit taking Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) in Kenya. This study is significant because SACCOs make a critical contribution to the economic development of this nation through funds and savings mobilization. However, these SACCOs face a number of challenges, key among them being the issues of management which is largely occasioned by the existence of poor or weak internal controls. Financial performance of these institutions is thus seriously impacted as a result of the existence or lack thereof of the necessary internal controls that would lead to effective financial management within the SACCOs. The findings of this study conducted on 122 deposit taking SACCOs in Kenya relied on both primary and secondary data which was obtained from the annual reports of the SACCOs. Regression analysis was mainly used to reveal that the financial performance of SACCOs in Kenya is largely influenced by the level of internal controls instituted by the management of these institutions. If the SACCOs improve the effectiveness of their internal controls, then the financial performance of these SACCOs improves drastically. The regression analysis conducted established that the independent variables have a positive strong correlation with the dependent variable. Each of the independent variables namely, the control environment, risk assessment, control activities and monitoring mechanisms contribute positively to the financial performance of SACCOs in Kenya. It is also evident from the study that without the presence of strong internal controls within these institutions, the SACCOs would be performing poorly with the risk of eventual collapse as a result of poor financial performance.

One of the challenges presented by a dynamic environment is increased competition. Competition is indeed a very complex phenomenon that is manifested not only in other industry players but also in form of customers, suppliers, potential entrants and substitute products. It is therefore necessary for a firm to understand the underlying sources of competitive pressure in its industry in order to formulate appropriate strategies to respond to competitive forces. Competitive strategy specifies the distinctive approach which the firm intends to use in order to succeed in each of the strategic business area. Competitive strategy gives a company an advantage over its rival in attracting customers and defending against competitive forces. The objectives of this study were to determine the dimensions of competition faced by television media stations in Kenya and also establish the competitive strategies that television media stations has adopted to cope with the challenges of increased competition in the television broadcast media industry in Kenya. The researcher used cross- sectional survey in the study. The target population of interest in this study was the fully operational television channels in Kenya. There are currently over 16 fully operational television channels in Kenya. The researcher applied proportionate stratified sampling during data collection to select the managers from the study population. Proportionate stratified sampling was appropriate since it identifies sub groups in the population and in their proportions and selected from each subgroup a sample. A sample size of 14 was targeted and data was collected using a questionnaire that allowed for uniformity of responses of questions. Besides, secondary data was collected from documentations from these companies. Data collected was processed through computer software SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Studies) and presented in the report in form of tables and graphs. The study found out that the competitive strategies used by television media stations were cost leadership and differentiation. The strategies according to the study findings have placed the companies in a favorable position relative to the competition. These strategies have also made television media stations to not only achieve high levels of efficiency and effectiveness, but to also gain and sustain competitive advantage. The study also found out that the dimensions of competition for television media stations were threats of new entrants, threat of substitutes, power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers and intensity of rivalry.