This study was undertaken to assess the effect of business continuity planning (BCP) on the resilience of Dodhia packaging Kenya Ltd (DPK). Resilience theory, stakeholder theory of crisis management, open systems theory and contingency theory were used in the study. Case study research design was used in the study. The study targeted five heads of departments at DPK: Finance, Operation, Information Communication and Technology (ICT), Procurement, and Human Resource Managers. The primary data was collected using an interview guide. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. On the business status before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, the study found that even though Dodhia packaging Kenya Ltd faced competition from other industry players, the business was fairly progressive before the pandemic. The operations which were most affected by Covid-19 at DPK included functions such as procurement, sales, finance, production and human resource. Regarding the availability of the BCP on Critical Operations at DPK before Covid-19, the findings showed that a business continuity plan had been in place that covered so much on preparedness such as fire and flood. The findings further revealed that production had reduced to 80%. As such, having the BCP in place helped DPK to survive the impacts of Covid-19 even though its operations were interrupted thus affecting their performance. On the role of stakeholders in restoring business operations post Covid-19 pandemic, the study found that DPK could respond to the pandemic requirements by developing new products such as sanitizers and hand wash materials. Proactivity by DPK in terms of responding to the Covid-19 pandemic helped the organization to re-strategize to survive the impacts. The study concluded that the DPK’s BCP played a role in its resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was further concluded that the availability of business continuity plans for the critical operations helped during these unforeseen events as it enabled the organization to come up with strategies which helped the business to remain afloat. It was recommended that DPK should ensure that their core production activities can exploit their key raw materials locally and not depend on importation and that the company should adopt the comprehensive use of modern technology to ensure lean management in production.

The purpose of this study was to establish whether foreign market entry has an influence on competitive advantage of fintech companies in Kenya. The study was anchored by two theories: the Eclectic Paradigm Theory by John H. Dunning, and the Imitation Gap (Technology Gap) Theory by Michael V. Posner. The literature review identified the ownership, location and internalization advantages that impact competitiveness. It also identified new technology as a factor that creates first mover advantages that bring about competitive advantage. The study embraced a cross-sectional design and employed use of primary data collected from the research population of 25 fintech companies in Kenya that have ventured into other countries. The study targeted senior management-level employees of the fintech companies under study, with each company making one submission to the online questionnaire. The results of the data collection were analyzed using descriptive analysis and correlation analysis. The results of the study showed that majority of the fintech companies prefer to open offices countries as an entry strategy. The findings also showed that ownership of financial resources played a huge role for fintechs undertaking internationalization. Technology, R&D and innovation capacity was highly rated as a critical driver of fintech companies’ competitive advantage, as well as customer satisfaction. The study found that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between competitive advantage and foreign market entry. The study concludes that ownership of resources, selection of a conducive foreign market location and the technological capacity to offer superior fintech services were key when venturing into foreign markets. Opening of country offices or subsidiaries is an important driver of competitive advantage for foreign market operations, as the investment spurs high levels of customer satisfaction and confidence in the fintech products or services. The study recommends that fintech companies in Kenya should seek to scale their operations and internationalize into other countries in Africa, as there exists demand for their financial solutions. The study was limited in terms of the fintech population size and suggests that future studies utilize a larger population size in future, as well as utilize financial performance metrics rather than qualitative metrics that were used to measure competitive advantage in this study.

Referral systems in health care have been globally recognized as the pillars and influencers of the demand for health services and their consumption time (Amoah and Philips, 2017). Although studies have been conducted to enlighten on why despite the existence of referral guidelines, their adherence is minimal; no such study has been conducted at Kenyatta National Hospital despite it being at the peak of the Kenyan health referral chain. This study sought to address this gap at Kenyatta National Hospital, Accident and Emergency department and whether its referral cases could be handled by lower levels of care, in a bid to solve its overcrowding situation. The main objective of the study was to assess the determinants of referral cases in a national hospital ─ a case study of Kenyatta National Hospital and to make policy recommendations on Referral Strategy 2019-2023 based on findings. Data from a sample size of 311 randomly selected participants was analyzed after being collected using a structured questionnaire. After conducting necessary descriptive statistics, diagnostic tests and a probit regression using STATA; It was observed that 65.9% of the respondents received referral letters; with 39.3% of those being from public health facilities (level 1 to level 6), and 32.6% of them being patient self-request referrals. It is also important to note that 62.4% of respondents resided in Nairobi County, with the overwhelming majority of respondents using private transport means to KNH (80%), with only 17.4% using ambulance services to the facility. Nairobi County also has the largest referrals to KNH (62.4%). There are indeed several significant factors that determine referral cases to KNH; among them being the age (p< 0.05), residence of patients (p< 0.05), as well as their mode of transportation (p< 0.05) to the hospital. Gender, source of income and education level are observed to have an insignificant impact on the likelihood of receiving a referral letter to KNH. The presence of the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) is most likely the ‘equalizer’ so that economic factors have less influence on access to referral care at KNH. The study recommends greater investment by national and county governments in lower-level institutions, especially outside Nairobi County, to increase their quality of care and build trust in local facilities thus reduce the numerous incidences of self-referrals. A policy brief based on study findings has also been submitted to Kenyatta National Hospital to aid actualize the current referral strategy 2019-2023.

Lengo la utafiti huu limekuwa ni kuchunguza na kuchanganua utambulisho wa jinsia katika kazi za John Habwe za Maumbile si Huja na Paradiso. Mada hii imechaguliwa kutokana na uelewa kuwa kazi za kifasihi huibua utambulisho wa jinsia tofauti. Dira ambayo imetuongoza kufanya utafiti huu ni nadharia ya Ufeministi wa Kiafrika. Tumechagua nadharia hii kuchunguza na kuchanganua utambulisho wa jinsia kwa kuchunguza uhusiano wao katika mazingira ya Kiafrika kwa kuwa imeandikwa kwa msingi wa Kiafrika. Nadharia hii huonyesha jinsi asasi za jamii za Kiafrika huchangia katika dhuluma za kijinsia. Pia, nadharia hii hutoa mapendekezo ya namna ya kupigania ukombozi, usawa na haki ya jinsia katika jamii. Malengo ambayo tumeshughulikia ni kubainisha jinsi asasi za jamii kupitia tamaduni zake zinavyoathiri mazingira ya utambulisho wa jinsia, kuangazia namna jinsia za kike na kiume zinavyoathirika kutokana na changamoto zinazopitia katika harakati za kutaka kujitambua na kutambulishwa na kudhihirisha mabadiliko ya mielekeo ya jamii kupitia fasihi kama nyenzo muhimu inayochangia mabadiliko hayo. Mbinu ambayo tumetumia katika utafiti huu ni ile ya kukusanya matini za data ya utafiti kutoka vitabuni maktabani. Matokeo ya utafiti wetu ni kuwa, asasi za jamii kama vile, ndoa, dini, utamaduni, uchumi, siasa na uongozi huchangia dhuluma za jinsia. Aidha, tumeona kuwa kuna njia anuwai zinazoweza kutumiwa kuleta ukombozi na usawa wa jinsia. Vile vile, tumegundua kuwa harakati za jinsia kutaka kujitambua na kutambuliwa na jamii zinachangia mabadiliko katika mielekeo ya jamii kutokana na mabadiliko katika majukumu ya jinsia kama yanavyowekewa msingi na utamaduni wa Kiafrika.

The goal of the study was to assess the influence of agency banking on the financial deepening of the Kenyan financial sector. The specific objectives included; determining the influence of the number of agents facilitating agency banking on the financial depth; determining the influence of the number of agency banking transactions on financial deepening and determining the influence of these transactions on financial deepening. A descriptive research design was employed to evaluate the objectives. The study targeted the entire financial sector, which comprises 43 commercial banks and 24 microfinance institutions. Data was gathered from the Central Bank of Kenya reports over the period 2011-2020 and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists. The period was considered because data on agency banking before 2011 was not readily available. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were used. The results revealed that the number of agents, the number banking transactions conducted through agency banking and value of agency banking transactions had a significant and positive effect on financial deepening of the Kenyan financial sector. In particular, the regression estimations showed that a unit increase in the number of agents would increase financial deepening by a factor of 5.71; a unit increase in the number of agency banking transactions would enhance financial deepening by a factor of 3.13 and a unit increase in the value of agency banking transactions would improve financial depth by a factor of 0.493. In sum, the results revealed that agency banking exerts a positive and significant influence on the financial depth of Kenyan financial sector. In light of these findings, it was concluded that the presence of agency banking in Kenya is noticeable and is playing its role in enhancing access of financial services. This study suggests a number of recommendations that can be implemented to foster the expansion of agency banking such as ; conducive political regulatory framework, development of financial literacy programs and development of prerequisite infrastructure.

Production processes for most goods and services of every country depend on energy with oil inclusive. However, for a country like Uganda with few alternative sources of energy, over dependency on oil imports is likely to increase the cost of production which may implicitly and adversely affect the country’s growth. Therefore, this study extends a theoretical framework developed by Solow (1957) to investigate the impact of oil imports on economic growth in Uganda. First, it assesses the trend analysis of oil imports and GDP growth which is adopted as a measure of economic growth. Second, a long-run and short-run relationship between oil imports and economic growth is then examined. While using the World Bank data on World Development Indicators, this study further adopts the ARDL estimation strategy to examine the long-run and short-run effects of oil imports on economic growth in Uganda. The study findings reveal that the effect of oil imports on economic growth as measured by GDP growth is positive and statistically significant. In addition, other variables such as Human Capital and Gross Capital formation are also important in boosting Uganda’s economic growth. Though Gross Domestic Savings may be relevant for achieving faster economic growth in the short-run, the long-run results instead show that Gross Domestic Savings negatively impact on economic growth. Key words: Oil imports; Economic Growth; Uganda

Strategic partnership entails companies with a given degree of equal distribution of resources as well as information and the ability to develop together or share services or products. The realization of competitive edge is not achieved by only one specific company as it doesn’t have all the fundamental assets and skills to become entrepreneurial as well as creative in the economic markets which are very competitive and dynamic. Pricing pressure gaps in asset concentrations, product mix and increased competition has forced most entities across the world to consider forming strategic alliances as they bring on board cost and product differentiation synergies. The study’s objective was therefore to examine the role of strategic alliance on competitive advantage on real estate companies in Mombasa County. This study was anchored on the transaction theory, resource-based view theory and knowledge-based view theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design and the population was made of 81companies registered with Estate Agents Registration Board and also which had advanced in technology and had a website or be listed in major real estate websites in Mombasa County. The study using purposive sampling technique selected a sample of 67 real estate companies and using questionnaires to collect data from only the managers of the selected real estate firms. The data collected through the questionnaires was analyzed through descriptive statistics presented in tables. The study found that that real estate firms in Mombasa County used strategic alliances at a moderate extent and that strategic alliance affects competitive advantage of real estate firms in Mombasa County at a moderate extent respectively. The results also show that product differentiation was a moderate source of competitive advantage and that cost leadership was a great source of competitive advantage of real estate firms in Mombasa County respectively. The findings of the study will also benefit firms in other industries since they get to appreciate the role played by strategic alliance as a way of achieving competitive edge. This would boost the performance of the real estate companies in Mombasa County and this increases their competitive advantage. Future researchers will find the study’s findings as an important source for reference. These results can be compared with other sectors to determine the various ways institutions can react to competitive forces in their respective environments. Scholars can also use this study as a base on which the other similar research studies can be built upon. The study also focused on strategic alliance and competitive advantage, which was assessed through product differentiation and cost leadership. The study therefore recommends an additional research on effects of strategic alliances on other firm metrics like financial performance, strategy formulation, strategy implementation and organizational culture. The study also collected data from one respondent from the real estate companies. The study therefore did not obtain the views of other employees. The study recommends a similar study but which will cover all the employees of the real estate companies.

Health care waste management is undoubtedly an important element in healthcare. Proper health care waste management helps in promoting safety of health workers and waste handlers through the elimination of occupational hazards. Considering that part of the waste produced by health facilities can be hazardous, there is a dire need for all health facilities to comply to the stipulated healthcare waste management policies and guidelines. Kenya and other countries in Africa lag in implementing these policies and guidelines developed from the guide of World Health Organization (WHO). This implies that although many countries have the right policies and guidelines, weak health care waste management systems, challenges in financing and lack of the leadership’s goodwill have slowed down the implementation of the same. In this cross-sectional study, four health facilities in Machakos Sub County in Machakos County, Kenya were assessed to aid in meeting five main research objectives related to health care waste management: determining health workers’ training in HCWM, evaluating health workers’ knowledge in HCWM, assessing HCWM practices, investigating occupational health & safety measures in relation to HCWM and assessing financial aspects linked to HCWM. The health facilities involved in the study were Machakos Level 5, Bishop Kioko Level 4, Mutituni Level 3 and Katumani Level 2. Questionnaires were administered to medical specialists, medical officers, clinical officers, nurses and laboratory technicians (n=281). The findings of the study indicated that Machakos County has not invested significantly in proper HCWM as evidenced by the low level of training at a score of 37.1%, fair knowledge at a score of 50.72%, poor HCWM practices score of 25.8%, health workers fair occupational health & safety score of 65.0% and very poor financial aspect of HCWM score of 0%. The aggregate score on HCWM compliance was poor at 35.7%. In conclusion, there was poor compliance to the guidelines given in the National Health Care Waste Management Plan of 2008-2012 with surprising low score in financial aspects linked to HCWM noted in all health facilities in this study.

This dissertation examines the determinants of access to higher education in Uganda. The objective was to establish the major socio-economic determinants of access to higher education in Uganda. Using the Uganda National Household Survey 2016/17 dataset and applying logistic regression analysis, the findings show that household wealth, living in an urban area, and access to the internet significantly increase the chances of accessing higher education in Uganda. The effect of gender on access to higher education is weakly significant and males are less likely to access higher education than females, especially in rural areas. Given the findings, it is recommended that policymakers and development partners fund programs that increase household wealth and incomes. Policymakers should promote access to education for people living in rural areas through affirmative action. Policies like prioritizing allocation of government scholarships to individuals from rural areas will greatly improve their chances of accessing higher education. Lastly, internet use must be promoted and expanded, especially in areas without internet access.

A critical responsibility of strategic management theory and research is the improvement of institutional results. Practices around strategic management thus, are important to the management of public, private, and non-governmental organizations since they have a contribution to the sustenance of the environment. Government and its agencies the world over continue to implement traditions around strategic management with the sole aim of boosting the results of service delivery. This study revolves around two theories; 1) Resource Based View (RBV) theory and 2) Optimal Resource Allocation (ORA) theory. The main aim of this study was to investigate the strategic challenges in UHC implementation in the informal settlement in Kibera slums, Nairobi City County. Specifically, the study sought; to analyze the effect of ICT on implementation of universal health care coverage; to analyze how resource allocation influence on UHC implementation; to analyze the role of stakeholders’ engagement on implementation of universal health care coverage in the informal settlement in Kibera slums, Nairobi City County. The outcomes of this study, specifically the recommendations may enable private hospitals managers and stakeholders to comprehend how they can effectively manage the implementation of UHC. This study employed descriptive study design with employees in the public health institutions in Kibera slums targeted. Questionnaires were used in data collection. To run descriptive and inferential statistics, Social Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS,version 23.0) was used for quantitative data analysis. The study reported that resource allocation (r=0.380, p<0.00); stakeholders’ engagement (r=0.756, p<0.00); information communication technology (r=0.639, p<0.00); influence implementation of universal health care coverage in the informal settlement in Kibera slums, Nairobi City County. This study concluded that stakeholders play a crucial role UHC in health institutions and this has led to the achievement of the extensive and much needed support in the organization’s strategies implementation. Resource allocation is among the factors that affect implementation of UHC. Information Communication Technology improves delivery of services in. The study recommends that health institutions in Kibera slums should allocate substantial amount of financial resources in the budget for investment in ICT. Equity in resource distribution should be observed to enable workable UHC implementation. In order to ensure that strategic objectives, goals and targets are met leaders in the hospitals implementing UHC should motivate employees to ease UHC implementation.