In a business context which is marked by rivalry that is intense, advancements of technology rapidly and rivalry for prospective customers, a demand is growing for profit-oriented organizations to craft strategies that are competitive in order to attain competitiveness relative to its rivals and guarantee performance that is superior. For long, manufacturing companies in the pharmaceuticals industry in Kenya have traded in an adverse business context that is volatile. The cutthroat dynamics have consequently led to a majority of manufacturing firms in the pharmaceuticals industry losing their proportion of the market, volume of sales, production cost and profitability. they have consequently resorted to adopt strategies aimed at building their competitive positions in comparison to rival firms with a view to endure competition and outperform rivals. It is unexplored however, how these strategies that are competitive adopted, predict performance thereof. This study endeavored to fill this gap by ascertaining how strategies that are competitive influence manufacturing firms.in the pharmaceuticals industry in Nairobi Metropolitan Area, influence performance. A cross-sectional design was taken in this study and the target population comprised relevant departmental heads concerned with business, strategy development or their matches, from the 35 manufacturing firms in the pharmaceuticals industry in Nairobi Metropolitan Area. Due to the considerably small target population, a census survey was adopted, by which all manufacturing firms in the pharmaceuticals industry in Nairobi Metropolitan Area were selected in the study. Gathering of primary information was conducted by use of a structured questionnaire. Computations of both inferential and descriptive statistics were then conducted. Results show that performance is at 95% confidence level influenced significantly by focus strategy (β = .315, Sig.=.049<.05), strategy of differentiation (β = .286, Sig.=.043<.05) and cost leadership (β = .355, Sig.=.018<.05). It is concluded in the study that cost leadership, focus and differentiation strategies have an effect which is significant and positive on performance of pharmaceuticals industry’s manufacturing firms in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. The study thus recommends that manufacturing firms in the pharmaceuticals industry that seek to achieve performance that is superior ought to adopt as strategies that are competitive, cost leadership, strategy of differentiation and strategy of focus.

Public relations is very relevant in institutions today since it has become the most powerful tool to express the image of an institution to the public community. This study sought to assess the public relations activities by the Public Affairs and Communication Unit in reputation management of the Kenya Judiciary.. The study objectives were to: determine the public relations activities used by PACU in managing the reputation of the Kenya Judiciary; analyze the public relations message strategies used by the Public Affairs and Communication Unit in managing reputation of the Kenyan Judiciary; establish the perception and attitudes of Judges, clerks and advocates towards the public relations strategies employed by the Public Affairs and Communication Unit in managing reputation of the Kenyan Judiciary; and to assess the contributions of the Judicial officers and staff in managing the reputation of the Judiciary. The study was grounded on Excellence Theory and Legitimacy Theory This was a qualitative study focused on gaining opinions and perception of audiences on public relations and reputation management of the judiciary in Kenya. The target population was 12 employees at the Public Affairs and Communication Unit of the judiciary and 15 key informants drawn from Judges, clerks and advocates at the Milimani Law Courts. For the employees at the Public Affairs and Communications Unit, a census was used which entailed studying the whole population of 12, while for judges, clerks and advocates at the Milimani Law courts, purposive sampling was used to draw a sample of 15 key informants. Semi-structured interview guide was the main tool for collecting data. Narrative technique was used to analyze the data. The output was presented using themes and paragraphs, obtained from the inductive analysis of the information obtained from the interviews. The study found that key PR activities included publicity/press releases, good media relations, the use of judiciary emails and handles as well as Corporate Social Responsibility They study recommends that the PR office be properly structured and that they should strategize to engage more in proactive activities so as to help manage the Reputation of the Judiciary.

The study's goal was to determine how country of origin affected consumer brand equity of baby diapers in Nairobi, Kenya. The consumer-based brand equity theory and utility theory served as the study's guiding principles. A descriptive research design was used in this study. The intended audience was those who visited the corresponding estate Kiosks in Nairobi County to purchase diapers. The target sample size was 99.997 rounded to 100 respondents. During a one-week period, a questionnaire employed at the time of diaper purchase was used to collect main data for the study. The gathered data was evaluated using descriptive and inferential statistics. The data reported in this study included both qualitative and quantitative information. The results were presented using tables, figures, frequencies and rates. Multiple linear regressions were utilized to demonstrate the influence of nation of origin and the customer brand equity of baby diapers in Nairobi County. The study findings established that the respondents concurred that they can easily picture in their mind the diaper brand of their choice. The analysis also found that the respondents largely agreed that they would repeatedly use their diaper brand of choice. It also established that the packaging of the diaper brand is of high quality. The study found that at 5% level of significance and 95% level of confidence, country product quality, country image, and country perceptions were all significant on consumer brand equity of baby diaper in Nairobi, Kenya. The study concluded that the respondents check to confirm the country of origin of the baby diaper. The study also concluded that the respondents prefer buying foreign diaper brands, that their diaper brand of choice offers excellent value for money, and that their diaper brand of choice is a favourite brand among consumers. The study suggests that in order to draw in potential customers, diaper manufacturing businesses and marketers should concentrate on employing all the components of brand equity in their plans in target areas. It also recommends that diaper manufacturing companies and marketing managers to set aside enough budgets to promote these elements of brand equity and ensure they are well covered and established in the target market to realize the benefits. The extension of use of diaper products especially in healthcare has also created a different market and it would improve this study to include this new market in future studies in addition to babies. Further, the study proposed there be a deliberate consistent effort by diapers marketers to enhance customer based brand equity. Manufacturers of diapers should be aware that well-known brands often fail owing to poor management, overextension, and a lack of commitment in building brand equity and values.

The service delivery sector has been characterized by the fact that most of the services provided in the country are government controlled. For example basic education is provided only by the government, so most factors that lead to service delivery improvements are either institutional or policy interventions that can be applied within public sector. The public sector has influence on service consumption and delivery due to its monopoly over resources that enables it to deliver goods, services and various facilities according to requirements within a limited scope. Devolution policy in Kenya is intended to create more local autonomy and economic opportunity for the people of Kenya. The devolution policy was created to expand and strengthen governance through enhanced fiscal authority, improved local service delivery and increased budgeting flexibility at the Kenyan Government level. This study evaluates impact of devolution policy on water service delivery at Samburu Water and Sanitation Company. The research objectives examined influence of public participation, devolved units and accountability on water service delivery at Samburu Water and Sanitation Company. The study was anchored on Institutional theory. Descriptive research was used. The study sample size was senior managers, middle managers, supervisors, and support personnel were included among respondents. Both descriptive and inferential analysis were done. The study used census technique. The analyzed data was presented in the form of figures and tables to facilitate explanation and understanding of the research findings. The study results revealed a positive and significant relationship between devolved units and water service delivery at SAWASCO, implying that increasing. The inferential findings demonstrated that public participation positively and significantly affects water service delivery at Samburu Water and Sanitation Company. The results show that an increase in accountability practices leads to improved water service delivery at Samburu Water and Sanitation Company. The study also recommends that the management of at SAWASCO and county government should focus more on devolved units practices such as releasing funds for water projects on schedule, curb financial fraud, allocate enough funds to water projects and recruit competent staffs as this will enable the company to achieve its set water service delivery targets and results. Another suggestion made by the study is that in order for SAWASCO to improve the quality of their water service delivery, more attention needs to be paid to strengthening accountability practices, such as ensuring that county project managers are open to public scrutiny and accountability questions and that county finance manager are willing to participate in fiscal audits and accountability.

The cumulative funding received by Kenyan NGOs plummeted to roughly 70 per cent from 95% thereby leading to closure of NGO programs and total disruption of beneficiary support services. This situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which made the donor community to become wary of releasing donations. NGOs in Kisumu County have encountered additional challenges such as; poor fund management, poor financial reporting, inadequate capacity building and unethical practices targeting the beneficiaries. Consequently, this investigation sought to determine the nexus between corporate governance and financial sustainability of non-governmental organizations in Kisumu County, Kenya. The findings of this investigation may be beneficial to board of management in various NGOs in highlighting the prominence of corporate governance and its related relationship to financial sustainability. This investigation focused on the agency theory, transaction cost theory and the stewardship theory. Several studies were reviewed and they elicited gaps in the methods, contexts and concepts. This investigation espoused a correlational research design. The research targeted 650 director/managers of registered and active NGOs in Kisumu County. Krecjie and Morgan (1970) formulation was used to sample 242 respondents. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for primary data while an information gathering form was used to collect secondary data. Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87 was obtained confirming reliability. The investigation adopted Pearson’s correlation and simple linear regression for analysis. A correlation coefficient of 0.368 was obtained indicating a positive correlation for the nexus between transparency and financial sustainability. The F calculated value of 24.764 was greater than the f critical value of 3.89, and the resulting equation was; Y=2.333+0.4X1. A correlation coefficient of 0.235 was obtained signifying a positive correlation for the nexus between accountability and financial sustainability. The F calculated value of 11.139 was greater than the f critical value of 3.89, and the resulting equation was; Y=3.011+0.207X2. A correlation coefficient of 0.483 was obtained signifying a positive correlation for the nexus between security and financial sustainability. The F calculated value of 58.081 was greater than the f critical value of 3.89, and the resulting equation was; Y=2.135+0.473X3. In conclusion, there exists a positive and significant nexus between corporate governance and financial sustainability of non-governmental organizations in Kisumu County, Kenya. The research recommends the espousal of people, purpose, performance and progression in implementing any initiative that enhances accountability within the NGOs. This investigation recommends the embracing of transparency policies by NGOs to ensure that there is a structure to be followed when implementing openness and effective communiqué. This analysis recommends the embracing of modern risk assessment systems in the NGOs to help the managers and directors enhance security

Financial Technology (Fintech) has a long history. According to Tufano (2016), the term Fintech was first used in the 1950s. Innovation has been more significant in the money industry throughout time in ways that most people ignore. Organizations are now compelled to use financial technology in order to improve their efficacy and efficiency. SMEs continue to face the challenges of minimally affordable and available financial services to support their operations. Financial technology solutions have a tremendous influence on the financial well-being of many millions of people throughout the globe, particularly the poor. Despite SMEs playing an essential role in the economy, they are plagued by several issues. According to Pius (2020), for every five companies established, only three companies survive past five months and only one survives past five years. 80% of the surviving companies went bankrupt before the fifth year World Bank (2015). The study sought to determine the effect of financial technology usage on growth of Small and Medium Enterprises. The target population was 826 heads of the Small and Medium Enterprises in Nairobi County, Kenya. Structured questionnaire was the main tool of collecting data. Data analysis entailed both descriptive and inferential methods. Descriptive statistics comprised the means and standard deviations whereas inferential statistics entailed simple linear regressions. The respondents agreed that mobile money services, mobile loan services and internet banking are vital for SME growth in Nairobi, Kenya. The study found that mobile money services, mobile loan services and internet banking explain 40.8% growth of SMEs. In addition, ANOVA output suggests that financial technology usage is a satisfactory indicator of SME growth (F value= 44.351, 0.000<0.05). Regression coefficient of mobile money services (β=.303, p-value=0.000), mobile loan services (β=.249, p-value=0.001) and internet banking (β=.198, p-value=0.037) have positive and significant relationship with SME growth. The study concludes that mobile money services as an aspect of financial technology usage has a positive and significant relationship with SME growth. Access to credit is vital for business growth and hence barriers ought to be eliminated. Growth in financial technology has left SMEs with no option but to embrace innovative business models such as application of internet banking. The study recommends development of more products by mobile money service providers that are innovative and capture the aspirations of the users. The access to mobile credit loans services has been characterized by bureaucracies and through reduced restrictions, measures and structures, SMEs stand to benefit more. Internet banking is very important in saving time of queuing in bank halls in order to be served. However, internet infrastructure has been a challenge in most emerging economies especially now that this service is supported by telecommunication network which still remain incomplete in most areas. Therefore, it is recommended that banks and telecommunication providers should develop a product that can access internet even in those areas that have poor network connection. This will help in ensuring that everyone can utilize internet banking in all areas as long as one has access to any form of telecommunication network. Few studies have been done regarding the financial technology usage and this resulted to a limitation of the study.

Street vending being a subsector of MSEs exponentially grows with urbanization. The main goal of street vending is to ensure that individuals earn an income and improve on their livelihoods. This however is far from being achieved based on the available evidence especially in Africa that anchors income maximization. The major aim of the study was to establish determinants of profitability of street vending business in Kisumu Central Business District, Kenya. Particularly, it aimed to establish the influence of financial niche, creativity, experience, gender, and level of education on profitability of street vending business in Kisumu Central Business District. This study utilized a descriptive research design. The study population comprised street vending businesses within Kisumu CBD. The study’s sample size was 384 street vending businesses. The study used primary data collected using questionnaire. The questionnaire was selfadministered. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25 was used to analyze data. Data analysis comprised of both descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics involved mean, standard deviation, frequencies and percentages while inferential statistics involved multiple regression analysis. The results were in form of tables. The study concluded that financial niche, creativity, gender, and level of education influenced profitability of street vending business in Kisumu Central Business District. The study findings indicated that financial niche, creativity, experience and, level of education had a weak positive influence on profitability of street vending business. Experience however indicated a negative relationship with profitability. In relation to the findings of the study, the study recommended that the Kenyan government should assess the guidelines governing street vending in a bid to create a favorable environment for the business to continue thriving. The study proposed that a similar study be conducted in another area to determine whether the results would be different from this study.

Donor projects funded by donors play crucial role in complementing different roles of governments in the delivery of key developmental needs within societies for instance access to socio-economic services such as shelter, affordable healthcare, clean water, food and affordable education among other services. Approaches of community participation has attracted attention of global development agencies such as the World Bank, USAID, and United Nations among others in supporting the sustainability of donor-funded projects. Sustainability of projects funded by donor calls for the need to involve targeted beneficiaries and local communities in various phases of such projects. In Soweto Slums Kenya, World Vision has been undertaking donor funded entrepreneurial skills development projects. However, there is still a significant issue with the long-term viability of donor-funded projects in terms of accomplishing their goals and being completed on schedule and under budget. Using Resource Dependence Theory, Empowerment Theory, and The Stakeholder Theory as a framework, this study analyzed the impact that community involvement has on the long-term viability of World Vision's donor-funded initiatives to improve residents' entrepreneurial skills in the Soweto slums of Nairobi County. The specific objectives of the study were, to assess the influence of community involvement in project selection, community participation in project decision making, community participation in project execution and community involvement in project monitoring and evaluation on sustainability of donor funded entrepreneurial skills development projects in Soweto slums, Kenya. The explanatory research method was used in this investigation. Target population for the study consisted of the 300 youth beneficiaries of Youth Livelihood Project by World Vision in Soweto slums. Sample size of 171 youth beneficiaries was calculated using Yamane formula. Stratified random sampling was used to select the sample. This study used structured questionnaire to collect data. Before actual data collection, pretesting of the questionnaire was done at Kariobangi to enhance its reliability in collecting viable information. Analysis of data was done through descriptive statistics. Multiple linear regression was used in order to ascertain the interactions that currently exist between the study variables. The results of the study indicated that community involvement in project selection, decision-making, project execution and monitoring and evaluation has a positive and statistically significant influence on the sustainability of World Vision donor funded youth entrepreneurial projects in Soweto Nairobi. The study recommended that the government should collaborate with donors to enhance efficiency in the service delivery to its citizens and to reduce the possibility of duplication of roles and channeling funds to the same project by both the government and the donors. Furthermore, the donors should involve the community to get the views of the community on their existing challenges and the possible solutions to the challenges they are facing.

A company’s liquidity reveals both its degree of financial autonomy against its creditors and the kind and severity of the challenges and crises it is now facing. To what extent this occurs depends on the nature of both current assets and current liabilities. Cash on hand, other assets that may be swiftly converted to cash, profits or losses, the size of debts that will need to be repaid soon, and the availability of new capital via the sale of securities or borrowing all play a role in determining a company's liquidity. The goal of this research was to determine the influence of liquidity management on the financial performance of DT Saccos in Kericho County. The study was guided by liquidity preference theory, Commercial loan theory, and Anticipated Income Theory. The descriptive method was used for this study. Employees of Deposit Taking SACCOs in Kericho County made up the research population. The Ndege Chai SACCO society, Imarisha SACCO society, Kenya highlands SACCO society, Simba Chai SACCO society limited, Green Hill SACCO society limited, and Patnas SACCO society limited were all part of this group. Ten percent served as the study's sample, and a stratified random sampling method was employed to choose the sample. The saccos was used to divide the research population into groups for analysis. Questionnaire were utilized to gather primary data. Descriptive and correlation analysis was used to examine the gathered data. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 21 was used for analysis. The findings revealed that aspects of collateral are considered when issuing loans, and that there is protection of members deposit by SACCO management. The deposit taking SACCO undertake regular budget cash budget and the occurrence of cash shortages had been managed by the SACCOs. The SACCOs have effective loan portfolio management to maximize the lending opportunities and cash management in the Saccos have been considered and measures taken to ensure there is no adverse effect on financial performance. The study also concluded that financial reporting policy, flexible repayment periods are significant as they improve loan repayment. Proper implementation of internal controls is important as they relate to financial performance of the SACCOs. The study recommended that deposit taking SACCOS should implement cash management, credit management and contingency funding management in liquidity management to improve financial performance.