Employee turnover intention is a very important facet of modern day talent management. Employers adopt talent management practices to continuously reduce employee turnover intentions. When a company loses people, it loses skills, information, and experiences, all of which may have a major financial impact. In this scenario, talent management is critical for companies that want to achieve their aims and objectives. Employers have adopted talent management strategies and practices with an aim of reducing their employees’ turnover intentions. The main aim of this research was to analyze the influence of talent management practices on employee turnover intentions at Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company. The following objectives were used to provide guidance; to determine the influence of HR planning on employee turnover intentions, to study the effect of training practices on employee turnover intentions, to study the effect of rewards management on turnover intentions and to establish the effect of recruitment practices on employee turnover intentions. This research adopted the talent management theory and human capital theory. A descriptive research design was used in this research. The population of the study was the 997 management staff working in the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company. Sample size was 286 employees stratified according to their cadre. Primary data obtained using questionnaires was used in this study. The administration of the questionnaires was done through Google forms. The collected data was converted into quantitative format to make analysis using statistical package for social sciences. The statistics generated were descriptive statistics which included mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics which included both correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. The study revealed a significant positive relationship between human resource planning, training, rewards management, recruitment and employee turnover intentions at NCWSC. Regression analysis revealed that 62.8% of changes in employee turnover intentions at NCWSC were attributed to the four variables selected in this study. This study concluded that human resource planning, training, rewards management and recruitment are essential in reducing employee turnover intentions. Based on the findings, HR planning had the greatest influence on employee turnover intention followed by training while recruitment practice and rewards management had the least influence. It is therefore recommended that managers and board members of NCWSC should implement talent management practices relating to these variables as they enhance employee retention and reduce employee turnover intentions.

The concept of corporate governance among corporate entities has recently received a lot of attention due to an increase of scandals and crises globally. The contribution made by public benefit organizations to good governance has effected growth in economy as well as several social background aspects. However, PBOs within Migori County have continued to face many challenges in the implementation process of good governance practices. This has led to wastage of resources on formulation of plans of great governance which can give their counterparts a competitive edge. The intetion of this research was to determine the influence of corporate governance on performance of public benefit organizations operating within Migori County. The study was underpinned on stakeholder theory, resource dependency theory, together with agency theory which helped in prediction of the relationship that existed between variables. The present research was experimental and employed use of longitudinal research design. The study was interested in carrying out a survey on all the 36 PBOs operating in Migori County as at the time of study.The present research involved use of secondary data which was drawn from the annual reports and available records for a period of two (2) years 2019 and 2020. Collected data was analyzed through use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that board size and board composition individually influenced organizational performance of PBOs significantly. The results of the joint effect indicated that only board composition was found to influence organizational performance of PBOs in Migori County. On contrary, board independence and board size were not found to significantly affect organizational performance in the joint effect. The study therefore, concludes that corporate governance has an impact on the organizational performance of public benefit organizations. Thus, recommending that the board of directors, shareholders and owner managers of PBOs should review the structures of corporate governance regularly.

Restorative justice is one of the many modern approaches to justice that are geared towards addressing the justice needs in the criminal justice systems. Its objective is to offer the affected parties a chance to dialogue by identifying the cause of the crime in question, the parties’ needs arising from that crime, and how to best remedy the situation. This expands room for a people-centred process thus advancing the course of justice. Alternative justice systems, exhibit restorative justice principles and objectives which are geared towards achieving reparation, rehabilitation, and reintegration. These objectives eventually translate to deterrence which is one of the objectives of criminal law. This research has discussed alternative justice systems as an embodiment of restorative justice principles and its understanding within the Kenyan context. The research found that restorative justice is an old idea of justice whose application has been dynamic to accommodate the legal requirements and social changes. It is no longer confined to the traditional dispute resolution model but has numerous other forums that are constituted based on religion, family, local administrative units, civil rights groupings etcetera, with all being referred to as the informal justice systems. The alternative justice elements have further been traced in the Kenyan legal and institutional structures, with Article 159(2)(c) forming a bedrock on which all are anchored and from which other laws and institutions of AJS draw their strength. The centre of focus in this research has been the practice of AJS in courts and the emerging jurisprudence as envisaged in the constitution.1 However, uncertainty exists on the part of the courts on how they should treat negotiated settlements in cases classified as felonies. To cure this situation, the research borrows from the practice in South Africa and recommends to the Kenyan parliament to enact a law or laws that implement the constitution as well as legislating on diversion which has been described as a restorative justice tool. There is currently no statutory backing that is specific to diversion a fact that hampers its effective application. A law on diversion will be specific in making provisions on alternative to trial. In addition to legislation, the judiciary has a role to interpret the law in a way that promotes human rights.2 This is an opportunity for courts to develop progressive jurisprudence on matters of AJS to harmonize, clarify, and create uniformity in practice thus enhancing trust to the justice system as a whole.

Despite the fact that citizens suffer the impact of conflict, women among the population are specifically affected most. In most cases, their bodies become the new theater of war as rape is employed as a tool of war. In some instances, women play ultimate responsibilities as the culprits of conflict through conveying information to fighters, cooking and hiding fighters as well as inciting men to fight. However, as customarily defined caregivers, they have the capacity to transform society into a desirable environment. Comparatively they play flagrant roles in begetting peace in post-conflict societies. This is similar to Salome Matakwei who represents women in Mt Elgon as a symbol of resilience in a patriarchal society for playing the role in the conflict of Mt Elgon as a culprit, a victim, and a peace maker. Reference to Salome Matakwei in Mt Elgon between the period of 2006 and 2017, the study sought to scrutinize the transformation she underwent as perpetrator of the conflict to peace maker. Moreover, the study relied on the theory of dualistic conversion established by William James – the voluntary and contemplative conversion-type on one extreme, and the immediate, involuntary self-surrender conversion-type on the other – has a long tradition of association with the written accounts of Paul’s conversion; the outcome is a classification of his Damascus experience as a stark division “established in the twinkling of an eye” between the old life and the new. To test the hypothesis, interviews were conducted and data used to examine the roles Salome Matakwei played before and throughout the conflict of Mt Elgon, the transformative daises she used in peace building to reintegrate herself in society as well as her impact in the region. Additionally, the purposive sampling method and the snowballing technique were used in the study to classify respondents who were interviewed using a question guide. The qualitative method was used to analyze the data collected. Content analysis was used to analyze secondary data. Firstly, the study divulged that Salome Matakwei actually played vital roles in the conflict that led to her rejection in the society, a situation that pushed her to transform to peace building. Secondly, she was involved in peace building and utilized various transformative plinths ranging from being the women group leader, Ambassador of peace, preacher, ‘mother to the conflict’s orphans', proprietor of peace initiative center, and peace educator to reintegrate herself into the society. Thirdly, her peace efforts in the region of Mt Elgon brought peace, unity among the widows in Mt Elgon and initiated self- reliable activities to the widows and Ex-SLDF members. Lastly, Salome Matakwei used peace building as a platform of reintegrating herself into society to repudiate the state of rejection and isolation by society. From the study, it is palpable that the role of women in peace building is entangled with their transformative agenda, management of conflict and peace building settings in Africa. It is intended to reintegrate women, in this case Salome Matakwei, back into society after being rejected and secluded especially when they had a direct link with the main culprit in the conflict.

Academic libraries across the globe are vital entities based at the heart of universities to support knowledge production, information resources sharing and dissemination to meet the educational, research and teaching needs. Most libraries have for long adopted the use of ICTs in their operation and provision of library services. However, the frequent evolution and the disruptive nature of these technologies has continued to transform and disrupt the entire information management ecosystem in which academic libraries fall in. The study aimed at assessing the level of adoption of disruptive technologies in academic libraries with reference to the Mahatma Gandhi Graduate Research Library, University of Nairobi. The study was guided by the following objectives: to establish the library staff perceptions on the use of available disruptive technologies; to establish the extent of adoption of disruptive technologies at this library; to find out the library staff capacities in the use disruptive technologies; to examine ICT infrastructure supporting adoption of disruptive technologies at the library; to propose appropriate strategies for the adoption and utilization of disruptive technologies in academic libraries in Kenya. The study used the qualitative research design and purposive sampling technique where a sample size of 11 respondents consisting of the library staff, University of Nairobi library management, and ICT staff was selected. Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic which prevented physical meetings, interview guides were administered to all respondents through telephone calls, video conferencing. Qualitative research approach was applied to analyze, interpret, and discuss data collected through interview guides. The findings from the research showed that: Library staff perceptions were positive on the use of disruptive technologies. The library has adopted and uses some of the available disruptive technologies although it has not adopted the newer technologies in the market. Majority of the library staff were competent, well trained, and skilled on the use of the disruptive technologies adopted at this library although not all the technologies adopted were fully utilized. The library has put in place an ICT infrastructure to support adoption of disruptive technologies, however it can not support newer technologies. In conclusion, it was noted that adequate financial resources were needed to support adoption of newer technologies and train staff. Carry out more benchmarking activities overseas on new technologies as well as employ more ICT staff.

This study examined enforcement and implementation of durable solutions among South Sudanese refugees at Kiryandongo settlement, Uganda from 1990 to 2010. It set out to examine South Sudanese refugees’ settlement and coping mechanism at Kiryandongo settlement, examine the enforcement and implementation of the durable solutions among South Sudanese refugees at Kiryandongo and, finally, to examine the impact of enforcement and implantation of durable solutions among South Sudanese refugees. The project paper was guided by three hypotheses suggesting that South Sudanese refugees had challenges upon settling in Uganda, secondly, durable solutions were not fully enforced and implemented among South Sudanese because of non-compliancy of hosting governments, animosity between host communities and refugees not forgetting continued conflicts in refugees’ countries of origin. Thirdly there were challenges to the enforcement and implementation of durable solutions for South Sudanese refugees at Kiryandongo settlement. The study was shaped using the Kinetic model of refugee theory which categorized refugees into two types; the anticipatory refugees and the acute refugees. This research adopted a qualitative research paradigm, descriptive in nature. Research data was obtained from both primary and secondary materials. The study reviewed scholarly refugee journal articles and books in an attempt to understand refugee issues in the world. From the reviews, a research gap was identified. Primary data was derived from oral interviews in Uganda, for two weeks in Kiryandongo and one in Kampala. The interviews conducted with refugees, chief officers of particular NGOs and government officials both in Kampala and at the settlements were in-depth and semi-structured interviews. The study also used internet sources, focused group discussions as well as key informants to collect data during the field visit. The data collected was incorporated and analyzed to breed this thesis. The study established that South Sudanese refugees discerned the three instruments; local integration, repatriation and resettlement as solutions to their plight. Settlement was an option but they regarded it as a temporary solution, repatriation was not an option refugees took for reasons of insecurity and continued instability back home and lastly resettlement to a third country was their most preferred solution. All the instruments were applied among the refugees by implementing partners; government of Uganda and the UNHCR but they were not successful. The reason for this was, factors like language barrier, hostility of host communities, animosity and competition of resources between refugees and host communities made local integration unsuccessful, continued instability and conflicts in refugees’ countries of origin made repatriation as a process impossible yet noncompliance of host governments to receive refugees coupled with strict policies of host countries against refugees hindered resettlement. This research recommends that host governments and refugee implementing agencies should protect refugees against discrimination and hostility from host communities to effect local integration, similarly, governments should resolve conflicts in refugees’ countries of origin and support refugees to willingly return home in order to achieve repatriation as an instrument to refugee plight and lastly, all refugee laws be should be practical rather than on paper, third countries where refugees desire to be resettled should be complying and loosen up their policies to accommodate refugees because their issues are humanitarian. The study concluded therefore that all options were to a small extent implemented and enforced among South Sudanese refugees, and are still a work in progress indicating that these so-called durable solutions are not a finality in the life of a refugee.

Problems that finance managers face include decisions that guide on how a firm’s operations will be financed. A key indicator of an organization that is achieving the objective of shareholder wealth maximization is improvement of financial performance. To improve financial performance of an organization, managers may consider the increment of the debt component of the company. The study determined the impact of leverage on the financial performance of four listed Energy and Petroleum Kenyan firms at the NSE from 2011 to 2020. Data retrieved from firm’s annual reports was utilized and descriptive research was conducted. Leverage was assessed by employing the debt ratio and interest coverage ratio (ICR) while financial performance was estimated by return on Equity (ROE). Pecking Order Theory and Trade Off Theory are the theories on which this research was anchored. Regression and correlation analysis identified the influence of leverage on the financial performance of study population. The interest coverage ratio and the debt ratio’s influence on ROE was positive while the increment of firm size resulted in a decrease in ROE. This study concluded that a positive influence of leverage on financial performance was found. As firms continue to rely on debt financing, their income and financial performance improves. This research recommends that finance managers should strive to achieve a balance between benefits of debt as a result of tax savings and costs of bankruptcy that are linked to borrowing when deciding on the leverage levels to adopt.

This study was focused in determining the impact of interest rates caps had on financial performance of listed commercial banks in Kenya. The key measure adopted was the return on investment of the listed banks, and was complemented by incorporation of amounts of customer deposits and also the non-performing loans to have a wider look at the potential effects of the capping on the banking industry. The study used Stata software and also an excel software for the analysis and focused on 12 quarters before capping and 12 quarters after the interest rate capping. Nominal amounts of ROI were used while for both customer deposits and non-performing loans, their growth was used. An event study methodology was used and the main analysis was based on a paired t-test of the two periods. Descriptive statistics and trend graphs were also used. The average ROI was found to decrease from 1.9% to 1.6% while its standard deviation increased from 0.0074 to 0.0079. This implied that the capping affected financial performance negatively by reducing profitability and also increasing volatility in returns. Customer deposits were also found to decrease in the rate at which they used to grow, from 4.06% to 1.53%. The volatility however decreased from 0.028 to 0.023 meaning that the growth in deposits became more predictable and stable. The growth in non-performing loans was also noted to decrease in the rate at which they used to grow, from 10.12% to 5.56%. Like customer deposits, volatility in change in non-performing loans became more stable with a decrease in its standard deviation from 0.145 to 0.047. Plotting the graphs, it was noted that ROI had been reducing long before the capping, while the nominal amounts of customer deposits and non-performing loans were growing. There was no observed changes in the direction of the growth, only the rates of change were observed. Using t-test, it was noted that none of the changes were significant as measured by the p-values at a 95% confidence interval. The study findings concur with perceptions, and support the idea of free market theory where government should not control the operations of an economy, and market forces of demand and supply should be left to play and determine equilibrium prices, including for money (interest rates). The researcher therefore notes that the removal of interest rate capping was a good idea. The findings of this study imply that, ROI for listed banks can be enhanced by letting banks price their loans as per the demand and supply for funds, and also taking measures that increase customer deposits. Considering the significance levels, it can also be noted that there many other factors that can influence ROI for commercial banks and thus further research is needed. The research would help in identifying these other factors and thus enhance knowledge on financial performance of listed banks. Future research is also required to establish why post-capping change in non-performing loans were positively correlated with ROI, while it is expected that it should influence ROI negatively as banks lose on interest. There are possibilities that performance of listed commercial banks was totally disrupted the capping.

This research project discusses and describes conceptual metaphors found in Kenyan business media discourse. The theory that has guided this study is the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) that argues that people think in terms of metaphors, and that metaphors are so pervasive in the human conceptual system that people would hardly be able to communicate if they did not have recourse to metaphors. Metaphorical concepts and expressions found in business media discourse were analyzed, taking the CMT point of departure, which talks of one thing being understood in terms of another. Thus, an encyclopedic entry of a source domain is mapped onto the target domain and the result is that the target domain is understood in terms of the source domain. The data used was collected from the Daily Nation, the Saturday Nation and the Sunday Nation spanning a period of five months (November 2020 – March 2021). This research found that there is a variety of conceptual metaphors used in Kenyan business media discourse. Apart from encountering some like TIME IS MONEY, GOOD IS UP and BAD IS DOWN that are universally used conceptual metaphors, this research found that there are a number of typically Kenyan conceptual metaphors. The conceptual metaphor BUSINESS IS CONSTRUCTION is rooted in the fact that Kenya is a developing country that is experiencing a lot of growth in infrastructure. Most Kenyans find it hard to make ends meet and therefore CHEAPER IS BETTER and EXPENSIVE IS BAD is an attribute of the way of acting and thinking of a majority of Kenyans who are always seeking cheaper options, because they have to be careful with how much they spend. BUSINESS IS NATURE/FARMING is another conceptual metaphor that was abundantly used, probably because Kenya is largely an agricultural country, along with the fact that most of the Kenyan population is rural and thus lives very close to nature. FIGHT METAPHORS featured prominently. This was found to be because Kenyans have an intense spirit of competition in all spheres, and this has greatly influenced the way they perceive seeking success in any aspect of life. All the typically Kenyan conceptual metaphors have been used because they are particularly relevant to the Kenyan context and would therefore be easily accessible to any Kenyan sharing the same cultural encyclopedic entries. Another reason for their use is that some of the conceptual metaphors found are universally accepted and Kenyans are quite familiar with them and will find it easy to derive the intended meanings without much effort.