The study's general objective was to examine the relationship between alignment of IT-business strategies and the performance of fintech firms in Nairobi. The specific objectives were to; establish the extent of IT-business strategies alignment among fintech firms in Nairobi, establish the drivers of IT-business strategies alignment among fintech firms in Nairobi, establish the challenges faced in the alignment of business and IT strategies among fintech firms in Nairobi and to determine the relationship between IT-business strategies alignment and organizational Performance among fintech firms in Nairobi. Literature was reviewed to cover theories and empirical studies to guide conceptual framework development. The study used cross-sectional and descriptive designs targeting 56 fintech, and a census was used. Information was obtained in its primary form using questionnaires. Means, standard deviations, and regression analysis guided the data processing, and the tables informed the presentation. It was shown that some of the aspects of business and IT strategies alignment that had been embraced include functional ITBusiness strategies alignment, structural IT-Business strategies alignment, and dynamic ITbusiness strategies alignment. Shared domain knowledge, conducive working relationships among staff, and staff competency were the identified drivers of IT-business strategies alignment. Limited financial resources, a low level of understanding of IT among staff, and the existing unstable software were the challenges faced during IT-business strategies alignment. Furthermore, 65.5% change in the organizational performance of fintechs is explained by ITbusiness strategies alignment. The study recommends that the top leadership and management team working in fintech in Nairobi should cultivate good working relationships with other staff as this drives between IT-business strategies alignment in an organization. The human resource managers working among fintechs in Nairobi should enhance employee competency through training to drive IT-business strategies alignment.

In a global environment in which access to financial services and high-speed internet is neither affordable nor universal, Fintech has the ability to improve financial access, thereby promoting financial inclusion. With the potential of Fintech to increase financial inclusion, there still exists a mismatch between consumer perceptions regarding Fintech’s potential especially in improving financial inclusion among SME’s in urban informal Settlements in Kenya. The objective of the research was determining the effect of Fintech on financial inclusion among SME’s in urban informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Specifically, it was to determine how selected financial innovations affect financial inclusion among SMEs in urban informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. This research project was based on the TAM and the diffusion of innovation theory. A descriptive design was applied in the investigation. The total population was 4,678 SMEs in urban informal settlements in Nairobi where a sample of 150 SME’s was selected using stratified sampling based on industry sub-sector. Data was obtained from 112 of the 150 which was equal to a 74.6% response rate. To accomplish the set objectives, primary data was obtained using questionnaires that were distributed using drop and pick later method and emails via method and using Google forms. The data collected was converted into quantitative form and subsequently analyzed using SPSS. The results of the data analysis were the generation of descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequencies, percentages, and correlation statistics. A linear regression was used to model the relationship between the variables. From the inferential statistics. Findings showed that SMEs in urban informal settlements in Nairobi extensively use financial innovations. This was established through the regression coefficients which showed that Mobile banking (β=0.316, p=0.000), Agency Banking (β=0.405, p=0.000), Online Banking (β=0.292, p=0.000) and Mobile loan App services (β=0.342, p=0.000) had a positive correlation with financial inclusion. The findings established that financial innovations have a material positive effect on financial inclusion. The model generated an R Square value of 0.312 which means 31.2% of changes in financial inclusion can be explained by changes in the innovations and 69.8% by factors outside the study’s scope. These findings were also confirmed through the regression and correlation results which yielded a positive notable relation between financial innovation and financial inclusion. The study recommends SMEs in Urban informal settlements to be more vibrant in adopting the financial technology available as this would boost their firm performance since it will allow them to access financial services easily hence being more financially included. To achieve this, there is a need for policymakers establish policies that facilitate SMEs in Urban informal settlements to obtain mobile credit from providers at low cost.

The globalized economy has led to great transformation and envisioned diversification in the banking business and Kenya has not been left out. The transformations result from reasons like technology, market unpredictability, competition, stability, economic and political factors. M&A have been on the incremental trend in Kenya especially in the banking industry. Globally, mergers and acquisitions are frequently used to boost a company's competitiveness by acquiring market share, diversifying the portfolio to reduce business risk, expanding into new markets and regions, and leveraging economies of scale. The primary goal of this research was to determine Kenyan commercial banks' attitudes toward mergers and acquisitions. It is impossible to ignore the potential risks that mergers and acquisitions pose to commercial banks' operational, financial, and employee performance. For the study's descriptive research design, a cross-sectional survey was used to collect data. With 179 respondents and a response rate of 74%, data was collected using an open-ended structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and inferences were drawn using linear regression. Mergers and acquisitions were perceived to have an effect on employee performance, as indicated by a mean score of 1.63 and a standard deviation of 0.43. This conclusion was supported by 63 percent of respondents who agreed and 37 percent who strongly agreed. According to the findings, a strong positive relationship exists between mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and employee performance, as well as the perceived effects on employee performance. Given mergers and acquisitions, it is believed that the work environment has the greatest impact on employee performance. The study recommends significant improvement of work environment; working conditions, balance, rationalize and spread workloads equitably. Transfers and relocations be well handled and facilitated properly and that policies around this to be often updated. The study further recommends that banks should take employee engagement considerably necessary even in the light of mergers and acquisition just as much as they focus on training and development with specificity to tasks and roles of staff. Further research should be undertaken to analyze perceived effects of M&A on employee performance for Kenyan commercial banks that have ventured into the East and Central Africa region and compare with the M&A in Kenya covered in this study.

URI http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/162418 Publisher University of Nairobi Rights Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States Usage Rights http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ Collections Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, Law, Business Mgt (FoA&SS / FoL / FBM) [24361]

URI http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/162426 Publisher University of Nairobi Rights Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States Usage Rights http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ Collections Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, Law, Business Mgt (FoA&SS / FoL / FBM) [24361]

The study commendably assessed the effect of financial innovation on the imperative performance of the commercial banks in Kenya. Innovation diffusion theory in addition to technology acceptance model, importantly agency theory shaped the foundation of the study. The independent variables in the utilization were agency banking, mobile banking, together with Automated Teller Machine (ATM) banking. The control variable employed included capital adequacy with the ROA being the only dependent variable. The provision of the weakness and strength of various literature reviews on the research study provided a better insight and basis on how to effectively address the recognized gaps in the research. This study utilized a descriptive and inferential research design. Entire 42 registered commercial banks in Kenya formed the target population. The secondary data was highly employed and it entailed data on the numbers of transactions in agency banking, the value of transactions in mobile banking, the number of ATM networks, together with capital adequacy ratios. The secondary data were gathered with data collection sheets from various published annual reports on Kenyan commercial banks from 2012 to 2019. The statistical software utilized in the study for data analysis was SPSS v.22. A subsist relationship to financial innovation and banks' performance was subjected to Pearson Correlation, multiple regression analysis, and ANOVA. The F-tests together with T-tests were utilized to decide on the assigned variables association. R square was established as 0.541 which implied that 54.1% of the changes in explanatory variables were subjected to the total variation of the performance of the Kenyan banks. The results of the correlation analysis showed that ATM banking, agency banking, together with capital adequacy possess positive correspondence with the bank's imperative performance, while mobile banking had a negative correlation with the commercial banks performance. It was concluded from study that only the agency banking together with capital adequacy were established to be statistically significant. Besides, ATM banking together with mobile banking were established to be statistically insignificant in the performance of the commercial banks in Kenya. It was greatly acclaimed that commercial banks to intensify in agency banking since it was established to possess great substantial outcome on the bank's performances. Additionally, commercial banks are required to capitalize on efficient technological systems and to effectively manage the capital level in the bank to enhance the earnings and profitability of the banks.

Change is a constant in the life of an organization. To keep up with the turbulent and dynamic environment, organizations need to monitor and execute changes impacting their processes, people and products inorder to adapt to the ever-changing business environment (Strategic fit). Their survival and performance is largely dependent on how they manage and adapt to the changes. Management of strategic change entails attaining desired change outcomes within the organization by managing the human side of the change process through adoption of coherent and extensive strategy. REK Plc has undergone numerous strategic changes which include acquisition and merger of KenolKobil Plc and Gulf Energy Holdings Ltd, rebranding of KenolKobil and Gulf Energy Holdings branded service stations to the RUBiS brand, organizational restructuring, Cultural change initiative and top leadership change. This research study sought to establish how REK Plc manages its strategic changes.The study was predicated by dynamic capability theory and supported by resource-based view theory and Lippitt’s seven-phase model of planned change. The study adopted case study design and relied on both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected using interview/discussion guide where four senior managers at REK Plc were interviewed. Secondary data was obtained from relevant websites, library databases and reports. Data collected was qualitative in nature and was analyzed using content analysis technique that provided for the examination of pertinent themes, contents and concepts relevant to the study and inferences made thereof. The research study established that REK Plc had adopted numerous change management practices which included strategic leadership, open and relentless communication, employees and key stakeholders engagement/involvement and management, use of an experienced change management consultant and adoption of values-based organizational culture.The study further predicated that the organization had embraced organizational learning and innovation as a ploy to out-think their competitors and attain competitive advantage. The study recommends that REK Plc should monitor and evaluate its strategic changes continuously to align strategic results to the expected strategic outcomes and translate its identified values into behaviours and attitudes that its employees should embody/typify to enhance the capacity of the organization to thrive. Moreover, the study recommends that REK Plc should leverage on learning and innovation to enhance their agility, spur ideas and innovations as a retort to the increasingly unpredictable and dynamic environment. Finally, the study suggests that further research should be carried out at REK Plc post 2023 to contextualize how t

URI http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/162433 Publisher University of Nairobi Rights Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States Usage Rights http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ Collections Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, Law, Business Mgt (FoA&SS / FoL / FBM) [24361]

The research focused on the effects of tax reforms on tax revenue in the 40 quartiles between the financial years 2012/13 and 2021/22. It took the form of a country case study and thus focused only on Kenya’s tax collection agency, the Kenya Revenue Authority. Five chapters were used to present the research with chapter one focusing on the introduction, two on literature review, three on research methodology, four on data analysis, results and discussion, and five on summary conclusion and recommendations. The study variables included tax revenue for the dependent and tax reforms, exchange rate, GDP and inflation for the independent variables. Significant theories of tax reforms like the Optimal and Second best theories, and several empirical research outcomes were utilized in the study. Secondary data was sourced from reliable government entities like KRA, KNBS, CBK, the World Bank and so forth. The regression model alongside correlation was used in data analysis. The findings indicated that of the four predictor variables, the GDP had a more significant effect in determining changes in tax revenues. Tax reforms led to insignificant increases in tax revenue for the 40 quartiles studied. Increases in exchange rate, though positively correlated with tax revenue, had an inverse regression relationship with tax revenue hence an increase in Kshs. to the USD lowered tax revenue. The findings further indicated that increases in inflation decreased tax revenue. The research wrapped up by providing recommendations like the need to make continuous revision and moderation of tax reforms, limitations of the study like the focusing only on one agency (KRA), and suggestions for further studies like the need to incorporate tax elasticity and buoyancy measures in further likewise studies.

URI http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/162435 Publisher University of Nairobi Rights Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States Usage Rights http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ Collections Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, Law, Business Mgt (FoA&SS / FoL / FBM) [24361]