Literature has shown that firms have failed due to financial performance issues linked to funding structure with firms that adopt wrong funding structure mix experience reduction in their financial performance. The trade-off theory, pecking order theory, and Modigliani and Miller (M&M) theory were all used in this research. A descriptive survey design was adopted in this investigation. Paper’s target population was all the registered MFBs in Kenya between 2012 and 2021. According to CBK (2021) there were 14 registered MFBs in Kenya as at the year 2021. The investigation made use of secondary related sources on the study variables. A data capture sheet is used to obtain the information. The data was collected from CBK’s bank supervision report for the period between 2012 and 2021. Investigation employed descriptive and inferentially articulated methods. The study employed a multiple regression to establish the impact of predictors on dependent. This investigation made use of SPSS tool for for generation of statistics. The regression analysis was done to establish the effect of funding structure on financial performance. The study findings indicated that funding structure has a positive and significant effect on financial performance among MFIs (β = 0.158; P-Value < 0.05). It was also established that firm size has a positive and significant effect on financial performance among MFIs (β = 0.044; P-Value < 0.05). However, liquidity did not significantly determine financial performance of MFIs. Based on the findings that funding structure has a positive effect on financial performance of Microfinance banks in Kenya. This study recommends the MFIs to come up with avenues of attracting more equity from external investors. This is because an increase in equity ensures that MFIs have more funds to loan out hence increasing their interest income which ultimately increased ROA. In addition, more equity ensures that the MFIs have more funds to invest in other investments which can generate more income. There was hence a need to attract more equity through investors. Given the findings that firm size positively affects the financial performance of Microfinance banks in Kenya, the study recommends the management of MFIs in Kenya to invest towards increasing their firm size through increased assets. This is because bigger MFIs were established to perform better because of economies of scale. In addition, bigger MFIs are able to cushion themselves against bad loans in cases where there is a high rate of non-performing loans. Furthermore, bigger MFIs had more assets to liquidate in cases where there was an urgent need to invest or cushion the firm in cases of short term liabilities hence boosting performance.

Research on the interactions between budgetary compliance and economic performance has turned inconclusive results on the actual interplay of the variables. Generally budgetary compliance is used as a financial performance measure in government institutions but particularly it is not the only determinant of performance as other factors also account to the overall achievement of its goals. The excellent performance of an organization can be realized starting from mounting of clear objectives, accounting of true financial performance and evaluation of performance based on consistency of the budget with the set goals. The main intention of this research was to examine budgetary compliance influence on performance of county governments in Kenya. Agency theory, modern decentralization theory and attribution theory were adopted to anchor the study. A descriptive research design was used in this research. The target population was the 47 county governments in Kenya. Secondary data was obtained from the Office of the Auditor General and individual county governments annual reports for a 5 year period (2017 to 2021). Upon collection of the data, inferential as well as descriptive statistics generated included frequencies and percentages and simple and multiple linear regression respectively. The regression results produced an R square of 0.2472 which implies that 24.72% of the changes in performance among county governments in Kenya can be explained by the four selected variables for this study. The overall model was found to be statistically significant as exhibited by a p value of 0.000 which was less than 0.05. The study further revealed that revenue transfer and local revenue collection had a positive and significant effect on performance of county governments in Kenya. Budgetary compliance and recurrent spending had no significant effect on performance. This study concluded that revenue transfer and local revenue collection are essential for county governments’ performance. “The study recommends that policy makers such as members of parliament should come up with policies that increase revenue transfer to the counties as this will lead to an increase in performance of devolved units. County heads should also advocate for an increase in revenues allocated to the counties. The study further recommends that heads of devolved units should develop strategies aimed at increasing local revenue collection without hurting the businesses as an increase in local revenue leads to a rise in performance. Members of the county assembly should also develop policies aimed at increasing the local revenue tax base.

The Pokot-Turkana conflict in the North Rift region particularly in Kapedo area has persisted since pre-colonial era. The two pastoral communities continue to attack each other in a bid to steal livestock and gain control over grazing fields. While interventions of different natures have been rolled out, Government of Kenya’s (GOK) deployment of the military in 2012 was perhaps a move of the last resort. While ethnic-based conflicts have attracted the interest of numerous researchers, the effectiveness of military intervention in inter-community conflict in Kenya has not been exploited. It is against this background that this study sought to examine the effectiveness of military security intervention in inter-community conflict management with specific emphasis on the deployment of Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) to manage the Kapedo conflict. For this reason, the study’s specific objectives were to investigate the influence of the presence of military personnel in managing the Pokot-Turkana conflict and to examine the strategies applied by the KDF in intervening the Pokot-Turkana conflict. Descriptive research design was used to guide this research. The study targeted a population of 5,000 within Kapedo, Nyangaita, and Alale villages. Through purposive and random sampling techniques, the study sampled a population of 112 respondents. Data was collected through interviews and questionnaires. Validity of the research instruments were established by experts from the University of Nairobi. Qualitative data was analysed through descriptive analysis while hypotheses were tested by the use of F-test statistics. The general result indicated that military intervention strategies were effective in intercommunity conflict management in Kapedo. The strategies that were adopted by KDF included military presence in the area (Kinetic responses strategies), Raiding bandit’s hide-outs strategies and disarmament strategies. The results indicated that military presence strategy did not significantly contribute towards inter-community conflict management in Kapedo area. However, the strategy adopted by KDF in raiding bandits’ hide-outs was fairly effective and disarmament strategy was very effective in inter-community conflict management. The two interventions measures were effective because the operation achieved peace and calmness across the North Rift region within a short time. However, the study established that the presence of KDF military personnel did not effectively manage the Pokot-Turkana conflict, most likely because the bandits were not intimidated by the presence of KDF personnel. The military was not very effective in the conflict management as they ignored the post-conflict integration of the warring communities.

This study focused on the role of Chief Executive Officers’ (CEOs’) Performance, Power, Firm Size and CEO’s Compensation at the firms listed with the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). Previous research examined the factors influencing CEO compensation revealed a lack of consensus on the explanation of CEO’s level of compensation. While most of the studies confirm association between CEO’s Performance and Compensation, they measured Performance using financial indicators. The current study investigates association of CEO’s Performance and their remuneration but differs from previous ones by expanding the measures of CEO’s Performance to include the “balanced scorecard measures of financial indicators, consumer satisfaction, internal processes and learning and growth”. Additionally, the study tested the moderating role of CEO’s Power and Firm Size in the relationship between CEO’s Performance and their remuneration. This study was supported by “Reinforcement Theory, Agency Theory and Expectancy Theory”. A conceptual model and four conceptual hypotheses were drawn from literature and provided direction for this study. The study’s population consisted of sixty firms listed at the NSE. Descriptive crossectional survey was adopted in the study. Primary data was obtained from members of the board of directors on factors that determine levels of CEO’s Compensation using semi structured Likert questionnaire. Secondary data on financial performance was captured from the financial statements of the listed organizations for the period 2016- 2018. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, linear, multiple and hierarchical regression techniques were applied in analyzing and interpreting the data that was collected. The first hypothesis for the study was that CEO’s performance influences CEO’s compensation. The research outcomes revealed a significant and positive relationship between CEO’s Performance and their Compensation. The second hypothesis tested the moderating effect of power on the association between CEO’s performance and their compensation. The study revealed that CEO’s power had a significant but negative moderating influence on the association between CEO’s Performance and their Compensation. The third hypothesis tested moderating effect of firm size on the association between CEO’s performance and remuneration. The results revealed that Firm Size had a significant moderating influence on the association between CEO’s Performance and their Compensation. Joint effect of CEO’s Performance, Power and Firm Size on their remuneration was also significant. The findings of this study can be of benefit to boards of directors in identifying the performance measures that are important to consider when making decisions on CEO remuneration. It will also help them understand the influence of a powerful CEO with a good performance in the determination of their compensation. Based on this the board can formulate a policy on good governance to distinguish the powers of the CEO from those of the board. Future researchers could consider increasing the span of the study to embrace firms that are not listed at the NSE.

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.