With a primary focus on examining the World Trade Organization's trade liberalization policy and food security in Africa: a case study of Kenya, the study aims to evaluate the impact of WTO trade liberalization policies on food security in Africa, evaluate the impact of trade liberalization on food security in Kenya, and finally, examine the challenges presented to Kenya by the WTO policies on food security. The research will use a case study design and a mixed-approaches strategy that blends qualitative and quantitative methods. To gather and arrange descriptive data, a qualitative technique will be employed. Quantitative techniques will be used to make it possible to collect and manage numerical data that will be used to measure changes, forecast relationships, and characterize features, as opposed to this method, which will be used to investigate qualitative variables that cannot be measured in the conventional sense. As an analytical tool for the study, liberalism theory will be used. The analysis found that the state of food security in Africa paints a gloomy picture of the future and is not conducive to reaching the targets outlined in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) — to end hunger, give everyone access to enough food, always — and to end all kinds of malnutrition. In 2020, approximately 281.6 million Africans, 20 percent of Africa‘s total population, faced hunger, which was more than the 2019 figure by 46.3 million. 2014 marked the onset of this declining trend after great long-standing improvements in the food security of the continent. Other than hunger, many Africans are victims of pervasive micronutrient deficiencies, while obesity and overweight already pose substantial public health concerns in various African nations. According to the analysis, Kenya is subject to domestic support reductions and is prohibited from adopting new export subsidies as a WTO member. The WTO Agreement on Agriculture put an end to the historical disparity in the use of export subsidies between industrialized and poor countries. While developed nations were allowed to use existing export subsidies subject to reduction commitment, developing nations were barred from introducing new forms of export subsidies thus resulting in unfair competitive advantage in favor of developed nations. The WTO policies of trade liberalization aiming to reduce domestic support such as export subsidies expose local farmers and producers to increased cost of farm inputs that were originally subsidized. The study found that Kenya's actions to combat the threat of food insecurity are constrained by the WTO's rules regarding the liberalization of the food trade, which the country must abide by as a member of the organization that controls international commerce. These rules encompass the AoA-mandated public stockholding as well as policy issues like sanitary and phytosanitary measures, market access, export prohibitions and limitations, supply of export subsidies and domestic assistance, and export prohibitions and restrictions. The WTO is made up of various countries within unequal capacity in the decision-making process a condition worsened by limited transparency in the key operations of WTO. The effective participation of Kenya and other developing as well as LDCs in the deliberations of WTO is limited by understaffing. Therefore, few developed nations dominated the WTO‘s decision-making process. The study recommends that there is need to refine the policies of WTO to adequately address the current menace of food insecurity in Africa this is because the implementation of WTO trade liberalization policies in Africa further exposes the continent to more challenges in the quest to have a longlasting solution to its food security menace. The results of the analysis show a strong correlation between food insecurity and WTO liberalization policy. Therefore, research should be done to determine whether there is a connection between food insecurity in Africa and WTO trade liberalization policies in the agriculture sector.

To survive and get a competitive advantage over their industry competitors, firms need a variety of new product development strategies which can be defined as a sequence of steps that includes the conceptualization, design, development and promotion and marketing of a new good or service. A product is created to satisfy consumer demand in a certain category. Given the dynamic nature of the operating environment, Companies must modify their strategy frequently to keep up with changing market demands and to stay ahead of the competition and attain the intended goals and align themselves with the changes being brought by new players in the sector. The adopted new product development strategy by a firm plays a role in determining its performance. The study thus sought to examine the effect of new product development strategies on performance of multinational banks operating in Kenya. The study was guided by two theories namely the Penrose’s theory of firm growth and the agency theory. Data collection was performed using self-administered questionnaires. A response of 31 questionnaires were returned yielding a response of 73.8 per cent. The data was analyzed using the SPSS software. The regression analysis findings revealed a statistically significant effect of new product development strategies on performance of multinational banks as shown by significance level of 0.000 which is <0.05. This affirms that the model is statistically fit as an estimator of performance of multinational banks. The coefficient of determination (R2) 0.689 value implied that 68.9% variation in performance of multinational banks is new product strategies. The study’s recommendations include need for banks to introduce products that are tailored for the low-end markets as most are established in towns targeting customers with large transactions ignoring the many customers in other settings with multiple transactions. Additionally, there’s need for banks in collaboration with each other and the regulators, to initiate capacity building programs outside the bank to sensitize the public about banking products through trade fares and exhibitions to publicize the bank’s products and the consideration to use risk detection systems and applications to prevent risks. Conducting frequent system audits with the help of experienced external audits may be appropriate in timely detection and arresting on internal fraud on time which may lead to irreversible losses and consequences if action is not taken.

Countries with higher savings rates experience faster economic growth than those with lower savings rates. By supplying a second source of income, capital accumulation gives a country more opportunities for output and productivity. The most crucial factor in increasing in-country capital is domestic savings growth, hence rising nations should prioritize encouraging domestic savings in order for capital to be invested in the most productive businesses. Governments must therefore pursue a number of policies, such as promoting savings, enhancing investment, and increasing domestic output, in order to accomplish economic development. The purpose of the study was to ascertain how savings in commercial banks affected Kenya's economic expansion. The research was impacted by the dependence ratio, marginal propensity to save, and the Harrod-Domar growth theories. The study only used secondary data sources, and the data it gathered were time series data. Inferential statistics, including correlation and multiple linear regression analysis, were used in the study. A causal research design was employed in the study. The study only used secondary data sources, and the data it gathered was time series data. The study used multiple linear regression and correlation inferential statistics. Further findings were that the model entailing; savings, FDI, GCF, exchange rate fluctuations, and prevailing interest rates significantly predicts Kenya’s economic growth. The final findings were that savings, FDI, GCF, exchange rate fluctuations, and prevailing interest rates each individually do not have a substantial impact on economic growth. Although savings and FDI are the sources of capital for investments and nations with low national savings rates are more dependent on FDI, policy recommendations are made to government officials, policy makers in the Treasury, as well as legislators, not to primarily focus on savings and FDI to spur economic growth. It is advised that policymakers take into account all factors influencing economic growth rather than concentrating only on savings and foreign direct investment. Managers and consultants of financial institutions are advised to source various non-deposit liabilities in addition to relying on deposits as their primary source of funding in order to get funds to lend to the private and public sectors. However, they might also look for alternative non-deposit liabilities to get capital to lend to the public and private sectors in order to improve their financial performance. Savings have no direct impact on economic growth, thus they will also not affect how well financial institutions function in the long run. Finally, suggestions are made to the general public on how to promote economic growth other than merely boosting savings rate

The study was carried out in Westlands sub-County, Nairobi County Kenya. The main purpose of the study was to identify the assess to counseling and coping efficacy among school going children aged 12 to 18 years of divorced families in Westlands sub-county, Nairobi County, Kenya. The researcher also was more interested to know about the views of school going children on the use of counseling and how it helped them cope with the effects of divorce which is out of control in today’s era due to various reasons. From research many homes and families are missing both parents and are broken apart, for example in Westlands there are so many homes that are headed by one parent due to the issue of divorce. The research also wanted to investigate if the use of counseling was effective in coping with the diverse effects of divorce. Data was analyzed using t-test. The key finding was that counselling services are accessible and significant among children aged 12 to 18 years in Westlands Sub-County.

This paper explored the factors that influence utilization of FANC among young women in Kenya. The study focused on women in the age bracket of 15-24 years in the KDHS (2014). The study sample is 2,032 women. The study was guided by Andersen’s theory of healthcare utilization. Utilization of FANC in the paper is measured by the number of visits and adequacy of services received. The data was modelled using logistic regression model. Pearson correlation is used to check for the significance of independent variables on utilization of FANC and marginal effects obtained to check probability of the outcome. From the findings, education, employment status, choice of pregnancy and place of residence have the highest effect on probability of FANC utilization.

Corporate governance dysfunctions have been linked to failures of several financial institutions. The managerial problems triggered the 2008-2010 global financial crisis that led to devastating effects on the economy for several years. In Kenya, Chase and Imperial Banks collapsed because the managed failed to implement appropriate liquidity control and risk management structures. The study aimed at exploring the correlation between the selected corporate governance mechanisms (board size, composition, CEO’s tenure and liquidity) and financial performance of tier two commercial banks in Kenya between 2017 and 2019. Census method was utilized to collect data on the corporate governance styles and financial performance of all tier-two banks in Kenya. Kolmogorov-Smirnov’s normality tests and Durbin-Watson’s autocorrelation tests were further administered to derive the multiple correlation model for predicting the relationships between the studied corporate governance practices and the bank’s ROA. Durbin Watson’s test result was 1.835 and all the variables had a weak correlation of below 0.05. Consequently, the studied corporate governance mechanisms hardly affect the ROA of the tier-two banks. The tier-two banks should restructure their corporate governance practices accordingly and embrace lean board sizes, comprehensive liquidity control procedures and appoint high performing CEO’s and provide ample time for the executives to deliver their mandates.

This study sought to analyze the influence of interpersonal communication on the adoption of Covid-19 preventive health behaviors among youths in informal settlements. Since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in the country in March 2020, over 5,600 people have died of the disease, another over 300,000 infected and billions of shillings worth of trade and jobs lost due to the pandemic. Despite efforts by the government and development agencies to get people to adhere to preventive measures many, especially in informal settlements did not. Literature suggests that social norms and other factors that determine behavior adoption can be influenced by interpersonal communication. This study, therefore sought to determine the factors which influenced interpersonal communication on the adoption of Covid-19 preventive health behaviors among youths in informal settlements, analyze the relationship between interpersonal communication with family, friends, work colleagues, and community health volunteers and the adoption of Covid-19 preventive health behaviors among the youths, and analyze the relationship between the nature of interpersonal communication and the adoption of Covid-19 preventive behaviors among youths in informal settlements. Perceived own comprehension of the preventive behavior, perceived comprehension of the preventive behavior by others, among others, emerged as important factors influencing interpersonal communication on the adoption of Covid-19 preventive behaviors among the youths. Interpersonal communication with family, friends, work colleagues, and Community Health Volunteers was found to influence the adoption of preventive behaviors positively in that it increases the perception of the virus as a threat and makes the youths feel more susceptible to the virus. Threatening and rebuking the youths when discussing Covid-19 preventive behaviors was found to be counterproductive. The study recommends that interpersonal communication be utilized more in tackling Covid-19 in informal settlements. Key words: Covid-19, Preventive health behavior, interpersonal communication

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This study looked at how ALM (asset liability management) affected the financial health of Kenyan public financial institutions (commercial banks). Owing to the necessary data derived from the CBK annual reports, 28 domestically licensed commercial banks and 14 international commercial banks with branches, agencies, and other outlets throughout the country from 2012 to 2022 were chosen for this purpose. For the analysis, second-party data was gathered from the Federal Reserve Bank (CBK) annual reports. Descriptive statistics, correlation coefficient, and regression analysis were used to analyse the acquired data. The study established that Asset Liability Management is comprised of the CAMEL factors, i.e., Negative operational and financial issues like; reduction in investor trust, panic withdrawals, and problems with everyday operations, among others, can be caused by factors such as capital adequacy, asset quality, liquidity, operational efficiency, and income diversification. Therefore, commercial banks’ balance cash banks and outflows introduction (asset reduce management factors). According to the regression analysis results, the CAMEL factors prove statistically significant on commercial banks’ financial performance. The commercial observed that more significant Capital Adequacy, liquidity, and operational efficiency hurt on financial hurts but are statistically significant for their tcalculated values were higher than the t- critical in absolute of the threshold level of 1.96. Whereas Asset Quality and income diversification had a positive impact on the financial performance of the banks, and their t- calculated as well were more significant than the tcritical 1.96, thus proved to be statistically significant, not proving analysis findings led to the conclusion that asset liability management impacted Kenya’s commercial banks' financial performance.

Using the continuity theory as a lens, this study recognizes that retirement is not the end of working for retirees. Retirees establish continuity in their lives through MSEs. The focus of the study was the effect of retirees’ financial resources on the performance of micro and small enterprises in Murang’a Township. The objectives were to assess the characteristics of retireeowned MSEs in Murang’a Township; to examine the relationship between retiree’s financial resources and the performance of their post-retirement businesses in Murang’a Township and to determine the challenges of retiree-owned MSEs in Murang’a Township. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional approach. The retirees were identified through non-random sampling and therefore the findings of this study cannot be generalized to a larger population. The study findings determined that there were more male business owners than female ones. The highest level of education by a majority of the retirees was completing secondary school and the agegroups of the retirees were between 55-84 and 85 and over. To examine the relationship between retiree financial resources and the performance of micro and small enterprises, the chi-square test of independence was carried out in order to avoid assumptions of normality. The results show that there is no relationship between retiree financial resources and the performance of micro and small enterprises in Murang’a Township. The study used non-financial performance measures for there is no empirical evidence of preferring financial over non-financial performance measures. The study concluded that in fact, performance measures vary depending on the individual entrepreneurs’ objectives. The findings point out that almost all the retirees’ sampled considered their business an absolute success even though the motives for starting the business varied from one individual to the other.