Abstract

This paper uses level data from the 2002/2003 Household Budget Survey to provide a detailed analysis of poverty in Lesotho. Poverty lines are calculated using the Cost-of Basic-Needs approach and are used to identify the poor and to construct poverty profiles for the Kingdom of Lesotho. The regional poverty profiles indicate that poverty is more pronounced in rural than in urban areas. Around 56.1 percent of the rural households are food poor, and 68.7 percent of them are absolutely poor compared with only 27.7 percent and 40.5 percent of urban households who are food and absolutely poor, respectively. The paper reveals that 38.3 percent of the households in Lesotho are extremely poor (i.e. hard-core poor) and 15.9 percent are moderately poor. At district level, Qacha’s Nek, Botha-Bothe. Berea and Mohale's Hoek appear to be the most impoverished districts, respectively, while Maseru and Thaba-Tseka, on the other hand, are the least poor districts, in that order. This shows that poverty does not only depend on whether the district is mountainous or lowland. The social poverty profiles indicate that poverty is more concentrated among households that are headed by people who are widowed, uneducated or in subsistence agriculture. The paper examines the probable determinants of poverty employing both the binomial and polychotomous probit models. The results show that age, gender, marital status, amount of land owned and distance to the essential public services are not important determinants of poverty. However, educational attainment and household size are shown to be strongly correlated to poverty. In general, the results indicate that education reduces the odds o f being poor and secondary education has a significant poverty-reducing effect on urban households but its coefficient has an unexpected wrong (positive) sign in rural areas. Because o f the significant negative effect of farming on welfare, the paper recommends the introduction of drip-irrigation farming system and modifications to the current communal grazing system in order to strengthen agricultural sector.

The influence of project design activities on the performance of CBC projects and the moderating influence of regulatory environment on this relationship were investigated. Specifically, the researcher sought to establish whether scope determination, capacity building of project beneficiaries, monitoring and control and stakeholder engagement had influenced the performance of CBC projects. Further, the relationship of joint project design activities and the moderating influence of regulatory environment on that relationship were determined. The study was grounded on pragmatism and adopted a mixed method approach encompassing a cross-sectional survey design, focused group discussions and document analysis. By means of a multistage sampling that included a census of all CBC projects in the study area and stratified random sampling of the members, 270 respondents were sampled from a target population of 911 project members. Data were collected using questionnaires, group discussion and document review guides after the piloting of the instruments to guarantee validity and reliability. A response rate of 88.1 percent was realized and was deemed sufficient for this type of study. Data from the quantitative strand were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version 25). The descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies, means and standard deviations while Pearson Product Moment Correlational Coefficient, and regression analyses were used as inferential statistical tests. Data from qualitative strand were analyzed using thematic analysis that involved the identification of aprioristic recurrent themes from the voices of the participants and the information in the reviewed documents. With r = 0.542, R2 = 0.294, F (1,237) = 97.788 at p = 0.05 it was concluded that scope determination had a significant positive influence on performance of CBC projects. Capacity building of project beneficiaries positively and significantly influenced the performance of CBC projects (r = 0.727, R2=.529, F (1,237) = 264.584 at p = 0.05). With r = 0.380, R2=.145, F (1,237) = 39.870 at p = 0.05, monitoring and control had a significant positive influence on performance of CBC projects. Moreover, the influence of stakeholder engagement was positive and significant since r = 0.641, R2 =.410, F (1,237) = 164.169 at p = 0.05. With r = 0.761, R2 = 0.579, F (1,237) = 324.486 at level of significance p = 0.05 it was concluded that joint project design activities had a significant positive influence on performance of CBC projects. In addition, with r = 0.281, R2 = 0.079, F (1,237) = 20.247 at p = 0.05, the influence of regulatory environment on the performance of CBC projects performance was positive and significant. Finally, it was found out that the influence of project design activities on the performance of CBC projects did not depend on regulatory environment. The study recommends that organizations implementing CBC should embrace holistic approach as joint project design activities had a stronger influence on CBC projects than individual project design activities. In addition, a clear and results oriented scope that links conservation and development and improvement of codevelopment of the capacity of CBC projects, traditional institutions are recommended due to the influence they have on CBC project performance. There is need for monitoring and control to focus on immediate objectives that need to be met if the long-term goals are to be fulfilled and outreach effective communication with local stakeholders, especially the local cultural institutions who retain indigenous ecological knowledge. Lastly, there is need to invest more in conservation law enforcement and seek synergies with national security organs to ensure that regulatory environment becomes an enabler of conservation projects.

Music is an important vehicle for cultural transmission, national identity, employment and entertainment among other things. The Kenyan music industry offers employment to many professionals including performers, producers, composers, writers among others, and music has been as a tool across sectors for entertainment and educative purposes, advertising, advocacy and just entertainment. The objective of this study was to establish the business model determinants in the Kenyan music industry, and this study was guided by two theories, the Theory of the Firm and the Resource Based View. The study had a total population of the 10,215 members registered music copyright owners under the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK).The study used primary data which was collected using questionnaires and descriptive and factor analysis was used to analyse the data. Among the findings from the study, ICT has enabled for faster and cheaper distribution of music, but that live performances offered the most revenue to artistes more than music sales and royalties. A significant number of respondents also had low confidence and trust in the information they receive from their CMOs with regards to royalties, and they did not feel that CMOs had had a significant impact on policy formulation in the music industry. The study also found out that in spite the internet offering a faster route to market for artistes, radio was still the most powerful and preferred platform by artists, and many felt that more airplay would lead to higher sales and concert appearances. In light of these findings, the study recommends that policy makers in the music industry formulate policies that allow for more airplay for local music content, as this would have a multiplier effect on brand development, music revenues earned and general industry growth, since live music performances has been identified as one key source of revenue in artiste’s business models, and radio as the most powerful platform for value addition and route to market. Also, the study recommends that CMOs need to invest in systems that will enhance transparency and build artiste’s confidence in them, since CMOs are better placed as bodies with the mandate to influence the development of policies and structures in the music industry

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a vital grain that is rich in starch and is considered the staple food of Kenya. The crop is highly productive in ecological zones that have its favorable climate; however, the grain is highly susceptible to mycotoxin contamination which is greatly attributable to poor postharvest handling practices. Little information exists on maize postharvest management especially among the small-scale farmers who are the majority in Kenya. There is lack of standard postharvest, handling, storage procedures for maize grains which contributes to huge postharvest losses due to mycotoxin contamination. The study is aimed at understanding the post-harvest knowledge of the small-scale farmers and the practices employed in their day to day activities and their impact on the aflatoxin levels on the final product. A baseline survey was conducted using semi-structured questionnaire. A total of 200 respondents were interviewed. The current findings indicate that maize farming in Trans Nzoia consisted of male (67%) as compared to female (33%) responents. Male respondents had a higher knowledge score on postharvest practices in comparison to their females counterparts, however, this was not significant (p >0.05). The level of education of respondents was significantly associated (•=37.49a , p<0.05) with their knowledge on mycotoxin contamination. More than eight in every ten respondents (83.2%) had knowledge that inadequate drying (high moisture content) of maize and long periods exposes maize to the risk of mycotoxin contamination. Majority of the respondents (49.5%) relied on the casual laborer’s as source of human labor during harvesting. Additionally, majority (88.4%) had knowledge that poor ventilation in the storage facility causes fungal contamination, mould growth and the eventual mycotoxin contamination. Moreover, most of the respondents (83%) associated mycotoxins with cause of diseases in humans. Total aflatoxin levels in the initial sample extended from 0.00 to 9.12 µg/kg, with a mean of 1.96 µg/kg. Aflatoxin levels were found to be between 3.69 and 15.43 µg/kg after two months of storage, with a mean of 2.96 µg/kg. Initial total fumonisin concentrations ranged between 0.00 and 1.36 µg/kg, with a mean of 0.44 µg/kg. After two months of storage, fumonisin levels ranged from 0.00 to 1.51 µg /kg, with a mean of 0.60 µg/kg. Only 9.68 percent and 38.71 percent of the samples, respectively, had levels of Aflatoxin and fumonisin above the WHO-recommended levels of 10ppb and 500ug/kg, respectively. The study concludes that mycotoxin contamination of maize pre and postharvest among small-scale farmers was evident in Trans Nzoia and measures should be implimented to reduce the levels of contamination. Trainings of farmers and dispatch of additional extension officers can help improve the knowledge levels of farmers.

In today’s competitive business world, it is understood that organizations can only compete with their rivals by innovating and organizations can be innovative by managing their human resources well. The human resource system can become more effective by having a valid and accurate appraisal system used for rating performances of the employees. Unfortunately, the number of the organizations using an effective performance appraisal system is limited. Organizations are run and steered by people. It is through people that goals are set and objectives are realized. The performance of an organization is thus dependent upon the sum total of performance of its members. The success of an organization will therefore depend on its ability to measure accurately the performance of its members and use it objectively to optimize them as a vital resource. In the present highly competitive environment, organizations have to ensure peak performance of their employees continuously is in order to compete and survive at the market place effectively. The objective of the study was to determine the performance appraisal practices among commercial banks in Kenya. The population of the study was all the forty two commercial banks operating in Kenya. The study used primary data which was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The findings of the study were that performance appraisal was carried out in the banks mostly on quarterly. The banks use performance appraisal for organizational development, employees’ performance, salary increment or distribution of rewards, has a motivational effect on workers’ performance, promotion, training, development and training needs identification and that performance appraisal is used in assessing employees’ commitment to organizational goals and objectives. The study found out that goal setting help to contribute to higher performance in the bank than only telling employees what to do and how to do and that the banks establishes goals that are perceived as challenging but realistic and to which there is higher level of commitment. Performance appraisal method used by the banks resulted in performance criteria/instruments used to measure employee performance being clearly defined, objective and employees in the bank undertake self reviews, graphic rating scale is used to appraise employees, merit/pay bonus allocations was a motivating and fair, behaviorally anchored rating scale method is undertaken in the bank and bank appraise employees using comparative ranking method.

This study investigates issues of identity of the \laasai community as reflected in Ole Kulet's works. This is by focusing on his first two novels: Is It Possible? and To Become a Man with a view to establish the extent to which the encroachment of Western values has caused a shift in \laasai identity. The study has used library research as its methodology Moreover, It has been enriched by some information collected from Ole Kulet. The postcolonial theoretical framework guides the study These approach foregrounds the aftermath of the interaction between the indigenous cultures and a Western lifestyle in Colonialism. The interaction is ensued by a synthesis of the cultures and its products have a hybrid identity, which is enshrouded by ambivalences. The work primarily analyses how the foreign formal education influences the Maasai identity. The Maasai pupils who acquire the Western education suffer from a loss of their Maasai cultural identity. The study also demonstrates the difficulties of achieving the status of a man. This is because the traditional parameters of defining Maasai manhood are no longer viable in a modern social set up. Finally, the conclusion reveals that the intrusion of a Western culture on the indigenous Maasai culture leads to a shift in their identity. Furthermore, the Western values emerge it as agents of emasculating the Maasai man.

The purpose of this study was to establish the effectiveness of government intervention measures on pastoralists' pupils' participation in regular and mobile primary schools in Turkana County, Kenya.

Eucalypts account for about 39600 ha of land in Kenya while other exotic species, Cupressus and Pinus, at 28,900 and 6,800 ha of land, respectively in the year 1999 though in 2009, the total area under eucalypts cultivation stood at 100, 000 ha. Nonetheless, in 2012, wood supply was estimated to be 31 million cubic meters while the demand was about 42 million cubic meters but, future forecasting shows that wood supply is set to increase to about 36 million cubic meters and a demand of about 51 million cubic meters by the year 2032. This demand could be addressed using planation forestry with trees such as eucalypts, but there is no active breeding program in Kenya due to insufficient information on genetic diversity and pollination techniques. The objectives of this study were to: i) determine the E. grandis genetic structure from selected candidate plus trees and their progenies using microsatellite markers from five main seed collection centers; and ii) generating F1 progenies from E. grandis and E. urophylla genotypes in Muguga, Kenya as a strategy of increasing genetic diversity. The genetic fingerprinting work, entailed genomic DNA extraction using CTAB method, DNA quality check and quantification using Nano drop nucleic acid analyzer, model Shimadzu Bio Spec-nano 206-26300-48, SSR screening and reconstitution using fluorescently labeled EMBRA primers, PCR amplification using Veriti™ 96-well thermal cycler and capillary electrophoresis by Applied Biosystems 3500 Genetic Analyzer. Data on allele frequency, allelic richness, gene diversity, heterozygosity and Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) then analyzed by Power Marker v3.2.5 Genetic distance matrices were generated by GenAlEx v6.5 and used for computing Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) to visualize variations and similarities. Neighbor-joining trees were constructed using DARwin v6.0.21 where the resulting trees were visualized. Variation partitioning within and among group components was computed using Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) in GenAlEx v6.5 which facilitated estimation of broad sense heritability (H2 ), standardized allelic patterns across different families and populations and components of variance significance levels using 999 permutations. From analysis, results generally indicated high genetic diversity of 0.844 suggesting high genetic variability for possible exploitation in future breeding programs. The work on pollination involved collecting ripe flowers at anthesis stage of development, pollen extraction and examination of its characteristics, in-vitro pollen germination on liquid media to determine viability, pollen shortterm storage at 4⁰C, controlled pollination by conventional and one-stop techniques and lastly seed extraction at maturity. Data was also collected on various parameters including morphological traits of pollen and mother parents, pollen germination rate on nutrient agar medium, flower diameter and length of artificially and naturally pollinated flowers. From this analysis, a success rate of around 28.6% was realized indicating that more Eucalyptus breeding programs can be established using Kenyan germplasm. Conclusively, the study confirmed that there is need for maximum utilization of genotypes from the main seed collection zones for heterosis or targeting of specific traits, and also ratified that different breeding objectives such as fast growth and disease resistance can be achieved through controlled pollination.

The study being descriptive in nature used primary and secondary data from the following sources that is questionnaire and published financial statements of the company. Prior to secondary data analysis, primary data was analysed using descriptive statistics to establish the impacts of internal controls on the company’s operational efficiencies and financial performance. Internal Control System is a vital in every organization to achieve their management objectives. The study focuses in AFFS’s. The study examined whether there is a relationship between the internal controls system and the financial performance. In this study internal control is measured by control environment, risk assessment, control activities information and communication and monitoring and the financial performance are measured by profit, efficiency and liquidity respectively. To test this hypothesis data were collected through questionnaire from the employees of AFFS’s. Regression analysis was used to measure the variables. The study finds that internal control and financial performance are statistically significant in determining financial performance. The study concluded that, the AFFS’s external auditors report their findings directly to the board or to a board committee while the board reviews the qualifications and the independence of the company's external auditors. Policies and procedures are periodically reviewed by the board to ensure that appropriate internal controls have been established. In addition, all company personnel in the areas of control understand their roles, accountability for their activities, approves the company's systems of internal controls. The study recommends that, for any company, the external auditors report their findings directly to the board or to a board committee; the board should review the qualifications and the independence of the company's external auditors. Policies and procedures should be periodically reviewed by the board to ensure that appropriate internal controls have been established.