On January 15,2025,the China Road and Bridge Corporation(CRBC)Kenya Office and Africa Star Railway Operation Company Limited(Afristar),in collaboration with the Dream Building Service Association(DBSA),held the launch...On January 15,2025,the China Road and Bridge Corporation(CRBC)Kenya Office and Africa Star Railway Operation Company Limited(Afristar),in collaboration with the Dream Building Service Association(DBSA),held the launching ceremony for the International Free Lunch Programme at a school in the Mathare slum community of Nairobi.展开更多
Nairobi County experiences rapid industrialization and urbanization that contributes to the deteriorating state of air quality, posing a potential health risk to its growing population. Currently, in Nairobi County, m...Nairobi County experiences rapid industrialization and urbanization that contributes to the deteriorating state of air quality, posing a potential health risk to its growing population. Currently, in Nairobi County, most air quality monitoring stations use low-cost, inaccurate monitors prone to defects. The study’s objective was to map Nairobi County’s air quality using freely available remotely sensed imagery. The Air Pollution Index (API) formula was used to characterize the air quality from cloud-free Landsat satellite images i.e., Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+, and Landsat 8 OLI from Google Earth Engine. The API values were computed based on vegetation indices namely NDVI, TVI, DVI, and the SWIR1 and NIR bands on the QGIS platform. Qualitative accuracy assessment was done using sample points drawn from residential, industrial, green spaces, and traffic hotspot categories, based on a passive-random sampling technique. In this study, Landsat 5 API imagery for 2010 provided a reliable representation of local conditions but indicated significant pollution in green spaces, with recorded values ranging from -143 to 334. The study found that Landsat 7 API imagery in 2002 showed expected results with the range of values being -55 to 287, while Landsat 8 indicated high pollution levels in Nairobi. The results emphasized the importance of air quality factors in API calibration and the unmatched spatial coverage of satellite observations over ground-based monitoring techniques. The study recommends the recalibration of the API formula for characteristic regions, exploring newer satellite sensors like those onboard Landsat 9 and Sentinel 2, and involving key stakeholders in a discourse to develop a suitable Kenyan air quality index.展开更多
Background: Student nurses’ clinical learning is a key requirement in the profession. However, the students often face many challenges in clinical sites that put a negative perception on their professional growth. Cl...Background: Student nurses’ clinical learning is a key requirement in the profession. However, the students often face many challenges in clinical sites that put a negative perception on their professional growth. Clinical learner support is the most challenging part because of several guidelines, policies, and requirements that must be followed during the training. To enhance effective clinical learner support, training needs to be designed to support problem-based learning, trainees’ characteristics should portray positivity, and team-based coaching should focus on skills and results attainment. Objectives: The broad objective of the study sought to establish determinants of effective learner support for nursing students in middle-level colleges. The specific objectives were: To assess student-related factors, identify primary training institutions, other related placement site-related factors, and establish the students’ perceptions of the existing clinical learner support systems. Methodology: A descriptive design was utilized. Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were utilized. A Simple random method was used to sample 394 respondents from a total population of 3368 nursing students across 12 training institutions. The data was coded and analyzed using Excel and SPSS Version 28. The study findings are presented using tables, pie charts, bar graphs and histograms. The data was first presented in the form of descriptive in terms of percentages. The chi-square test of independence was then calculated at a p-value of Conclusions: The learners achieved effective clinical learner support where n = 302 out of 380, with 75% indicating effective learner support. It is recommended that qualitative and more quantitative studies should be carried out on postgraduate and other healthcare cadres to compare the results. Further study needs to be carried out on the students’ attitude towards learner support.展开更多
Urban areas face significant challenges in maintaining water quality amidst increasing urbanization and changing climatic patterns. This study investigates the complex interplay between meteorological variables and wa...Urban areas face significant challenges in maintaining water quality amidst increasing urbanization and changing climatic patterns. This study investigates the complex interplay between meteorological variables and water quality parameters in Nairobi City, focusing on the impacts of rainfall and temperature on surface water quality. Data from multiple sources, including the Water Resources Authority, Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, and the World Bank’s Climate Change Knowledge Portal, were analyzed to assess the relationships between meteorological variables (rainfall and temperature) and water quality parameters (such as electroconductivity, biochemical oxygen demand, chloride, and pH). The analysis reveals varying impacts of rainfall and temperature on different water quality parameters. While parameters like iron and pH show strong relationships with both rainfall and temperature, others such as ammonia and nitrate exhibit moderate relationships. Additionally, the study highlights the influence of runoff, urbanization, and industrial activities on water quality, emphasizing the need for holistic management approaches. Recommendations encompass the establishment of annual publications on Nairobi River water quality, online accessibility of water quality data, development of hydrological models, spatial analysis, and fostering cross-disciplinary research collaborations. Implementing these recommendations can enhance water quality management practices, mitigate risks, and safeguard environmental integrity in Nairobi City.展开更多
Water quality is one of the main indicators of the quality of service provided to consumers. Quality has an impact on both the public health and aesthetic value of water as a consumable product. Kenya is classified as...Water quality is one of the main indicators of the quality of service provided to consumers. Quality has an impact on both the public health and aesthetic value of water as a consumable product. Kenya is classified as a water-scarce country with only 647 cubic meters of renewable freshwater per capita. Water distributed in Nairobi is faced with a myriad of challenges leading to a compromise to its quality. This study focused on evaluating quality of drinking water since human health depends on adequate, clean, reliable water. Analyses were carried out at National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) accredited Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) laboratories to determine the chemical, bacteriological and physical characteristics of consumed water in Umoja Innercore Estate in Nairobi. In the study area, 7 HH and 6 BH sites were randomly distributed. pH, turbidity and temperature measurements were analyzed in-situ while bacteria and chemicals were analyzed in laboratories. The study found that 100% of boreholes recorded unsatisfactory water with up to 1100 of Escherichia coli (E. coli) showing high contamination with faecal coliforms and 83% of boreholes recording pH of up to 9.53. Dissolved oxygen was 5.08 mg/L below recommended 12.0 mg/L, salinity of 0.47 mg/L and 0.03 mg/L for boreholes and households respectively. The study reveals the deprived quality of water available to the residents of Umoja Innercore, Nairobi. The study recommends the use of biosand filtration methods for septic tanks, digging of deeper boreholes and lining septic tanks with impermeable materials to prevent contamination of ground water with raw water from septic.展开更多
Noise is any sound that causes physiological uneasiness to the ear. People in many environments today, especially urban ones, are exposed to such noise without realizing its potential danger to their healthy hearing. ...Noise is any sound that causes physiological uneasiness to the ear. People in many environments today, especially urban ones, are exposed to such noise without realizing its potential danger to their healthy hearing. This situation is largely contributed to by the little attention that most governments, especially in the developing countries, pay to noise as a pollution issue. This paper describes a study that aimed at measuring the noise levels at selected points in Nairobi’s CBD with a view to generate a noise map over the study area in addition to identifying areas of high noise intensity or noise hot spots. The study found that noise levels, on average, varied from 61 db to 78 db, increasing from the west to the east of the CBD, and emanated mainly from vehicular traffic;several noise hotspots were also identified, and they are located mainly to the east of the CBD. The paper concludes that although the study was not city-wide, the noise levels observed are high enough to warrant further research and action by the environmental authorities.展开更多
Water conservation measures are rapidly becoming a necessity in urban environments all over Africa and the world. There is little innovation and available information for homeowners, building professionals and practit...Water conservation measures are rapidly becoming a necessity in urban environments all over Africa and the world. There is little innovation and available information for homeowners, building professionals and practitioners to guide towards water conservation. Water scarcity has progressively increased over periods of time in Eastleigh due to increased population density from increased high-rise apartments. The study tries to establish how water usage patterns and water conservation devices can potentially reduce water consumption levels. In the study area, 96% of the families are faced with problems related to water supply and hence are forced to come up with water conservation and adaptation strategies due to the scarcity of water. The study used survey and descriptive research design, and collected data on water usage patterns and water conservation devices from a total of 230 households in Biafra and Sewage estates in the Eastleigh neighbourhood. The results indicated that 76% of the households did not have water saving devices while the other 24% had water saving devices such as the dual flush toilets, low flow high-efficiency faucet aerators, low flow plumbing fixtures and automatic shut-off nozzles. A unit increase in water saving devices will lead to a 0.512 decrease in water consumption level. The study recommends that low-income households use water saving devices and develop water management strategies such as water-saving plumbing fixtures, rainwater harvesting, and grey water reuse.展开更多
This paper is an attempt to determine how vulnerable the city of Nairobi is to earthquake attack and the potential disaster sites within it and its environs,how this affects the structural integrity of the its constru...This paper is an attempt to determine how vulnerable the city of Nairobi is to earthquake attack and the potential disaster sites within it and its environs,how this affects the structural integrity of the its construction works and the sustainable way forward.Nairobi sits close to the eastern flanks of the Great Rift Valley and recent revelations that indicate the valley may be expanding at a rate of 2-3 mm per year due to tensional forces in the crust(Waithaka, 2001).The high heat flow beneath the crust is represented by the geothermal activities at Olkaria,展开更多
The aim of this paper is to use the General Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedastic (GARCH) type models for the estimation of volatility of the daily returns of the Kenyan stock market: that is Nairobi Securities E...The aim of this paper is to use the General Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedastic (GARCH) type models for the estimation of volatility of the daily returns of the Kenyan stock market: that is Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). The conditional variance is estimated using the data from March 2013 to February 2016. We use both symmetric and asymmetric models to capture the most common features of the stock markets like leverage effect and volatility clustering. The results show that the volatility process is highly persistent, thus, giving evidence of the existence of risk premium for the NSE index return series. This in turn supports the positive correlation hypothesis: that is between volatility and expected stock returns. Another fact revealed by the results is that the asymmetric GARCH models provide better fit for NSE than the symmetric models. This proves the presence of leverage effect in the NSE return series.展开更多
Wildlife, especially mammals populations dynamics in many conservation areas are influenced by ecosystem processes and increasingly by climate change. Generally, cyclic population dynamics is relatively common among s...Wildlife, especially mammals populations dynamics in many conservation areas are influenced by ecosystem processes and increasingly by climate change. Generally, cyclic population dynamics is relatively common among small mammals, especially in high latitudes but is not yet established among many African savanna ungulates. Habitat fragmentation and loss propagated by anthropogenic activities are responsible for the decline in populations of many wildlife species leading to the confinement many wildlife species particularly herbivores within parks and reserves as a conservation measure. We assessed the patterns of variation in abundance of eight herbivore species (African Buffalo, Eland, Burchell’s Zebra, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Grant’s Gazelle, Thomson’s Gazelle and Impala) at Kenya’s Nairobi National Park using population counts data over the period 1990-2008. Overall, the eight herbivores abundances declined within the Park with significant declines in Wildebeest (R2 = 0.54), Grant’s Gazelle (R2 = 0.72) and Impala (R2 = 0.80). Seasonality had effects on herbivore numbers and assemblages at the Park with the numbers of individual species increasing within the Park during dry seasons compared to wet seasons (t-test, t = 4.45, p = 0.03). Land use changes and urban development, especially in the dispersal areas and the accompanying effects of climate change of reduced rainfall and longer periods of drought had significant negative impacts on herbivore assemblages at the Park. We discuss the significance of the population fluctuations of the eight species at the Park, the potential impacts of the changes on Park ecosystem processes and the expected long-term population dynamics of the species if the conditions remain as witnessed over the past two decades.展开更多
Typhoid fever caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) causes an estimated 25 million illnesses and approximately 200,000 deaths annually mostly in developing countries. Although the manage...Typhoid fever caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) causes an estimated 25 million illnesses and approximately 200,000 deaths annually mostly in developing countries. Although the management of typhoid fever has been effectively through antibiotic treatment, S. Typhi is increasingly becoming resistant to the currently recommended drugs. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design focusing on archived samples to describe antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of S. Typhi and determine the genetic basis of resistance to the two most commonly used classes of antimicrobials. A total sample size of 287 isolates of S. Typhi isolates stored in -80°C freezer at the Centre for Microbiology Research was utilized. Isolates were subjected to anti-microbial susceptibility testing to commonly available antimicrobials using disk diffusion method, then analyzed for trends in resistance to fluoroquinolones and extended spectrum beta lactams. Among the 287 isolates 158 (55.5%) were found to be Multi Drug Resistant (MDR). This implied that these isolates were resistant to all first line classes of treatment such as ampicillin, chloramphenicol and sulfamethoxazole-trimethroprim. In addition to this, these isolates were also resistant to at least one of the currently recommended drugs of choice, either a β-lactam or a fluoroquinolone. This study observed resistances at 18.2% and 15.4% to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins respectively. PCR results revealed presence of blaTEM, blaINT and blaCTX-M genes coding for resistance to β-lactams in 80% of the isolates that had combined resistance to β-lactams and fluoroquinolones. It is likely that recent heavy use of these classes of antimicrobials is driving resistances to these antimicrobials.展开更多
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to ensure environmental sustainability is enhanced focusing on the future generation. Knowledge of the SDGs becomes pivotal in biodiversity conservation thus, a gap impacts suc...Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to ensure environmental sustainability is enhanced focusing on the future generation. Knowledge of the SDGs becomes pivotal in biodiversity conservation thus, a gap impacts such efforts on protecting and preserving biodiversity habits difficult. Nairobi City was chosen because of her unique ecosystem that habits wildlife and urban life with great prospects of being East Africa’s business hub. With an estimated double city population by 2030, knowledge of SDGs would be useful in enhancing biodiversity conservation in unique cities like Nairobi. Thus, a gap in the knowledge of SDGs threatens the future of biodiversity unless it is mitigated. The study employed a cross-sectional design that caters to qualitative and quantitative data. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and key informant interviews. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model was adopted to evaluate how determinants of human perceptions, decisions, and activities related to implementing sustainable development goals impact biodiversity conservation. Results indicate that respondents’ knowledge (30.5% ± 2.01%), attitudes (30.4% ± 1.56%), and practice (26.3% ± 0.08%) on implementation of SDGs was significantly low. Further, a majority believed that lack of awareness of SDGs 87% impacts biodiversity conservation, coupled with 12% and 1%, respectively, who opined that limited SDGs knowledge sharing and corruption were barriers to biodiversity conservation. The majority of respondents believed that increased awareness of SDGs (78.2% ± 2.61%), and strengthened institutional capacity (58.7% ± 3.01%) underscores SDGs’ importance in biodiversity conservation. Knowledge of SDGs is pivotal in the enhancement of biodiversity conservation.展开更多
Investors have traditionally been viewed as economically rational individuals who make decisions based on all available information. They have been assumed to use probability functions to arrive at the most optimal de...Investors have traditionally been viewed as economically rational individuals who make decisions based on all available information. They have been assumed to use probability functions to arrive at the most optimal decision. More recent studies propose that investors are irrational and systematically overreact to good and bad information events. The concept of the rational investor has been supported by among others Efficient Market Hypothesis and Modem Portfolio Theory. Other studies opposed to the notion of rational investors have identified psychological biases that influence decision making process of an investor, and leading them to make irrational decisions. Several anomalies have been identified that deviate from rational behavior. The objective of this paper was to test for investor rationality for companies listed at the Nairobi Stock Exchange. This paper tested overreaction by investors to news and performance of companies listed at the Nairobi Stock Market as an anomaly that has been proven in other markets. The test involved forming companies into two portfolios, one of extreme good performers and the other of extreme poor performers during the base year. Performance of these portfolios was analyzed for a nine year period from the year of portfolio formation. The results are consistent with the notion of overreaction, showing that investors overreact to both good and bad news. Over the study period the loser portfolio outperformed the winner portfolio by about 35.92%. This confrere that investors are irrational and make decisions based on some biases.展开更多
Chinese firms help 2,400 slum children to stay in school in Kenya’s capital city As laughter and singing echo through a community school in Mathare,a slum in the heart of Nairobi,Kenya’s capital,the vital role of qu...Chinese firms help 2,400 slum children to stay in school in Kenya’s capital city As laughter and singing echo through a community school in Mathare,a slum in the heart of Nairobi,Kenya’s capital,the vital role of quality education becomes unmistakably clear.展开更多
On May 10,2025,the"Silk Road People-to-People Connectivity"China-Africa Friendship for International Volunteer Service was held at the Hope Primary School in Mathare Slum,Nairobi,Kenya.The event was co-organ...On May 10,2025,the"Silk Road People-to-People Connectivity"China-Africa Friendship for International Volunteer Service was held at the Hope Primary School in Mathare Slum,Nairobi,Kenya.The event was co-organised by China NGO Network for International Exchanges(CNIE)and the Dream Building Service Association.Li Jun,Vice-President of CNIE delivered opening remarks at the event.展开更多
Background Universal access to basic sanitation remains a global challenge,particularly in low-and middle-income countries.Efforts are underway to improve access to sanitation in informal settlements,often through sha...Background Universal access to basic sanitation remains a global challenge,particularly in low-and middle-income countries.Efforts are underway to improve access to sanitation in informal settlements,often through shared facilities.However,access to these facilities and their potential health gains—notably,the prevention of diarrheal diseases—may be hampered by contextual aspects related to the physical environment.This study explored associations between the built environment and perceived safety to access toilets,and associations between the latter and diarrheal infections.Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out between July 2021 and February 2022,including 1714 households in two informal settlements in Abidjan(Côte d’Ivoire)and two in Nairobi(Kenya).We employed adjusted odds ratios(aORs)obtained from multiple logistic regressions(MLRs)to test whether the location of the most frequently used toilet was associated with a perceived lack of safety to use the facility at any time,and whether this perceived insecurity was associated with a higher risk of diarrhea.The MLRs included several exposure and control variables,being stratified by city and age groups.We employed bivariate logistic regressions to test whether the perceived insecurity was associated with settlement morphology indicators derived from the built environment.Results Using a toilet outside the premises was associated with a perceived insecurity both in Abidjan[aOR=3.14,95%confidence interval(CI):1.13–8.70]and in Nairobi(aOR=57.97,95%CI:35.93–93.53).Perceived insecurity to access toilets was associated with diarrheal infections in the general population(aOR=1.90,95%CI:1.29–2.79 in Abidjan,aOR=1.69,95%CI:1.22–2.34 in Nairobi),but not in children below the age of 5 years.Several settlement morphology features were associated with perceived insecurity,namely,buildings’compactness,the proportion of occupied land,and angular deviation between neighboring structures.Conclusions Toilet location was a critical determinant of perceived security,and hence,must be adequately addressed when building new facilities.The sole availability of facilities may be insufficient to prevent diarrheal infections.People must also be safe to use them.Further attention should be directed toward how the built environment affects safety.展开更多
TEN years have separated the 1985 UN Third World Conference on Women held in Nairobi, from the UN Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW), held in Beijing, last September. During the past ten years, the world has unde...TEN years have separated the 1985 UN Third World Conference on Women held in Nairobi, from the UN Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW), held in Beijing, last September. During the past ten years, the world has undergone profound changes in politics, economy and society, which have undoubtedly exerted a great influence on women. Reviewing these ten years it is clear that each government, non-governmental organization, and women themselves have made many achievements in implementing展开更多
DURING the last five days of October 1993, the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) held a training course to realize the goals of the document,"Future Strategies for Women’s Advancement Through the Year 2000.&q...DURING the last five days of October 1993, the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) held a training course to realize the goals of the document,"Future Strategies for Women’s Advancement Through the Year 2000." (The document is referred to as the "Nairobi Strategies" in the story.)展开更多
文摘On January 15,2025,the China Road and Bridge Corporation(CRBC)Kenya Office and Africa Star Railway Operation Company Limited(Afristar),in collaboration with the Dream Building Service Association(DBSA),held the launching ceremony for the International Free Lunch Programme at a school in the Mathare slum community of Nairobi.
文摘Nairobi County experiences rapid industrialization and urbanization that contributes to the deteriorating state of air quality, posing a potential health risk to its growing population. Currently, in Nairobi County, most air quality monitoring stations use low-cost, inaccurate monitors prone to defects. The study’s objective was to map Nairobi County’s air quality using freely available remotely sensed imagery. The Air Pollution Index (API) formula was used to characterize the air quality from cloud-free Landsat satellite images i.e., Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+, and Landsat 8 OLI from Google Earth Engine. The API values were computed based on vegetation indices namely NDVI, TVI, DVI, and the SWIR1 and NIR bands on the QGIS platform. Qualitative accuracy assessment was done using sample points drawn from residential, industrial, green spaces, and traffic hotspot categories, based on a passive-random sampling technique. In this study, Landsat 5 API imagery for 2010 provided a reliable representation of local conditions but indicated significant pollution in green spaces, with recorded values ranging from -143 to 334. The study found that Landsat 7 API imagery in 2002 showed expected results with the range of values being -55 to 287, while Landsat 8 indicated high pollution levels in Nairobi. The results emphasized the importance of air quality factors in API calibration and the unmatched spatial coverage of satellite observations over ground-based monitoring techniques. The study recommends the recalibration of the API formula for characteristic regions, exploring newer satellite sensors like those onboard Landsat 9 and Sentinel 2, and involving key stakeholders in a discourse to develop a suitable Kenyan air quality index.
文摘Background: Student nurses’ clinical learning is a key requirement in the profession. However, the students often face many challenges in clinical sites that put a negative perception on their professional growth. Clinical learner support is the most challenging part because of several guidelines, policies, and requirements that must be followed during the training. To enhance effective clinical learner support, training needs to be designed to support problem-based learning, trainees’ characteristics should portray positivity, and team-based coaching should focus on skills and results attainment. Objectives: The broad objective of the study sought to establish determinants of effective learner support for nursing students in middle-level colleges. The specific objectives were: To assess student-related factors, identify primary training institutions, other related placement site-related factors, and establish the students’ perceptions of the existing clinical learner support systems. Methodology: A descriptive design was utilized. Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were utilized. A Simple random method was used to sample 394 respondents from a total population of 3368 nursing students across 12 training institutions. The data was coded and analyzed using Excel and SPSS Version 28. The study findings are presented using tables, pie charts, bar graphs and histograms. The data was first presented in the form of descriptive in terms of percentages. The chi-square test of independence was then calculated at a p-value of Conclusions: The learners achieved effective clinical learner support where n = 302 out of 380, with 75% indicating effective learner support. It is recommended that qualitative and more quantitative studies should be carried out on postgraduate and other healthcare cadres to compare the results. Further study needs to be carried out on the students’ attitude towards learner support.
文摘Urban areas face significant challenges in maintaining water quality amidst increasing urbanization and changing climatic patterns. This study investigates the complex interplay between meteorological variables and water quality parameters in Nairobi City, focusing on the impacts of rainfall and temperature on surface water quality. Data from multiple sources, including the Water Resources Authority, Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, and the World Bank’s Climate Change Knowledge Portal, were analyzed to assess the relationships between meteorological variables (rainfall and temperature) and water quality parameters (such as electroconductivity, biochemical oxygen demand, chloride, and pH). The analysis reveals varying impacts of rainfall and temperature on different water quality parameters. While parameters like iron and pH show strong relationships with both rainfall and temperature, others such as ammonia and nitrate exhibit moderate relationships. Additionally, the study highlights the influence of runoff, urbanization, and industrial activities on water quality, emphasizing the need for holistic management approaches. Recommendations encompass the establishment of annual publications on Nairobi River water quality, online accessibility of water quality data, development of hydrological models, spatial analysis, and fostering cross-disciplinary research collaborations. Implementing these recommendations can enhance water quality management practices, mitigate risks, and safeguard environmental integrity in Nairobi City.
文摘Water quality is one of the main indicators of the quality of service provided to consumers. Quality has an impact on both the public health and aesthetic value of water as a consumable product. Kenya is classified as a water-scarce country with only 647 cubic meters of renewable freshwater per capita. Water distributed in Nairobi is faced with a myriad of challenges leading to a compromise to its quality. This study focused on evaluating quality of drinking water since human health depends on adequate, clean, reliable water. Analyses were carried out at National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) accredited Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) laboratories to determine the chemical, bacteriological and physical characteristics of consumed water in Umoja Innercore Estate in Nairobi. In the study area, 7 HH and 6 BH sites were randomly distributed. pH, turbidity and temperature measurements were analyzed in-situ while bacteria and chemicals were analyzed in laboratories. The study found that 100% of boreholes recorded unsatisfactory water with up to 1100 of Escherichia coli (E. coli) showing high contamination with faecal coliforms and 83% of boreholes recording pH of up to 9.53. Dissolved oxygen was 5.08 mg/L below recommended 12.0 mg/L, salinity of 0.47 mg/L and 0.03 mg/L for boreholes and households respectively. The study reveals the deprived quality of water available to the residents of Umoja Innercore, Nairobi. The study recommends the use of biosand filtration methods for septic tanks, digging of deeper boreholes and lining septic tanks with impermeable materials to prevent contamination of ground water with raw water from septic.
文摘Noise is any sound that causes physiological uneasiness to the ear. People in many environments today, especially urban ones, are exposed to such noise without realizing its potential danger to their healthy hearing. This situation is largely contributed to by the little attention that most governments, especially in the developing countries, pay to noise as a pollution issue. This paper describes a study that aimed at measuring the noise levels at selected points in Nairobi’s CBD with a view to generate a noise map over the study area in addition to identifying areas of high noise intensity or noise hot spots. The study found that noise levels, on average, varied from 61 db to 78 db, increasing from the west to the east of the CBD, and emanated mainly from vehicular traffic;several noise hotspots were also identified, and they are located mainly to the east of the CBD. The paper concludes that although the study was not city-wide, the noise levels observed are high enough to warrant further research and action by the environmental authorities.
文摘Water conservation measures are rapidly becoming a necessity in urban environments all over Africa and the world. There is little innovation and available information for homeowners, building professionals and practitioners to guide towards water conservation. Water scarcity has progressively increased over periods of time in Eastleigh due to increased population density from increased high-rise apartments. The study tries to establish how water usage patterns and water conservation devices can potentially reduce water consumption levels. In the study area, 96% of the families are faced with problems related to water supply and hence are forced to come up with water conservation and adaptation strategies due to the scarcity of water. The study used survey and descriptive research design, and collected data on water usage patterns and water conservation devices from a total of 230 households in Biafra and Sewage estates in the Eastleigh neighbourhood. The results indicated that 76% of the households did not have water saving devices while the other 24% had water saving devices such as the dual flush toilets, low flow high-efficiency faucet aerators, low flow plumbing fixtures and automatic shut-off nozzles. A unit increase in water saving devices will lead to a 0.512 decrease in water consumption level. The study recommends that low-income households use water saving devices and develop water management strategies such as water-saving plumbing fixtures, rainwater harvesting, and grey water reuse.
文摘This paper is an attempt to determine how vulnerable the city of Nairobi is to earthquake attack and the potential disaster sites within it and its environs,how this affects the structural integrity of the its construction works and the sustainable way forward.Nairobi sits close to the eastern flanks of the Great Rift Valley and recent revelations that indicate the valley may be expanding at a rate of 2-3 mm per year due to tensional forces in the crust(Waithaka, 2001).The high heat flow beneath the crust is represented by the geothermal activities at Olkaria,
文摘The aim of this paper is to use the General Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedastic (GARCH) type models for the estimation of volatility of the daily returns of the Kenyan stock market: that is Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). The conditional variance is estimated using the data from March 2013 to February 2016. We use both symmetric and asymmetric models to capture the most common features of the stock markets like leverage effect and volatility clustering. The results show that the volatility process is highly persistent, thus, giving evidence of the existence of risk premium for the NSE index return series. This in turn supports the positive correlation hypothesis: that is between volatility and expected stock returns. Another fact revealed by the results is that the asymmetric GARCH models provide better fit for NSE than the symmetric models. This proves the presence of leverage effect in the NSE return series.
文摘Wildlife, especially mammals populations dynamics in many conservation areas are influenced by ecosystem processes and increasingly by climate change. Generally, cyclic population dynamics is relatively common among small mammals, especially in high latitudes but is not yet established among many African savanna ungulates. Habitat fragmentation and loss propagated by anthropogenic activities are responsible for the decline in populations of many wildlife species leading to the confinement many wildlife species particularly herbivores within parks and reserves as a conservation measure. We assessed the patterns of variation in abundance of eight herbivore species (African Buffalo, Eland, Burchell’s Zebra, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Grant’s Gazelle, Thomson’s Gazelle and Impala) at Kenya’s Nairobi National Park using population counts data over the period 1990-2008. Overall, the eight herbivores abundances declined within the Park with significant declines in Wildebeest (R2 = 0.54), Grant’s Gazelle (R2 = 0.72) and Impala (R2 = 0.80). Seasonality had effects on herbivore numbers and assemblages at the Park with the numbers of individual species increasing within the Park during dry seasons compared to wet seasons (t-test, t = 4.45, p = 0.03). Land use changes and urban development, especially in the dispersal areas and the accompanying effects of climate change of reduced rainfall and longer periods of drought had significant negative impacts on herbivore assemblages at the Park. We discuss the significance of the population fluctuations of the eight species at the Park, the potential impacts of the changes on Park ecosystem processes and the expected long-term population dynamics of the species if the conditions remain as witnessed over the past two decades.
文摘Typhoid fever caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) causes an estimated 25 million illnesses and approximately 200,000 deaths annually mostly in developing countries. Although the management of typhoid fever has been effectively through antibiotic treatment, S. Typhi is increasingly becoming resistant to the currently recommended drugs. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design focusing on archived samples to describe antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of S. Typhi and determine the genetic basis of resistance to the two most commonly used classes of antimicrobials. A total sample size of 287 isolates of S. Typhi isolates stored in -80°C freezer at the Centre for Microbiology Research was utilized. Isolates were subjected to anti-microbial susceptibility testing to commonly available antimicrobials using disk diffusion method, then analyzed for trends in resistance to fluoroquinolones and extended spectrum beta lactams. Among the 287 isolates 158 (55.5%) were found to be Multi Drug Resistant (MDR). This implied that these isolates were resistant to all first line classes of treatment such as ampicillin, chloramphenicol and sulfamethoxazole-trimethroprim. In addition to this, these isolates were also resistant to at least one of the currently recommended drugs of choice, either a β-lactam or a fluoroquinolone. This study observed resistances at 18.2% and 15.4% to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins respectively. PCR results revealed presence of blaTEM, blaINT and blaCTX-M genes coding for resistance to β-lactams in 80% of the isolates that had combined resistance to β-lactams and fluoroquinolones. It is likely that recent heavy use of these classes of antimicrobials is driving resistances to these antimicrobials.
文摘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to ensure environmental sustainability is enhanced focusing on the future generation. Knowledge of the SDGs becomes pivotal in biodiversity conservation thus, a gap impacts such efforts on protecting and preserving biodiversity habits difficult. Nairobi City was chosen because of her unique ecosystem that habits wildlife and urban life with great prospects of being East Africa’s business hub. With an estimated double city population by 2030, knowledge of SDGs would be useful in enhancing biodiversity conservation in unique cities like Nairobi. Thus, a gap in the knowledge of SDGs threatens the future of biodiversity unless it is mitigated. The study employed a cross-sectional design that caters to qualitative and quantitative data. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and key informant interviews. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model was adopted to evaluate how determinants of human perceptions, decisions, and activities related to implementing sustainable development goals impact biodiversity conservation. Results indicate that respondents’ knowledge (30.5% ± 2.01%), attitudes (30.4% ± 1.56%), and practice (26.3% ± 0.08%) on implementation of SDGs was significantly low. Further, a majority believed that lack of awareness of SDGs 87% impacts biodiversity conservation, coupled with 12% and 1%, respectively, who opined that limited SDGs knowledge sharing and corruption were barriers to biodiversity conservation. The majority of respondents believed that increased awareness of SDGs (78.2% ± 2.61%), and strengthened institutional capacity (58.7% ± 3.01%) underscores SDGs’ importance in biodiversity conservation. Knowledge of SDGs is pivotal in the enhancement of biodiversity conservation.
文摘Investors have traditionally been viewed as economically rational individuals who make decisions based on all available information. They have been assumed to use probability functions to arrive at the most optimal decision. More recent studies propose that investors are irrational and systematically overreact to good and bad information events. The concept of the rational investor has been supported by among others Efficient Market Hypothesis and Modem Portfolio Theory. Other studies opposed to the notion of rational investors have identified psychological biases that influence decision making process of an investor, and leading them to make irrational decisions. Several anomalies have been identified that deviate from rational behavior. The objective of this paper was to test for investor rationality for companies listed at the Nairobi Stock Exchange. This paper tested overreaction by investors to news and performance of companies listed at the Nairobi Stock Market as an anomaly that has been proven in other markets. The test involved forming companies into two portfolios, one of extreme good performers and the other of extreme poor performers during the base year. Performance of these portfolios was analyzed for a nine year period from the year of portfolio formation. The results are consistent with the notion of overreaction, showing that investors overreact to both good and bad news. Over the study period the loser portfolio outperformed the winner portfolio by about 35.92%. This confrere that investors are irrational and make decisions based on some biases.
文摘Chinese firms help 2,400 slum children to stay in school in Kenya’s capital city As laughter and singing echo through a community school in Mathare,a slum in the heart of Nairobi,Kenya’s capital,the vital role of quality education becomes unmistakably clear.
文摘On May 10,2025,the"Silk Road People-to-People Connectivity"China-Africa Friendship for International Volunteer Service was held at the Hope Primary School in Mathare Slum,Nairobi,Kenya.The event was co-organised by China NGO Network for International Exchanges(CNIE)and the Dream Building Service Association.Li Jun,Vice-President of CNIE delivered opening remarks at the event.
文摘Background Universal access to basic sanitation remains a global challenge,particularly in low-and middle-income countries.Efforts are underway to improve access to sanitation in informal settlements,often through shared facilities.However,access to these facilities and their potential health gains—notably,the prevention of diarrheal diseases—may be hampered by contextual aspects related to the physical environment.This study explored associations between the built environment and perceived safety to access toilets,and associations between the latter and diarrheal infections.Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out between July 2021 and February 2022,including 1714 households in two informal settlements in Abidjan(Côte d’Ivoire)and two in Nairobi(Kenya).We employed adjusted odds ratios(aORs)obtained from multiple logistic regressions(MLRs)to test whether the location of the most frequently used toilet was associated with a perceived lack of safety to use the facility at any time,and whether this perceived insecurity was associated with a higher risk of diarrhea.The MLRs included several exposure and control variables,being stratified by city and age groups.We employed bivariate logistic regressions to test whether the perceived insecurity was associated with settlement morphology indicators derived from the built environment.Results Using a toilet outside the premises was associated with a perceived insecurity both in Abidjan[aOR=3.14,95%confidence interval(CI):1.13–8.70]and in Nairobi(aOR=57.97,95%CI:35.93–93.53).Perceived insecurity to access toilets was associated with diarrheal infections in the general population(aOR=1.90,95%CI:1.29–2.79 in Abidjan,aOR=1.69,95%CI:1.22–2.34 in Nairobi),but not in children below the age of 5 years.Several settlement morphology features were associated with perceived insecurity,namely,buildings’compactness,the proportion of occupied land,and angular deviation between neighboring structures.Conclusions Toilet location was a critical determinant of perceived security,and hence,must be adequately addressed when building new facilities.The sole availability of facilities may be insufficient to prevent diarrheal infections.People must also be safe to use them.Further attention should be directed toward how the built environment affects safety.
文摘TEN years have separated the 1985 UN Third World Conference on Women held in Nairobi, from the UN Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW), held in Beijing, last September. During the past ten years, the world has undergone profound changes in politics, economy and society, which have undoubtedly exerted a great influence on women. Reviewing these ten years it is clear that each government, non-governmental organization, and women themselves have made many achievements in implementing
文摘DURING the last five days of October 1993, the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) held a training course to realize the goals of the document,"Future Strategies for Women’s Advancement Through the Year 2000." (The document is referred to as the "Nairobi Strategies" in the story.)
