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Critical Analysis of Corporate Governance Strategies on Financial Performance of Commercial Banks, Kenya.
(Mount Kenya University, 2023-01) Kasuni, Julius Suka
Effective Corporate Governance is a critical component of value addition in virtually all
aspects of corporate performance. Annual financial reports by the Central Bank of Kenya
for the period 2010-2019 showed a declining trend in the general performance of Commercial
Banks in Kenya, during which Returns on Assets (ROA) declined from 4.51%
to 3.84% and Returns on Equity (ROE) from 29.4% to 25.6%. The Study sought to critically
analyze Influence of Corporate Governance Strategies on Financial Performance
of Commercial Banks in Kenya. The Study investigated; Corporate Governance Structure,
Strategic Leadership, Board Composition and Accountability System. Explanatory
Research Design was used to guide the conduct of the Study. A sample population of
112 managers drawn from 8 out of the 9 large banks were selected as respondents, for
the period 2010-2019. The Study was guided by four theories; Agency Theory, Stewardship
Theory, Stakeholder Theory and Financial Intermediation Theory. Data collection
was done by use of a close-ended and open-ended questionnaire in which 85 (76%) of
the 112 questionnaires were returned. Secondary data were collected from published Annual
Financial Reports of Commercial Banks, by the CBK for the period 2010-2019.
Content Validity of the research instrument was tested by subject matter experts comprising
of the researcher’s supervisors and defense panelists from and outside Mount
Kenya University. Reliability of the research instrument was tested using the Cronbach’s
Alpha test, which gave an alpha value of 0.8, well within the acceptable range of α ≥ 0.7.
Data analyses were done by use of both Descriptive and Inferential statistics. Descriptive
data analysis consisted of summarizing the data into tables and describing characteristics
of the data set using means and standard deviations. Inferential analysis was done by use
of a multiple regression analysis program in a SSPS-26 Software, which gave an Adjusted
R2 equal to .765 indicating that Corporate Governance Strategies correlated well
with Financial Performance of Commercial Banks. The analyzed data were presented
using, graphs, pie chart and tables. The findings showed that there was a significant positive
correlation between Corporate Governance Structure, Strategic Leadership, and Accountability
System with Financial Performance of Commercial Banks in Kenya while
Board Composition was partially significant. Financial Performance was measured by
use of profitability ratios, ROA and ROE. The Moderating variable comprised of Government
controls and regulations and were analyzed by use of inferential statistics. The
result showed that the adjusted R2 dropped from .765 to .608 indicating a decline of .157
(15.7%), which was the influence of the Moderating variable on the strength of the correlation
between independent variables and the dependent variable. The conclusion of
the study was that Corporate Governance Strategies influenced financial performance of
commercial banks in Kenya, with Strategic Leadership producing the greatest influence,
with an Adjusted R2 of .812 (81.2%). The study recommended that Commercial Banks
in Kenya entrench Strategic Leadership in their corporate governance practices, minimize
conflicts of interest between shareholders and corporate level managers, and promote
inclusivity in the management process in order to maximize financial performance
of commercial bank
Arita, Justus Onkware
Deputy University Librarian
Hepatitis E Virus Prevalence amongst Blood Donors in Selected Regions of Kenya
(Mount Kenya University, 2023-01) Mutai,Alex Kiprotich
Currently, Kenya is carrying out mandatory tests for four transfusion-transmissible infections for the provision of safe adequate blood as required by the World Health Organization. These mandatory tests include HIV 1 and 2, hepatitis B and C viruses and syphilis. Hepatitis E Virus is a transfusion-transmissible virus that can cause lasting liver illness and therefore, an important public health concern. Presently, there is no scientific documentation on Hepatitis E Virus prevalence of voluntary blood donors in Kenya. The objective of the present study was to evaluate Hepatitis E Virus prevalence of voluntary blood donors in Kenya. The findings from this study will aid in the development of safe blood transfusion policy, hence mitigate transfusion-transmissible Hepatitis E Virus via blood and blood products. Blood samples were obtained from voluntary blood donors upon consenting in six regional blood collection centers in Kenya. The blood samples were transported under cold chain to the national central testing laboratory in Nairobi, Kenya to test for IgG and IgM seroprevalence using ELISA. Confirmatory test was done using RT-PCR for 19 blood samples which tested seropositive for Hepatitis E Virus IgM and/or IgG antibodies. The present study recorded a Hepatitis E Virus seroprevalence of 4.9% which is similar to non-endemic countries. There was no association between Hepatitis E Virus seroprevalence and gender, age or region of blood collection. This study also recorded Hepatitis E Virus IgM and IgG seroprevalences of 3.4% and 2.6% respectively. There was an association between age and Hepatitis E Virus IgG seroprevalence. No Hepatitis E viremia was detected among IgM and/or IgG seropositive blood samples. This study confirmed for the presence of Hepatitis E Virus IgM and/or IgG seropositive blood samples among blood donors in Kenya and therefore, recommends screening of blood products to mitigate transfusion-transmissible Hepatitis E Virus infection.
Determinants Of Breastfeeding Practices Among Women With Children Aged 6 - 12 Months Attending Well-Baby Clinic at Nairobi Women’s Hospital, Kenya
(Mount Kenya University, 2023-05) Maweu,Daniel Mwendwa
There are several advantages for women, families, and communities when breast milk is the only source of nourishment for new-borns. Among mothers with infants between the ages of 6 and 12 months, the study's goal was to discover what influences their decision to breastfeed. The study's goal was to identify the variables affecting breastfeeding among mothers of children between the ages of 6 and 12 months who visited the Well-Baby clinic at Nairobi Women's Hospital. The specific objectives of the study were as follows; To establish the influence of maternal knowledge on breastfeeding practices among mothers attending Nairobi Women's Hospital's Well-Baby Clinic with children aged 6 to 12 months, to establish the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on breastfeeding practices among these mothers, and to evaluate the impact of cultural factors on breastfeeding practices among these mothers. Self-care theory of Dorothea Orem was applied in the study. 206 volunteers in all were needed for the study. The study used a cross-sectional survey design with 206 moms who visited the Well-Baby Clinic at the Nairobi Women's Hospital. 82.6 percent of infants were exclusively breastfed at 6 months, while 17.4 percent received a mix of foods. Significant Chi squared results (p 0.05) were found for maternal age (X2 = 10.78), education level (X2 = 11.42), employment (X2 = 14.23), and family income (X2 = 12.03). In logistic regression, it was discovered that age above 30 (AOR = 1.89; 95 percent CI [1.12, 4.02]) and tertiary education level (AOR = 2.02; 95 percent CI [1.06, 2.06]) were both favourable predictors of exclusive breastfeeding. Optimal breastfeeding practices are influenced by socio-demographic factors, maternal awareness, and information access. Nairobi private hospitals need to boost knowledge and access to information for nursing mothers who frequent well-baby clinics in order to encourage exclusive breastfeeding. To avoid stigmatizing mothers who breastfeed, the Ministry of Health should support and encourage community-based initiatives that engage religious leaders. The study concluded that; socioeconomic characteristics of mothers such as age, level of education, occupation and household income are determinants of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers attending Well-Baby Clinic of Nairobi Women’s Hospital. The following recommendations were made that there is need to involve private hospitals in national breastfeeding campaigns so as to share some of the lessons learned in promotion of exclusive breastfeeding.
Factors Associated With Malaria Occurrence in Narok Town Ward, Narok County, Kenya
(Mount Kenya University, 2023-06) Wanja,George Kahwai
Despite malaria being a life threating but preventable disease, it is the foremost cause of disease and death in Kenya; over 25 million individuals are at risk with estimated 6.7 million new clinical cases and 4,000 deaths each year. It is approximated to cause 20% of all deaths in children under the age of five. This study was aimed at identifying factors associated with malaria occurrence in Narok Town Ward, Narok County, Kenya, so as to generate evidence to be used to enhance efforts for focused malaria control in Narok Town and similar urban areas in Kenya. The data was collected by administering structured questionnaire to household heads of the 480 randomly selected households and capturing mosquitoes in 36 randomly selected households. There were 2010 inhabitants in the 480 selected household, majority of the residents were aged 1-14 (34.1%) and 25-44 (34.6%); the proportion of females was 58.8% (1182). Pregnant females were 2.9% (58/2010). The literacy rate was 93.9%. Majority of the households (79.0%) reported having a monthly income of Kshs. 20,000 and above. About 97.92 % (470/480) of the total responders recognized that malaria was spread by mosquitos. Fever, vomiting, headache and chills were reported by majority of the respondents 99.56% (478/480) as the main symptoms of malaria. 68.33% (328/480) of respondents rated malaria as an ordinary disease while 24.58% (118/480) rated malaria as a deadly disease; 86.0% (413/480) reported to have sought malaria treatment in public hospitals while 74.4% (367/480) of the responders reported purchasing drug over the counter. The study revealed 1.04% (21/2010) prevalence rate of malaria disease. The most frequent mosquito breeding site was water held in garbage 85.4% (410/480) and stagnant dirty water 81.0% (389/480). 31.7% reported to have been clearing stagnant water and 67.1% (322/480) covered water holding containers to prevent mosquito breeding. The most reported mosquito bite time was at night 100% (480/480) and morning 53.3% (246/480). 91.0% (437/480) of responders reported to have been using mosquito net in their beds. Most people 96.5% (463/480) indicated that they had learned about malaria on TV and radio advertisements. Out of the total 2257 mosquitoes that were collected, Anopheles mosquitoes (malaria vector) were 8.4% (190/2257), 4.7% (9/190) of anopheline mosquitoes tested positive for Plasmodium sporozoites. Regardless of high level of literacy, knowledge on malaria cycle, and presence of plasmodium infected anopheline species. a significant gaps relating to diagnosis, treatment and control was evident. There were high percentage (74.4%) of people preferring to purchase drugs without a prescription and failure by community members to carry out outdoor vector control and prevention measures. This study presents proof that point to the need by the relevant agencies to establish regular public health awareness and trainings, cultivate community based environmental hygiene, maintain regular mass LLITN distribution, regular training of health care workers and CHV and establishment of the county based mosquito surveillance and research center in order to keep track of the mosquito borne pathogens.
Determinants of the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist Use among Clinicians at Kenyatta National Hospital Nairobi, Kenya
(Mount Kenya University, 2023-06) Ojakaa,Pascalia Mary
The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) aids in minimizing harm and lessens adverse surgical complications to the patients by introducing necessary repetitive surgical safety checks thereby reinforcing good surgical practices. Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) adopted and localized this checklist in its medical record files in the operating rooms around 2012; however, limited studies had been done to assess its use by the clinicians. The primary aim of the research was to ascertain the utilization of the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist (WHO SSC) among medical practitioners at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. The primary aims were to assess the extent of utilization of the WHO SSC among healthcare providers at KNH in Nairobi, Kenya, and to evaluate both clinician-related and institutional-related factors that affect its usage at the same facility. To accomplish this, a cross-sectional study was conducted within the operating rooms of KNH. Through a multi-stage sampling technique, a total of 178 actively practicing healthcare professionals who utilize the SSC were recruited, excluding those on leave. The sample size was determined using Yamane's formula. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires, and observations were made on 42 procedures performed by various clinicians, resulting in a total of 178 participants. The frequencies and percentages were employed to summarize the descriptive data, while Pearson's Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were applied to analyze categorical data and investigate the association between practices and variables. IBM SPSS version 20 was utilized to conduct both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. A substantial majority (98%) of the participants exhibited knowledge about the SSC, and 95% reported utilizing it on the day of the interview. Approximately 52% of the respondents possessed more than 10 years of clinical experience, while 46% had over a decade of experience in the operating theater. Nearly 95% of the participants indicated the availability and utilization of the SSC, and 99% confirmed its mandatory implementation in the operating theaters. The training rate for clinicians on the use of the SSC was 62%, while the rate of sensitization was reported at 70%.Out of 42 surgeries observed in the operating rooms, there were lower levels on use of SSC. The clinicians gave a lot of importance to confirming sterility, followed by confirmation of completion count of surgical instruments, sponges and needles at 83.7% and 82.5% respectively. The studied respondents at KNH were using and aware of SSC as recommended. Improvement for the least important surgical practices and gaps noted will better surgical safety practices in the operating rooms in this institution.
Factors Associated With Foodborne Pathogens among Food Handlers in Thika, Kiambu County, Kenya
(2023-06) Kimemia,Joseph Maina
Increasing risks of infections with foodborne pathogens may occur as a result of poor food handling practices. The present cross-sectional study employed a mixed-methods approach to determine the factors associated with foodborne pathogens among food handlers working in food establishments in Thika, Kiambu County, Kenya. Random sampling was used to enrol respondents in the survey. A single stool specimen was collected from each study participant. Laboratory analysis of the specimen was done to test for selected foodborne pathogens. Overall, 44 out of the 285 food handlers who took part in the study had at least one food-transmitted pathogen, putting the prevalence of foodborne infections among the food handlers at 15.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 11.7%–20.1%). The findings from binary logistic regression indicated the following protective factors for foodborne pathogens among the studied food handlers: being female (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.098 (95% CI 0.0304 to 0.315, p< 0.001); having a valid medical examination certificate (AOR 0.141 (95% CI 0.141 to 1. 0.439, p = 0.001)); not boiling or treating water before serving the water to customers was a risk factor for having infections with foodborne pathogens (AOR 3.043 (95% CI 1.2225 to 7.577, p = 0.017)). The presence of foodborne pathogens among the food handlers in the study area potentially highlights the need to address the spread and transmission of foodborne infections in the study area. There is a need to institute appropriate control measures, including reducing the duration of regular screening of food handlers for foodborne illnesses in addition to training them on safe food handling practices, hand hygiene practices with provision of running water should be mandatory, regular monitoring of the food handling practices and policies on antimicrobial resistance of foodborne pathogens should be included in food safety control.
Knowledge and Risk Factors of Hepatitis B Disease Among Women Attending Antenatal Care at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, Arua, Uganda
(Mount Kenya University, 2023-05) Atwine,Benjamin
Hepatitis B is a highly infectious disease with a prevalence of 4.3% among people aged 15-64 years, with a prevalence of 5.6% in men compared to 3.1% in women in Uganda. Mother-to-child transmission accounts for nearly 50% of new cases per year, and infants who acquire hepatitis B disease before 5 years have a 90% chance of progressing to chronic hepatitis B infection. The study assessed the knowledge and risk factors of hepatitis B disease among women attending antenatal care (ANC) at Arua Regional Referral Hospital (ARRH), Uganda. A cross-sectional study was carried out at Antenatal care unit of Arua Regional Referral Hospital. Convenience sampling was used, and a sample size of 384 was calculated. Each participant was screened for HBsAg using commercial rapid test kits and evaluated using a structured questionnaire and. A hepatitis B basic knowledge summary score was used to assess the of knowledge of the participants on hepatitis B. Data analysis was carried out using MICROSOFT EXCEL-2013 and STATA version 14 packages. Poor knowledge levels of hepatitis B disease stood at 17.9%, while 82.1% of the pregnant women had adequate knowledge. A prevalence of 2.05% was obtained from the participants in the study. None of the assessed risk factors was significantly associated with HBsAg positivity. The study participants were knowledgeable to a great extent about hepatitis B disease, with 82.1% exhibiting good knowledge of hepatitis B disease. There are gaps in knowledge, especially among the low educated groups, which need to be addressed to improve knowledge levels of hepatitis B disease among these categories in the community. The results show a relatively healthy population given the low prevalence of 2.05% seen in the participants of the study. The absence of a risk factor associated with hepatitis B disease in this study does not imply that there are no risk factors in the community around Arua Regional Referral Hospital. Further studies are recommended to assess more risk factors for hepatitis B disease in the community
Assessment of Factors Influencing Effective Staff Performance in Improving Data Management in Selected Facilities in Mombasa County, Kenya
(Mount Kenya University, 2023-03) Kayanda,Sarah Majala
Preceding studies in upcoming nations have shown a diversity of reasons that may endanger data value in HIS. Some of these issues are related to the facility's setup and the technical knowledge of the healthcare providers. Conferring to study, many upcoming nation's well-being info systems are unable to offer essential support info. The lack of preferment of info culture harms the enactment of Health Info Systems (HIS). This research aimed at assessing reasons influencing effective staff actions in improving data management in designated amenities in Mombasa County, Kenya. The aspects to be explored were divided into three categories: organizational reasons, individual/team reasons, and external environmental reasons. The study was conducted in Mombasa County and used a cross-sectional research strategy with a mixed methods tactic. The 2080 healthcare workers formed the study's target population. In addition, the researcher targeted source documents, Ministry of Health (MOH) 711 reporting tools, and the Kenya Health Info System (KHIS) in 53 public health facilities, 172 private health facilities, and 17 FBO/NGO health facilities. The sample size for the study was 242 healthcare workers, 57 source documents, 24 MOH 711 reporting forms, and 24 KHIS in 24 levels 5, 4, and 3 private, Public, and FBO/NGO health facilities in Mombasa County. Both stratified and purposive sampling methods were employed in this research. Questionnaires, interviews, focus group debates, and data verification tools were employed to obtain quantitative and qualitative data for this research. Quantitative data were examined using incidences, proportions, mean, std, variation of coefficient, cross-tabulations, coefficient Phi correlation, and binary logistic regression (at 0.05 significance level). Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The results indicated that organizational aspects (ϕ = 0.268, OR = 0.284, p > 0.05), staff effectiveness (ϕ = 0.408, OR = 0.056, p > 0.05), and individual attributes (ϕ = 0.141, OR = 0.424, p > 0.05) did not have a significant impact on improvement in data administration, while knowledge and skills (ϕ = 0.535, OR = 0.031, p < 0.05) was found to have a significant effect on improvement in data organization. The study concluded that the awareness and skills of healthcare employees are substantial predictors of enhancement in data management at the well-being amenities in Mombasa County. The study recommends that the Ministry of Healthiness at the nationwide level and the department of Healthiness in Mombasa County should ensure that(Human Resources for Health) HRH norms on Healthiness Management Info System (HMIS) officers are adhered to and ensure that all health employees are adequately competent in data management which will improve their competency.
A Palm Vein Authentication Implementation Model for Enhanced Access of Biometric Systems: A Case of Mount Kenya University Main Campus
(Mount Kenya University, 2023-06) Wambui,Boniface Mwangi
One of the crucial components that contributes to the efficacy and efficiency of information systems is system integrity. One security method used to increase system integrity is biometrics. The existing fingerprint system is prone to spoofing attacks, high FRR and FAR, tear and wear of the sensor scanner. The goal of this study was to look at the integrity issues that affect the security of biometric technologies in Kenyan higher education institutions, IT security factors, implementing a new model and validating it. The implemented contactless security model sought to solve the current security problems facing the current biometric system. The study's particular goals were to look into the IT security factors that influenced biometric system integrity, review the success and failures of present biometric systems in boosting learning institution integrity, and design and validate the model. The research was guided by the extended integrated system theory which consisted of contingency and management theory. Since the contactless model had been approved by security system specialists, the researcher used an experimental and descriptive research approach. The research subject was Mount Kenya University's faculty and employees. Stratified sampling provided a true depiction of the varied population. 300 randomly chosen employees from particular departments made up the study's target population, and 169 individuals were picked for the sample using simple random sampling. The Zetech University served as the site of the pilot study. In the study area, questionnaires were used to collect the data. The researchers employed an equation for multivariate regression. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the model's fitness, with a 95 percent confidence level test of significance. From the findings a strong correlation coefficient of 0.792 was obtained on objective one. This showed that the model fitted well and their statistical relationship between the variables. The correlation coefficient between the variables was at 0.792, indicating that the constructed model was more efficient in terms of data integrity. One objective two the R2 of 73.4% indicated the data fitted the model well on the assessment the IT security metrics that influenced the integrity of biometric systems in higher learning institutions since it was greater than 50%. The experiment consisted of a control group having 15 participants. From the experiment the palm vein had an FRR of 93.33% while fingerprint had 60% which demonstrated superiority in authentication accuracy. On objective three a F value of 0.714 was produced regarding the integrity of the new security model. This value is lower than the table value at (1.70) degree of freedom (10,59), which showed that there was statistical significance. 87.5% of the experts concurred that the security system satisfied the requirement for a system that can improve the integrity of the data. The researcher added feature extraction component that represented infrastructure variable in the conceptual framework. The institution should consider changing its present fingerprint security system, which failed to verify legitimate users and was therefore inconsistent with data integrity. Learning institutions should implement the contactless system that does not require physical touch to verify people, which was more useful in the current COVID 19 epidemic, which has rendered the existing fingerprint security system useless. Organizations should consider implementing live detection systems or employ cancellable biometric systems that helps overcome spoofing attacks. More research needs to be carried out on palm vein template protection in deep learning since little research has been done in the field and also new decision authentication algorithms.
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