Conference/ Workshop/ Seminar/ Proceedings

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://koha2.tukenya.ac.ke/handle/123456789/13

Workshop and Conference Proceedings serve as a permanent record of KPUC sponsored events. In addition to the papers presented, proceedings often include resolutions, recommendations, presentations and issues identified for further study.

News

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 22

The use of indigenous Kenyan children's songs for the development of a music curriculum and pedagogy for the primary school in Kenya
(1997) Akuno, EA
Music education: Conceptual implications for curriculum development and pedagogy in Kenya
(1998) Akuno, EA
Music and education in Kenya: Une Renaissance Culturelle
(2000) Akuno, EA
Cultural Identity in Education: The Place of Music in the Learning Process. In Higher Education in Africa
(2001) Akuno, EA
Semi-solid processing of cast iron.
(2002) Takita, M; Muumbo, A; Nomura, H
Theoretical conceptualisations of urban segregation and their relevance to housing in post-apartheid South Africa
(2003) Omenya, A
Slum upgrading initiatives in Kenya within the basic services and wider housing market: A housing rights concern
(2006) Huchzermeyer, M; Omenya, A
An Investigation of Project Success for Engineering and Technology-Based Projects in Developing Countries
(2006) Marwanga, R.O; Nyangara, F.M; Deleveaux, V.J.
The success or failure of engineering and technology-based development projects is studied in this paper. A sample of one hundred and thirty three (133) completed projects funded by the World Bank are investigated to determine their level of success based on bank criteria and assessments. The assessments mainly focus on the following criteria: relevance of objectives, efficacy, efficiency, sustainability, institutional development impact, outcome, bank performance, and borrower performance. One other dimension that has been downplayed by these assessments is project management success as represented by project schedule and cost. In the current study, the level of project success is evaluated on the basis of bank criteria and performance in project management. A composite project performance index is then derived, planned schedules are compared with final closeout, and budgets are compared with final costs to determine the overall success of these projects. Finally, the effects of project sector, regional location of projects, and project size, on success are investigated. The results show that only about half (50%) of the World Bank projects are successful in achieving their goals. The results also show that the sector of a project, its geographical region, or size have no effect on project success
Key Issues for Information Officers in South Africa
(2006) Johnston, Kevin; Muganda, Nixon; Theys, Karen
Business strategy, operations, communication and technology have converged and resulted in increased demand for business flexibility. Chief information officers (CIO) are particularly challenged because they operate at the intersection between information technology and their organisations. Amidst increasing emphasis on cost-efficiency, information technology resource investment and emergence of new technologies, stakeholders need to understand the most relevant issues within a three- to five-year period. This study was undertaken to contribute to the body of knowledge around key information systems issues in South Africa. Thirty-one responses were received from South African chief information officers surveyed in late 2004. The top issues were: security and control, building a responsive it infrastructure, it value management, service delivery, and improving is strategic planning. The ranked list of issues was compared to previous studies, and further analysed by industry and source of it services (in-house, outsource or combination). Industry and the sourcing of information services were found to have an effect on the ranking of key issues.
Semantic markup of information on sanitation initiatives in informal settlements
(2006) Obonyo, Esther; Omenya, Alfred
The fundamental problem with the ‘traditional’ Web is: information is designed for human consumption and even with the evolution of powerful search engines, information filtering still remains a task that requires significant human involvement. Consequently, any application that is designed to use Web-enabled technologies will eventually encounter problems related to ‘information overload’ and ‘digital anarchy’ (the latter problem emanates from lack of interoperability across systems especially in different organisations). This paper describes a conceptual framework that addresses these issues using emerging Semantic Web Technologies. The framework will focus on demonstrating the potential benefits of using semantic markups and ontologies to augment Web content for Sanitation initiatives in informal settlements using the experience in Nairobi as a test case. It will address problems arising from the sheer scale and diversity of data on sustainable sanitation practice through the use of the Semantic Web technologies. The conceptual framework presented in this paper will be further defined through an iteration of workshops with the stakeholders and expanded into a platform for semantically matching a controlled taxonomy for Sustainable Sanitation for informal settlements.
Assessing alignment of an e-government project in the context of a developing country: a Heideggerian perspective
(2009) Muganda, Nixon
E-Government has increasingly become an alternative for enabling public governance at various. The situation is especially poignant in developing countries where there are increasing calls to improve governance for improved national development. This study sought to investigate managerial processes in the alignment of e-government within Local Authorities in Kenya. A case study research design underpinned by critical realism assumptions was used. The analysis was grounded on empirical results of the study, and employed theoretical thematic analysis. Under the alienating conditions of social exclusion, the alignment of the e-government artifact espoused strong managerialist orientations of augmenting and reinforcing central governments control over its polity. A consequence of this alignment is a tendency towards technocratic evolution of the public service delivery system in local authorities in Kenya. However, it was also recognised that the form of e-government projects are constantly in flux, and that relying on a single case was therefore a limitation of the study. Categories and Subject Descriptors
Providing Home-based Care Using Text Messaging
(2011) Sowon, Karen; Marwanga, Reuben O
Th e i ncreasing miniaturization of mobile devices marks an important opportunity for the next generation health care delivery. Mobile health (mHea lth), existing at the nexus of health and technology provides a singular opportunity to take health where it is needed the most. Having had nearly mainstream adoption, may explain why the developed world is in tandem with health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). On the other hand, developing countries still lag behind in meeting the same health-related goals, yet they continue to report successful stories of mobile technology growth and adoption but no major usage of the same to deliver healthcare. This resear ch sought to explore existing mHealth applications to establish their suitability for use in developing countries such as Kenya to provide home-based care. This was done by a survey of existing literature and mHealth models, and an architecture developed in light of local communication infrastructure and local mobile phone abilities. It was established that for developing countries to take advantage of this leapfrogging technology in health, they would have to take advantage of the Short Message Service (SMS) that is cheap and accessible to all. A relationship amongst mHealth stakeholders was considered as key to enhancing the adoption of mHealth in such countries
Kenyan women in physics: Overcoming cultural, economic, and professional challenges
(2011) Baki, Paul; Kasina, Angeline; Nyamwandha, Cecilia; Kawira, Millien; Mburu, Jane; King'ori, Gladys; Kahonge, Teresia; Gichana, Zubeda
Efforts to attract, retain, and improve the status of girls and women in Kenya to the sciences, in particular physics, are outlined. Areas in which positive change has been observed are noted. Issues that still need to be addressed to realize the full potential of women undertaking physics are discussed.
Understanding the tipping point of urban conflict: the case of Nairobi, Kenya
(Urban Tipping Point, 2012) Omenya, A; Lubaale, G
This research studies the tipping point of urban conflict in Nairobi, Kenya. It employs the concepts of tipping points and violence chains. The research studies various types of conflict and violence at city level through literature and in three of Nairobi’s hotspots: Kawangware, Kibera, and Mukuru settlements, through participatory violence appraisal (PVA). The research shows that the most significant type of violence is political violence. However, cumulatively, other types of violence, namely landlord-tenant, domestic and economic violence, are more significant. Focusing on political violence alone makes other types of violence invisible. The study shows that political violence in Kenya is rooted in colonial times in historical inequity in access to resources, and perpetuated in post-colonial times through the mediation of ethnicity. The study unpacks roles of institutions in tipping conflicts into and out of violence; it shows that an institutional analysis of actors involved in tipping conflict into violence and vice versa is important in preventing violence. It identifies the tipping points at sub-city level and shows the complex ways in which these types of conflict and violence are interlinked through chains. Breaking these violence chains is critical to preventing conflicts tipping into violence. A key way of breaking the chains is improving the overall governance framework. Further the study shows that violence in Nairobi’s sub-city is spatially linked. Thus identification of violence hotspots is critical in dealing with violence; and spatial improvements such as slum upgrading initiatives, taking into consideration hotspots, can go a long way in preventing conflict tipping into violence.
eGY-Africa: addressing the digital divide for science in Africa
(2013) Baki, Paul; Nguno, Anna; Barton, Charles; Amaeshi, Larry; Tenthani, Chifundo; Petitdidier, Monique; Cottrell, Les
Adoption of information and communication technologies and access to the Internet is expanding in Africa, but because of the rapid growth elsewhere, a Digital Divide between Africa and the rest of the world exists. In many sub-Saharan African countries, education and research sector suffers some of the worst deficiencies in access to the Internet, despite progress in the development of NRENs - National Research and Education (cyber) Networks. By contrast, it is widely acknowledged in policy statements from the African Union, the UN, and others that strength in this very sector provides the key to meeting and sustaining Millennium Development Goals. Developed countries with effective cyber-capabilities proclaim the benefits to rich and poor alike arising from the Information Revolution. This is still a dream for many scientists in African institutions. As the world of science becomes increasingly Internet-dependent, so they become increasingly isolated. eGY-Africa is a bottom-up initiative by African scientists and their collaborators to try to reduce this digital divide by a campaign of advocacy for better institutional facilities. Four approaches are being taken. The present status of Internet services, problems, and plans are being mapped via a combination of direct measurement of Internet performance (the PingER Project) and a questionnaire-based survey. Information is being gathered on policy statements and initiatives aimed at reducing the digital divide, which can be used for arguing the case for better Internet facilities. Groups of concerned scientists are being formed at the national, regional levels in Africa, building on existing networks as much as possible. Opinion in the international science community is being mobilized. Finally, and perhaps most important of all, eGY-Africa is seeking to engage with the many other programs, initiatives, and bodies that share the goal of reducing the digital divide - either as a direct policy objective, or indirectly as a means to an end, such as the development of an indigenous capability in science and technology for national development. The expectation is that informed opinion from the scientific community at the institutional, national, and international levels can be used to influence the decision makers and donors who are in a position to deliver better Internet capabilities. eGYAfrica workshops have been held approximately bi annually, the last of which was in Nairobi Kenya.
Analysis of raw iron ores in Kenya: case study of Mwingi north constituency in Kitui county
(2014) Kiptarus, Joan J; Muumbo, AM; Makokha, AB
Accurate prediction of downstream processing performance of a mineral ore is critical to resource evaluation and development decisions, where significant cost and productivity benefits can be realized through early determination of an ore’s properties and processing potential. This study aimed at investigating the chemical, qualitative and quantitative composition of raw iron ore from the deposits in Katse area (Mwingi North Constituency in Kitui County) which lies in the Mozambique mobile belt. The quality of the iron ore was evaluated to establish its suitability as a raw material for iron production in Kenya. Samples were obtained along the perimeter vertices and centre of a land parcel measuring 150m2 with each excavation being 50cm length, 50 cm width and 500cm depth. Detailed studies were conducted to establish the composition and properties of the 5 samples. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) techniques were employed in the investigation. XRD studies revealed magnetite (above 86%) as the major mineral with subordinate amounts of hematite and quartz. XRF studies indicated a high content of iron (above 80%) with minor amounts of (5% Al2O3, < 5%TiO2, 1-44% SiO2, <1% of MnO, P2O5, SO3, K2O, V2O5). AAS experiment results indicated that the Iron content was above 90% with minor amounts of SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, MgO, Na2O, K2O, TiO2 and MnO elements. The quality of this ore was compared to generalized world market standards and ores from other nations. The results indicated that Katse ore is a rich Magnetite grade with Fe content above 80% with minor amounts of hematite, quartz and clay as the major gangue (<1% SiO2 and <1% Al2O3) and low contents of the deleterious elements ( <1 %), which correspond to acceptable levels for commercial iron ores.
Evaluating Creative Mobile Applications Development Using Emotional Design
(2014) Muganda, Nixon O
In this research paper, we adopt an integrative view of user involvement in software development; where, a user's psychological state, at various phases of development, is linked to the contribution of user involvement in the success of software development. We explore the link between creativity and emotional design in order to evolve a conceptual framework for studying creativity in the fast growing area of mobile applications (apps) development. Action research, which is regarded as participatory, emancipatory and contextual, was adopted in this study. The study used a case study design and a survey of 1,502 students registered for a first year course in Management Information Systems at a large urban University in South Africa. Results from this study found that for app development to be more creative and innovative, emotional design should be part of the broader process of improving requirements engineering in Information Systems Development (ISD). We also found that in situations where emotional feedback is genuine, requirements engineering problems related to the "misinformation effect" common in ISD can be minimized. The third claim we affirm stronger is how users in ISD play a closer role as co-developers of mobile apps in order to realize true creativity and innovativeness. This study further demonstrated how subjective feelings in ISD can be evaluated using visual artifacts such as the Emocard
African Equatorial GPS Scintillations during the Minimum and Ascending Phases of Solar Cycle 24
(2014) Andrew, Akala; Groves, KM; Amaeshi, Larry; Idolor, Raphael; Okoro, Ekemini; Carrano, Charles; Bridgwood, Christopher; Baki, Paul; Dujanga, Florence; Doherty, Patricia
This study characterizes African equatorial scintillations at L-band frequency during the minimum and ascending phases of solar cycle 24. Three years' (2009-2011) of amplitude scintillation data from three African equatorial GPS stations namely; Lagos (3.48oN, 3.27oE, mag. lat: 3.04oS), Nigeria; Nairobi (1.30oS, 36.80oE, mag. lat: 8.03oS), Kenya; and Kampala (0.30oN, 32.50oE, mag. lat: 9.26oS), Uganda were used for the investigation. We grouped the data on daily, monthly, seasonal, and yearly scales at three levels of scintillation (weak (0.3<=S4<0.4), moderate (0.4<=S4<0.7), and intense (S4>=0.7)), and adopted three data cut-off criteria. Scintillations exhibit daily trend of occurrence during the hours of 1900 LT-0200 LT, with higher levels being localized within the hours of 2000-2300 LT. Generally, highest scintillation occurrences were recorded during the equinoxes, and the trend increased with solar activity. Specifically, scintillations were almost absent during June Solstices of the period under investigation, and it appears as if January is a non-scintillation month over equatorial Africa. On a scintillation active day, the number of satellites available to the receiver's view reduces as the duration of observation reduces. These results may support the development of future models that could provide real-time predictability of African equatorial scintillations, with a view to supporting the implementation of GNSS-based navigation in Africa.
The Impact of Libraries and Information Services in Shaping Vision 2030 in Kenya
(SCECSAL XXI PROCEEDINGS, 2014) Kwanya, Tom
Abstract Information is increasingly becoming accepted as an important factor of socio-economic production besides land, labour and capital. Credible information and its effective use is a potentially powerful socio-economic development tool. Due to their position as the trusted source of information for many people, libraries play a pivotal role in facilitating socio-economic development by promoting good governance, literacy, social reconstruction, innovation and better decision-making. This paper analyses the impact of libraries and information services on the realisation of Kenya’s Vision 2030. The study was conducted using a survey research method. Data was collected from librarians, the general public and national development planners, using key informant interviews. The findings indicate that libraries have so far had a low impact on the realisation of Vision 2030 in Kenya. One of the major challenges hampering the effective support of the Vision 2030 by libraries is the perceived laid-back nature of librarians. Therefore, it is suggested that librarians should be more assertive in their involvement in national issues.
Succession Planning for Information Professionals
(2015-05-19) Nganga, Francis G.; Kibugi, Sarah W.
This is a literature-based opinion paper which examines how succession planning and management in information centers can help in improvement of service provision and delivery. In general succession management plays a critical role in change management and change is inevitable. It ensures that library staffing levels and skill sets rely not only on recruiting new librarians and library technicians, but also retaining incumbent library staff in support of the future of the library. It also provides for critical and timely knowledge transfer. Effective succession planning and management helps an information center to identify, develop and retain capable and skilled employees in line with current and projected objectives. It is about developing pools of talent to fill key areas and positions that are critical to an organization's ongoing operations and long-term goals. This paper is aimed at helping information professionals to regularly review and update as change occur. The succession plan should evolve to suit the current circumstances of the information center.

Browse

Browsing Conference/ Workshop/ Seminar/ Proceedings by Issue Date