Kenya

According to the historian and sinologist Joseph Needham, Piyo Rattansi is "one of the most profound students of the English world of the scientific revolution". In this interview, Rattansi addresses several topics including historiography, history and philosophy of science, history of Kenya, history of 17th-century England, Isaac Newton, among other themes.

Editorial: https://revistas.pucsp.br/circumhc/article/view/43321/28799

Excavations were carried out in 1999 on the location of Stela 2 at the ancient site of Aksum in northern Ethiopia.
These excavations have permitted the documentation of the foundation of this stela, which was transported to Rome in 1937. Preparations were also made for the stela’s return to the site in 2005 and its re-erection in 2008 at the exact location where it stood in the 3rd or 4th century AD.
The excavations also made it possible to re-examine our perception of the three giant stelae on the site, from their conception and erection to their destruction.

The Early Stone Age archaeological record does not become persistent and widespread until approximately 2.0-1.7 million years ago, when Oldowan sites spread across Africa and ultimately into Eurasia. However, good records of hominin behavior from this important time interval are uncommon. Here we describe recent findings from the two million year old Oldowan site of Kanjera South, on the Homa Peninsula of southwestern Kenya. Kanjera South is the oldest Oldowan site with large assemblages of stone artifacts and well-preserved archaeological fauna. Our research indicates that hominin activities were situated in an open habitat within a grassland dominated ecosystem, the first documentation of an archaeological site in such an open setting. Hominins selectively collected and transported stone materials (30% of the lithic assemblage) over longer distances (at least 10 km) than is typical for the Oldowan, reflecting their preference for hard, easily-flaked lithologies unavailable on the ...

ABSTRACT & RÉSUMÉ & ZUSAMMENFASSUNG : Although Britain has been so far the hardest hit among the EU member states by the corona pandemic, Johnson persists to leave the EU at the end of 2020, whatever the cost. Presumably, the pandemic will have a by far bigger impact on the UK African trade than a no-deal Brexit. In Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa had been arguably the hardest hit country both by Brexit and Corona. However, the poor, mainly working in the informal sector, were more concerned about the economic impact of the pandemic than the disease itself. In Nigeria, many people envisaged Corona as a plague of the rich and the elite. President Buhari shared the hubris of many British that they are less vulnerable to the pandemic and could continue with high-flying Post-Brexit plans. Ghana counts among those countries in Sub-Sahara Africa which has been most severely hit by the corona pandemic. But unlike South Africa and Nigeria, the direct effects of the pandemic on the downturn of its economy are not as significant as in other African states. In Kenya the number of corona-death had been much lower than for the SARS pandemic of 2003, but the transmission of the COVID-19 virus had been significantly greater. Nevertheless, many Kenyan’s saw the Brexit as a disguised blessing because they pined their hope on massive FDI by UK investors. In any case, it is clear beyond doubt that those who are to suffer most by the combined effects of the corona-pandemic and Brexit in Africa (and presumably world-wide) are the poor and vulnerable. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RÉSUMÉ : Bien que la Grande-Bretagne ait jusqu'à présent été la plus durement touchée par la pandémie corona parmi les États membres de l'UE, Johnson persiste à quitter l'UE fin 2020, quel qu'en soit le coût. Vraisemblablement, la pandémie aura un impact beaucoup plus important sur le commerce africain du Royaume-Uni qu'un Brexit sans accord. En Afrique subsaharienne, l'Afrique du Sud a probablement été le pays le plus durement touché par le Brexit et Corona. Cependant, les pauvres, travaillant principalement dans le secteur informel, étaient plus préoccupés par l'impact économique de la pandémie que par la maladie elle-même. Au Nigéria, beaucoup de gens considéraient Corona comme un fléau pour les riches et l'élite. Le président Buhari a partagé l'orgueil de nombreux Britanniques selon lesquels ils sont moins vulnérables à la pandémie et pourraient continuer avec des plans de haut vol après le Brexit. Le Ghana compte parmi les pays d'Afrique subsaharienne qui ont été les plus durement touchés par la pandémie de corona. Mais contrairement à l'Afrique du Sud et au Nigéria, les effets directs de la pandémie sur le ralentissement de son économie ne sont pas aussi importants que dans d'autres États africains. Au Kenya, le nombre de décès par effet corona a été beaucoup plus faible que pour la pandémie de SRAS de 2003, mais la transmission du virus COVID-19 a été nettement plus importante. Néanmoins, de nombreux Kenyans ont vu le Brexit comme une bénédiction déguisée car ils portaient leur espoir sur le IDE massif des investisseurs britanniques. En tout état de cause, il est clair, sans aucun doute, que ceux qui souffriront le plus des effets combinés de la pandémie corona et du Brexit en Afrique (et vraisemblablement dans le monde entier) sont les pauvres et les vulnérables. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ZUSAMMENFASSUNG : Obwohl Großbritannien unter den EU-Mitgliedstaaten bislang am stärksten von der Koronapandemie betroffen war, besteht Johnson weiterhin darauf, die EU Ende 2020 zu verlassen, unabhängig von den Kosten. Vermutlich wird die Pandemie einen weitaus größeren Einfluss auf den afrikanischen Handel im Vereinigten Königreich haben als ein No-Deal-Brexit. In Afrika südlich der Sahara war Südafrika sowohl vom Brexit als auch von Corona das vermutlich am stärksten betroffene Land. Die Armen, die hauptsächlich im informellen Sektor tätig sind, waren jedoch mehr besorgt über die wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen der Pandemie als über die Krankheit selbst. In Nigeria stellten sich viele Menschen Corona als Plage der Reichen und der Elite vor. Präsident Buhari teilte die Hybris vieler Briten, dass sie weniger anfällig für die Pandemie sind und mit hochfliegenden Plänen nach dem Brexit fortfahren könnten. Ghana zählt zu den Ländern in Subsahara-Afrika, die ebenfalls mit am stärksten von der Koronapandemie betroffen sind. Im Gegensatz zu Südafrika und Nigeria sind die direkten Auswirkungen der Pandemie auf den wirtschaftlichen Abschwung jedoch nicht so bedeutend wie in anderen afrikanischen Staaten. In Kenia war die Zahl der Koronatoten viel geringer als bei der SARS-Pandemie von 2003, aber die Übertragung des COVID-19-Virus war signifikant höher. Dennoch sahen viele Kenianer den Brexit als verschleierten Segen an, weil sie ihre Hoffnung auf massive ausländische Direktinvestitionen britischer Investoren setzten. In jeden Fall ist klar, dass diejenigen, die am meisten unter den kombinierten Auswirkungen der Koronapandemie und des Brexit in Afrika (und vermutlich weltweit) leiden müssen, die Armen und Verletzlichen sind

Africa has been for many years misinterpreted and often referred to a continent of political instability, refugee’s crisis, civil wars, corruption and under development.
This perception leads and undermines confidence to venture into new businesses across the continent.
Despite many challenges the continent faces, the travel and tourism sector seems to keep moving on a safe pace.

This response document will briefly address concerns about the ethical, legal and methodological flaws with past research informing aspects of present PEPFAR program areas; concerns about adverse consequences of PEPFAR program areas; and concerns about the absence of oversight of the activities of PEPFAR funding recipients.

A pen culture system of the mud crab, Scylla serrata was introduced in Mtwapa mangrove creek with the aim of finding an alternative source of income and food for the local communities, who practice artisanal fishery in the creek. Other objectives were to motivate the interaction between scientists and the community through technology transfer, and to collect scientific data necessary for maintenance and management of the culture system. Pen construction took place from October 2000 - January 2001. The pen was located in the intertidal area and measured 800 m2. It was constructed and fenced using uzio (fish trap) material made of mangrove poles and wood. Stocking of the pen with seed crabs occurred from February- May 2001. Local sources was used to obtain a total of 1697 crab seeds which were measured (carapace length and width), weighed and sexed before stocking. The crabs were fed with trash fish obtained from a local fish processing plant. Feeding was conducted once daily, prefera...

Kenya has a great potential for aquaculture growth by producing additional volumes of fish to fill the growing gap in national fish supply, as wild fish catches continue to decline. In order to balance the shortfall between fish production and high increase in demand, the Kenyan government drafted a fiscal policy measure in the form of Economic Stimulus Program (ESP) to stimulate economic growth in the industry. Despite increased aquaculture adoption and subsequent increase in fish supply in the country, little is known about consumer preference of farmed fish products that ultimately may hinder optimization of production and marketing of the aquaculture sub-sector. This study examined factors influencing consumer preferences and marketing trends in the demand for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in Kirinyaga and Vihiga Counties in Kenya. A total of 153 questionnaires were administered to 95 and 58 respondents in Kirinyaga and Vihiga coun...

With the budget cuts to peace operations implemented last year and the prospect of even more reduction in resources, debates about UN peacekeeping effectiveness have intensified. One of the areas sorely in need of innovation is peacekeeping training and, more generally, the preparation of troops, police officers, and civilians for peace operations.  Secretary General António Guterres  acknowledged this point in January 2018 at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, when he emphasized the need to ensure better preparation for peacekeeping forces.  The point is also reinforced by the recent report “Improving Security of United Nations Peacekeepers,” which identified deficient pre-deployment training as one of the main causes of fatalities and serious injuries among peacekeepers in the field. Improving peacekeeping training centers in the most important troop and police contributing countries (TCCs and PCCs) for UN and AU missions—most of them developing countries facing considerable resource limitations—has thus acquired greater urgency.

The purpose of this study was to examine the role played by oversight boards in observing rule of law by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Kenya. The objective of this study was to assess the extent to which rule of law as observed by NGO oversight Boards in Kenya influence accountability to stakeholders. A descriptive survey research design was used in this study and questionnaires were employed to collect quantitative data in an attempt to answer the research question. Test of hypothesis was done to establish if there was significant relationship between rule of law and accountability to stakeholders among the respondents. The ANOVA test of hypothesis revealed no significant relationship between accountability to stakeholders and rule of law (p<0.970). This shows that rule of law indicators like renewing NGO’s registration on time, did not have any significant influence on accountability to stakeholders. The results of a regression analysis done on the indicators of rule...

Objective: To determine the prevalence and aetiology of dermatophyte infections in relation to social economic factors in primary school children in Kibera. Design: A Cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting: City council sponsored schools namely Olympic, Kibera, Ayany and ...

Background Effective case management is central to reducing malaria mortality and morbidity worldwide, but only a minority of those affected by malaria, have access to prompt effective treatment. In Kenya, the Division of Malaria Control is committed to ensuring that 80 percent of childhood fevers are treated with effective anti-malarial medicines within 24 hours of fever onset, but this target is largely unmet. This review aimed to document evidence on access to effective malaria treatment in Kenya, identify factors that influence access, and make recommendations on how to improve prompt access to effective malaria treatment. Since treatment-seeking patterns for malaria are similar in many settings in sub-Saharan Africa, the findings presented in this review have important lessons for other malaria endemic countries. Methods Internet searches were conducted in PUBMED (MEDLINE) and HINARI databases using specific search terms and strategies. Grey literature was obtained by soliciting reports from individual researchers working in the treatment-seeking field, from websites of major organizations involved in malaria control and from international reports. Results The review indicated that malaria treatment-seeking occurs mostly in the informal sector; that most fevers are treated, but treatment is often ineffective. Irrational drug use was identified as a problem in most studies, but determinants of this behaviour were not documented. Availability of non-recommended medicines over-the-counter and the presence of substandard anti-malarials in the market are well documented. Demand side determinants of access include perception of illness causes, severity and timing of treatment, perceptions of treatment efficacy, simplicity of regimens and ability to pay. Supply side determinants include distance to health facilities, availability of medicines, prescribing and dispensing practices and quality of medicines. Policy level factors are around the complexity and unclear messages regarding drug policy changes. Conclusion Kenya, like many other African countries, is still far from achieving the Abuja targets. The government, with support from donors, should invest adequately in mechanisms that promote access to effective treatment. Such approaches should focus on factors influencing multiple dimensions of access and will require the cooperation of all stakeholders working in malaria control.

Mobile livestock herders have long been seen as the main culprits of over-stocking and rangeland degradation. In recent years, however, anthropolo-gists and ecologists have argued that African pastoralists have developed sustainable modes of pasture management based on a ...

Infection as a consequence of splash sharps and needlestick injuries (SSNIs) is a hazard faced by healthcare workers. Little is known about the impact this has on quality of life particularly in countries where the risk of infection is high. This study aims to describe the impact SSNIs have on the quality of life of healthcare workers in Kenya, where blood borne illness prevalence is high. A hospital-wide survey of a facility in Nairobi was conducted. Data was collected online from at risk healthcare workers using Burckhardt and Anderson's Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) and a 10-item symptoms questionnaire. Of the 416 participants, 192 (46.2%) had experienced SSNIs. Their mean QOLS scores were considerably lower than that predicted for a healthy population. The relationship between symptoms and QOLS scores showed a strong positive correlation (Pearson's r = 0.753). Tests of association between QOLS scores and SSNI type, anti-retroviral (ARV) drug use, educational level and sta...