Department of Education Foundation/EPM

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An assessment of quality assurance on academic performance in public primary schools in Kenya
(201-12) Maiyo, J.; Ngina, J.; Wetiba, J.
The core function of the directorate of Quality Assurance and Standards is ensuring Quality education. Despite the government’s effort in strengthening the department, it is still wanting. The main objective of the study was to carry out an assessment of quality assurance on academic performance in public primary schools in Lugari Sub-county. The study was based on the Structural Functionalist Theory. The research adopted a descriptive research design whereby mixed research methodology was utilized in collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. The study targeted 5 education officials, 45 head teachers, 45 deputy head teachers and 350 teachers all making a target population of 445 people. Stratified sampling technique was used to sample 14 head teachers,14 deputy head teachers , 105 teachers and purposive sampling technique was used to select education officials all making a sample size of 135 people. Interview schedules were used to collect data from education officials. Questionnaires were used to collect data. Data collected was analyzed using both inferential and descriptive statistics. The study found that QASOs were not visiting schools physically and regularly. It was also found that the QASOs did not have enough time with the teachers to discuss the strengths and weaknesses observed during their visits to schools. The study found that QASOs did not organize seminars and workshops for teachers on curriculum implementation and at the same time they concentrated on administrative issues whenever they visited schools. The study recommended that QASOs should organize regular seminars and workshops to update teachers on the current teaching methods. There was need to improve the pupils’ learning environment by providing enough sanitation facilities, relevant textbooks, enough and secure classrooms.
Efficacy of kinesthetic instructional resources utilization on students’ performance in biology in secondary schools in Kenya
(201-12) Munene, Titus S.; Mutsotso, Stanley N.; Masibo, Edwin NM.; Wanjala, Robert N.
Educators propose a wider range of stimulating and exciting materials to be used in teaching the concepts outlined in the curriculum to ensure that learners are actively involved in the learning process. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the efficacy of kinesthetic instructional resources utilization on students’ performance in biology in secondary schools in Bungoma Central Sub- County in Kenya. The objective of this paper was to assess the availability of the wide range of kinesthetic instructional resources used in biology in secondary schools. The study was conducted in Bungoma Central Sub-County. Descriptive survey design was utilized in this study. The target population was the teachers of Biology; Laboratory Technicians and form three students in the secondary schools in Bungoma Central Sub- County. Stratified random sampling was used to select the schools from which respondents were picked. Purposive sampling was used to pick Biology teachers and laboratory technicians while simple random sampling was used to select students in the sampled schools. Data was collected using questionnaires, document analysis and observation schedule. Data was then analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study findings show that the predominant kinesthetic instructional resources available in most schools were black and white photographs and in some schools, these could only be accessed from the prescribed course books. The study also found that, most teachers, students and laboratory technicians perceived that the use of kinesthetic resources mainly coloured photographs simplified learning of biology and that they provide a better alternative to real specimen as they present the virtual reality of the latter. The conclusion made from this paper was that students need constant interaction with the subject teacher to develop the skills, attitude and knowledge about the photographs presented to them
Use of life themes Pedagogy and its influence on performance in christian religious education (CRE) in secondary schools in Kenya
(201-12) Naliaka, Edith.; Wanyonyi, David.; Mukwa, Chris.
The purpose of this study was to assess the teachers’ use of life themes pedagogy and its influence on performance in Christian Religious Education (CRE) in Secondary Schools in Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to find out how each of the four steps of life themes pedagogy (Human experience, Biblical Experience, Explanation & Application & Response) influence performance in CRE, and, to investigate the challenges in the use of life themes pedagogy in the implementation of CRE curriculum in Secondary schoolsin Kenya. The study was guided by Social Development Theory by Vygotsky, constructivist Theory by Brunner and Situated Learning Theory by Lev. The study employed descriptive survey design. The study used stratified sampling to select the schools and purposive sampling to select both students and teachers of CRE. Questionnaires, interview guide and document analysis were used for data collection. The total number of respondents was 454. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The data was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. Reliability of research instruments was checked using Cronbach's alpha which was 0.85 and above thus was reliable enough, whereas construct and content validity was checked by the teaching faculty. Data was summarized using means and standard deviation and presented using frequency tables and charts. The study revealed that teachers of CRE used life themes pedagogy and the steps had an influence on performance in spite of the challenges they faced. Some of the challenges were that the pedagogy was time consuming and the syllabus was very wide. The findings of the study are hoped to benefit Ministry of Education in designing plans that would ensure that CRE teachers are adequately prepared to embrace life themes pedagogy. In the field of education, it will add literature to what already exists as well as create gaps for further research. For the teachers of CRE the study will help them to improve their skills in the use of the pedagogy and on the need for making students’ real life experiences the basis for teaching Christian Religious Education hence lead to improved performance in the subject. The study therefore concludes that use of life themes pedagogy is crucial in ensuring better performance of CRE and hence it is strongly encouraged in the teaching of the subject.
Major challenges to the girl-child education in Kenya: the Kuria experience
(2000-04) Mohochi, Ernest Sangai
Many societies have realised the important role played by women in development. Accordingly, a lot of effort and time has been spent discussing issues that affect women's contribution in overall national development. Despite the atmosphere of gender imbalance that has prevailed in most spheres of life in Africa, women continue to contribute towards society's economic and social development. As a matter of fact, increased awareness has enabled them to demand their rightful place in shaping the destiny of the African Society. Most governments have taken note of the fact, and together with an increasing number of non-governmental organisations, have started to work together to strategise on improving women's participation in national issues. One such strategy is to increase and sustain women access to education. Although the Kenyan government has devoted a lot of resources to increasing women's education, Kuria District has neither responded favourably to government efforts. As a result, the district has not made much progress in increasing women's access to education. This chapter seeks to explain the reasons for the poor response to increasing women's education in Kuria District and to propose remedial measures to improve the situation.
Access to basic education in Kenya: Inherent concerns
(Academic Journals, 2007-10-30) Maiyo, JK.; Odebero, S.O.; Mualuko, N.J
Basic education being the minimum education that every Kenyan must have for progressive existence in society is a crucial factor. That is why Kenya subscribes to the international protocol that established Education for All (EFA) in Jomtien, Thailand 1990 and the world education forum in Dakar, Senegal, 2000. Since then, the Kenya Government in her Education Sector Strategic Plan and Sessional paper No. 1 of 2005 has articulated how to attain goals for education. For instance early childhood education which tries to ensure development of the whole personality of the child’s physical, mental, and socio-emotional attributes faces challenges such as lack of access to early childhood education mostly caused by poverty, regional and gender disparities, policy framework, and HIV/AIDS among others. At primary school level where children stay longest in the schooling years and they develop more motor skill, further cognitive skills along with higher socialization than the early childhood education level, has children failing to access education due to poverty, gender imbalances, regional imbalances among other concerns. Secondary education which creates a human resource base higher than the primary education along with training youth for further education and the world of work registers restriction to many children due to concerns of poverty, gender imbalances, insecurity regional disparity among others. This article articulates in detail the above concerns discussing their manifestations in Kenya. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations made on how to improve access to basic education in Kenya. Among the recommendations are: To make basic education free and compulsory, improve provision of health services, intensify fight against demeaning cultures, give special attention to children with disabilities, avail employment opportunities to the youth, assure security to all in conflict prone zones and tighten bursary disbursement procedures.
Access to basic education in Kenya: inherent concerns
(Academic Journals, 2007-10-30) Odebero, Stephen O.; Maiyo, Julius K.; Mualuko, Ndiku J.
Basic education being the minimum education that every Kenyan must have for progressive existence in society is a crucial factor. That is why Kenya subscribes to the international protocol that established Education for All (EFA) in Jomtien, Thailand 1990 and the world education forum in Dakar, Senegal, 2000. Since then, the Kenya Government in her Education Sector Strategic Plan and Sessional paper No. 1 of 2005 has articulated how to attain goals for education. For instance early childhood education which tries to ensure development of the whole personality of the child’s physical, mental, and socioemotional attributes faces challenges such as lack of access to early childhood education mostly caused by poverty, regional and gender disparities, policy framework, and HIV/AIDS among others. At primary school level where children stay longest in the schooling years and they develop more motor skill, further cognitive skills along with higher socialization than the early childhood education level, has children failing to access education due to poverty, gender imbalances, regional imbalances among other concerns. Secondary education which creates a human resource base higher than the primary education along with training youth for further education and the world of work registers restriction to many children due to concerns of poverty, gender imbalances, insecurity regional disparity among others. This article articulates in detail the above concerns discussing their manifestations in Kenya. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations made on how to improve access to basic education in Kenya. Among the recommendations are: To make basic education free and compulsory, improve provision of health services, intensify fight against demeaning cultures, give special attention to children with disabilities, avail employment opportunities to the youth, assure security to all in conflict prone zones and tighten bursary disbursement procedures.
Horrifying disasters in western Kenya impact on education and national development
(Academic Journals, 2008-05-07) Achoka, Judith S. K.; Maiyo, Julius K.
The occurrence of natural disasters has shown a positive trend as annual incidents of disaster events have increased on the continent. Approximately two-thirds of the 3.3 million people in Western Kenya fall below the poverty line, leaving the region stuck in poverty traps that prevent sustainable development. Schools in the region are hampered in their operation when the disaster occurs .In third term 2007, many school were unable to open due to flooding, students were transferred to other schools while others dropout of the system. Access to safe water, sanitation, quality education and HIV/AIDS awareness are desperately needed, along with micro-economic development to bring the population up to a livable standard. This study investigates the horrifying disasters in the region and analyzes their impact on education and national development.
Horrifying disasters in western Kenya; Impact on education and national development
(Academic Journals, 2008-05-30) Achoka, S.K.; Maiyo, Julius K.
The occurrence of natural disasters has shown a positive trend as annual incidents of disaster events have increased on the continent. Approximately two-thirds of the 3.3 million people in Western Kenya fall below the poverty line, leaving the region stuck in poverty traps that prevent sustainable development. Schools in the region are hampered in their operation when the disaster occurs. In third term 2007, many school were unable to open due to flooding, students were transferred to other schools while others dropout of the system. Access to safe water, sanitation, quality education and HIV/AIDS awareness are desperately needed, along with micro-economic development to bring the population up to a livable standard. This study investigates the horrifying disasters in the region and analyzes their impact on education and national development.
Students’ reactions to the use of computers in science education in selected Kenyan secondary schools
(2008-12-01) Wekesa, Wasike Duncan; Wekesa, Eric Wangila; Mualuko, Ndiku Judah; Maiyo, Julius K.
Different people react differently to the same experience. A current trend in science instruction is to integrate technology into classroom in a variety of ways. A Computer Based Instruction (CBI) courseware was used to teach cell theory that has posed diffi culties for teachers and students as part of the classroom innovation. Students’ attitude towards the innovation and their attitude towards the biology classroom environment were collected through two 5-point bi-polar Likert-scale items and unstructured written interviews. The innovation resulted to better perception of the biology classroom environment and attitudes towards cell theory. Classifi cation of students’ unstructured responses confi rmed the existence of a series of metaphors for technology use in educational settings
Poverty alleviation: the educational planning perspective
(Academic Journals, 2009-06-30) Maiyo, Julius K.; Ashioya, Irene A.
A well planned education system is expected to respond to the socio-economic needs as well as the political objectives of any country. Education contributes to poverty reduction by increasing the value of efficiency of the labour force and thus enhances economic growth. This economic growth is expected to translate into higher income lowering poverty levels. This is because the more educated an individual is; the more productive he is expected to be both in the labour market and the household. Therefore, more education provision can raise income levels in general and remove groups from absolute poverty. This paper examines the extent to which education in Kenya has been planned to foster economic growth and alleviate poverty. It also looks at the factors hindering the realization of this objective and finally offers recommendations on how education can be systematically planned to elevate society and social systems towards a better and more humane life.
The role of guiding and counselling in secondary schools in Kenya: prospects and challenges
(2009-09-01) Maiyo, Julius K.; Owiye, Joan
Since the 1990s, education system in Kenya has faced dynamic and rapid changes that have had overwhelming effects both on the child, teacher, school and society at large. Education policies have changed over the years including the recently introduced policy on caning which was scraped through children’s Act of 2001 and replaced with guiding and counseling as a measure to prepare a child for the challenges they face both in school and outside school. As corporal punishment remains banned and children becoming more aware of their rights, guiding and counseling remains the most acceptable channel of reaching the children in schools; the children too being teenagers, they experience a time of storm and stress characterized by mixed reactions of being happy at one moment and extremely sad at another moment. The reactions to such situations are likely to be intense and volatile. With parents being too busy to give children quality time and attention, the responsibility has been left to rest squarely on the shoulder of the teachers to help students make decisions on aspects that affect their lives. This therefore necessitates the need to strengthen guiding and counseling in schools. This paper examines the role of guiding and counseling in secondary schools mainly in shaping the career life of the teenager and the challenges faced by schools in using it as a measure to replace caning in instilling discipline in the students. The research was based and build on scientifi c sources, analytical evaluative studies and scientifi c literature; content analysis of documents and refl ection of experience to examine the role of guiding and counseling in secondary schools. From the fi ndings, a conclusion was drawn that to streamline the role of guiding & counseling and overcome the challenges in shaping the students’ integrated development, every party including the MOE, policy makers, schools, teachers and parents have a role to play in shaping the life of the child.
Ranking of secondary schools and students in national examinations: the perception of teachers and students
(2010-07-01) Amunga, Jane K.; Amadalo, Maurice M.; Maiyo, Julius K.
The aim of the study was to investigate the teachers’ and students’ perception of ranking schools and students in national examinations. A descriptive survey design was used and secondary schools in Kakamega south district formed the study population. The sample frame consisted of 75 secondary schools stratified according to performance into low, average and top ranked categories. The sample size consisted of 36 schools (12 from each performance category) selected by simple random sampling and 252 respondents selected purposively from the 36 schools. Data collection instruments were questionnaires. Reliability was established by use of test retest technique. Most of the students and most head teachers approved of ranking while most of the teachers disapproved of ranking. Despite this stand on ranking, both the teachers and students felt that ranking should be improved and thus called for a system of assessment that encompassed all the aspects instead of focusing on academic performance only. This would ensure that ranking of schools and students did not glorify academic achievement at the expense of talent and other virtues.
Participatory decision making in secondary schools: case of students’ involvement in mwala division, Kenya.
(2010-09-01) Mulwa, David; Maiyo, Julius K.
The study was an investigation of the participation in decision making by secondary schools students in Mwala division, Mwala district. The purpose was to identify the key decision makers in Secondary schools and the extent to which students were involved in decision making as far as curriculum and instruction, students’ management and welfare, and school-community relations were concerned. The study was based on the Normative Model of Group Decision making. The study hypothesized that schools would largely involve students in decision making in order to avert major crises like school strikes. The study used data collected from three secondary schools randomly selected from 10 public secondary schools in Mwala division. A sample of 80 students was selected randomly to represent the schools. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. Data were sourced from the students by use of a questionnaire. Data was analyzed by use of descriptive analysis techniques which involves frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. It was established that students participated least in decision making concerning curriculum and instruction, and students’ management and welfare but largely participated in making decisions concerning school community relations. More than 95% of the students indicated that they would like to participate more in decision making
Social challenges facing heads of schools in the process of enacting the children's act (2001).
(2010-09-01) Maiyo, Julius K.; Owiye, Joan; Nandi, Caroline R.
Education has been identified as a tool for fostering the development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and ideals necessary for individuals to play a productive role in any society. The signing of the various global policy frameworks such as the 1998 United Nations convention on the rights of the child (CRC), the 1990 Jomtien world conference on EFA, the 2000 world education forum (Dakar, Senegal) and the 2000 Millennium Development goals (MDGs) demonstrated the commitment by governments to the well being of children. In regard to this, Kenya fully implemented FPE in 2001 and also partially free secondary education in 2008. However, there are social challenges facing the management of schools in the wake of the craze to achieve high mean scores which go against the rights of children as stipulated in the Children’s Act (2001) and in turn affect retention and participation of the children in education. Overemphasis on the cognitive aspect of education, while overlooking the other potentials that a child has, leads to discriminatory acts that may hinder full participation of a child in education. This study therefore sought to identify the social challenges facing heads of schools in the enactment of the children’s rights and also establish ways of dealing with the challenges identified. A case study methodology was used to achieve in-depth and detailed information. The study was carried out in Bungoma East District of Western Province where 10% of secondary schools were purposively sampled. The research tools employed included; questionnaires, interview schedules and focus group discussions (FGD) to collect information from students, Heads of departments (Guiding and counseling), Heads of schools and District quality assurance and standards officers (DQUASO). Data was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Descriptive analysis was used to report the results of the data. The study found out that Principals and DQUASO (District Quality Assurance and Standards Officer) were aware of the children’s Act and policy on repeating but societal expectations and school policies made it impossible to implement the same. Of the teachers sampled, 72% were aware of the children’s Act but upward job mobility influenced their position as regards acts of discrimination in education. Only a small percentage (13) of the children sampled were aware of their rights yet they did not understand that acts of humiliation as regards achieving of low grades in examinations were actually acts of discrimination that goes against their rights in education. The study too found out that there is no serious follow up by the government on the implementation of the policy on repeating and the enactment of the children’s rights 2001. Parents seem to stand on the fence helplessly as their children go through acts of humiliation with regard to their grades in examinations. The study recommends the government to endeavor to implement to the fullest both the children’s act, specifically in education and the policy on repeating in schools in order to seal the gaps that allow for discriminatory acts in the school system
Gender and regional disparities in enrolment and academic achievement in Kenya: implications for education planning.
(2010-12-01) Amunga, Jane; Musasia, Amadalo Maurice; Maiyo, Julius
According to the requirements of the educational millennium development goals, countries are supposed to ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike complete a full course of primary education and eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005 and at all levels by 2015. In line with this requirement, the Kenya government introduced free primary education (FPE) in 2003 and free secondary education in 2008 particularly for day schools. Enrolment in both primary school and secondary school has increased tremendously. This paper examines and highlights the patterns of gender and regional disparities in enrolment and academic achievement in the country. It shows that despite the general increase in enrolment at all levels of education in most regions; the enrolment of boys still exceeds that of girls. The situation is worse North Eastern where enrolment has remained very low despite government interventions. While enrolment figures offer a lot of hope, the situation is grim in academic achievement. Near parity in enrolment in many regions has failed to translate into parity in academic achievement. The girls register low achievement in national examinations when compared to boys nationally and in their respective regions in the country. The paper focuses on the 2009 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results because it is the most immediate examination year. Where possible, other years have been used for comparison purposes. This paper argues that it is not enough to have girls in school. They have to benefit from the system by achieving quality grades which will in turn guarantee placement in marketable courses especially those required to drive the economy. Educational planners and policy makers should shift the campaign from enrolment and participation to achievement particularly that of girls.
Education and poverty, relationship and concerns. a case for Kenya
(2011-12-01)
Poverty has many dimensions and does not merely entail low levels of income or expenditure. According to Sen (1992), poverty is the lack of capability to function effectively in society. Inadequate education can thus be considered a form of poverty. Education is widely accepted as the main exit route from poverty. It is the backbone of growth and development of individuals and the nation. However, its achievement continues to elude many who are poverty stricken. This paper articulates the issues of education and poverty which is related to that of chicken-egg relationships. The study used secondary data from eight provinces in Kenya. The study correlated the poverty headcount with the educational indicators. It emerged from the data that provinces which had less poverty levels (Central-30.4% and Nairobi 29.5%) experienced high literacy rate, high enrolment and low dropout rate, while regions which had higher levels of poverty headcount (North Eastern-73.9% and Coast-69.7%) experienced low literacy rates, and poor academic performance. The study Concluded that extreme poor are denied access to education, poverty hampers learning in developing countries through poor nutrition, health, home circumstances, quality, costs and inadequate resources for education. The study recommends the government to introduce/re-introduce/ strengthen school feeding programme, subsidize school uniform and address the issues of opportunity cost for the extreme poor among others
Education and poverty,relationship and concerns. A case for Kenya.
(2011-12-01) Maiyo, J.K.; Bawane, Jyoti
Poverty has many dimensions and does not merely entail low levels of income or expenditure. According to Sen (1992), poverty is the lack of capability to function effectively in society. Inadequate education can thus be considered a form of poverty. Education is widely accepted as the main exit route from poverty. It is the backbone of growth and development of individuals and the nation. However, its achievement continues to elude many who are poverty stricken. This paper articulates the issues of education and poverty which is related to that of chicken-egg relationships. The study used secondary data from eight provinces in Kenya. The study correlated the poverty headcount with the educational indicators. It emerged from the data that provinces which had less poverty levels (Central-30.4% and Nairobi 29.5%) experienced high literacy rate, high enrolment and low dropout rate, while regions which had higher levels of poverty headcount (North Eastern-73.9% and Coast-69.7%) experienced low literacy rates, and poor academic performance. The study Concluded that extreme poor are denied access to education, poverty hampers learning in developing countries through poor nutrition, health, home circumstances, quality, costs and inadequate resources for education. The study recommends the government to introduce/re-introduce/ strengthen school feeding programme, subsidize school uniform and address the issues of opportunity cost for the extreme poor among others
A study of households poverty levels and its influence on primary schools internal efficiency in Kwanza district of Kenya
(2012-02) Julius, Maiyo Kiprop
Education is widely accepted as the main backbone of growth and development of individuals and the nation. However, its achievement continues to elude many who are poverty stricken. Government of Kenya introduced free primary education in 2003 and tuition free secondary education in 2008. It is estimated that about 3 millions children are not enrolled in primary schools. For the children who enrolled in grade one, only between 46-48% can manage to complete the final grade and transition rate remained below 50%. The study was envisaged to look at households’ poverty levels and its influence in internal efficiency of primary schools in Kwanza district of Kenya. The objective of the study was to: determine the poverty levels of the selected households, ascertain the internal efficiency of primary schools and to establish relationship between the households poverty levels and schools internal efficiency. The study used the theory of production function developed by Von Thunen 1826. The study adopted an integrated interdisciplinary approach to investigate the research problem. Descriptive research method was employed. The study used survey research design. The sample size of the study was 468 respondents’, comprising of 360 household heads, 12 head teachers and 96 class teachers. Simple random and purposive sampling design was used. Four instruments were developed and used to collect data: Questionnaires for the households’ heads and class teachers, school data form and interviews. Data was analyzed with the help of SPSS computer programme (11.5). Household poverty levels were determined by use of poverty indexes developed by Greer and Thorbecke (1986). National poverty line of Ksh 1562 developed by the government of Kenya in 2005/06 was adopted. Schools internal efficiency was determine with the help of educational statistical indicators developed by UNESCO (2009). Further to establish the relationship and test the hypotheses statistically, Pearson product moment correlation test was adopted. Findings of the study were presented by use of tables and figures. The study revealed that Kwanza district had 43.3 % of the households living above the poverty line, and 56.7 % of them operating below the poverty line. In the period 2004-2009 the dropout rate in Kwanza district schools ranged between 6.3% to 25.6%. While in the year (2010) the district average dropout range between 4.5% to 24.3%. Further the findings revealed that Kwanza district on average had a transition rate of 44.62% between the period 2002-2009, which implied that about 55.38% pupils on the final grade in the district did not preceded for their secondary education. The study also revealed that household’s poverty level had a significant relationship with majority of the school internal efficiency measures which included repetition, dropout, survival rate, cohort wastage, academic achievement and transition rate. The study implications among others were that the ministry of education should establish indicators for monitoring, evaluation and assessment of progress made in achieving educational goals. The focus should include monitoring of inputs and outputs of school education to assess their efficiency and effectiveness. The government should take the key responsibility of preparing data base of the poor families in the district and develop a credit cum-subsidy scheme that will provide financial support in terms of loans to the disadvantage group.
Socio-economic factors influencing implementation of the Ainabkoi settlement scheme 1963-2008 in Eldoret east district, Kenya
(2013-10) Boit, Kipchirchir John
Settlement schemes in Kenya have been faced with various constraints since independence in 1963. The main purpose of the study was to examine the socio-economic factors that affected Ainabkoi settlement scheme from independence to 2008. Methodology employed included oral interviews, secondary data and archival sources. The study also sought to interview 80 original settlers in all four phases or blocks in Ainabkoi settlement scheme. A pilot study was carried out in Lessos settlement scheme. Rural Development approach was used in analyzing data. The analysis of data was done using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study upheld the ethnicity and sociocultural organization, such as lineage and clan loyalties persisted in Ainabkoi Settlement Scheme adversely affecting settlers socio-economic transformation. One of the findings was that the settlers should be regarded more as pioneers and therefore allowed to put a great deal of work on what will be their land in future. Secondly, the study showed that both social and economic factors are important for the attainment of settlement scheme objectives. Based on the findings, the study recommends that there should be national selection criteria of settlers for all settlement projects, future planning be considered by diversifying the economy of the settlers and by introducing pre-tested crops of high quality and cushion farmers against the fluctuations in market prices and enable them meet the demands of the settlement programme.
Challenges faced by small and medium enterprises in accessing public contracts in Bondo, Kenya
(International Journals of Multidisciplinary Research Academy, 2014-05-01) Olang'o, Abuya Joshua; Gerald, Ondiek
Kenya Government has been in the forefront in advocating for the youth access to Government Contracts. This has been evidenced by the Presidential Directive on Youth Access to Govermnent contracts by allocating 10% of all public contracts to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Despite this preferential treatment of SMEs, comparative tallies of public contracts secured by SMEs in Bondo against those secured by large enterprises are still very small. The study objectives are to determine the main challenges faced by SMEs in accessing public sector contracts in Bondo District and determining the types of public contracts often secured by SMEs in Bondo District. The research design adopted was stratified random sampling of SMEs in which self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. A sample size of 136 SMEs out of a population of 210 SMEs were selected. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics. From the study perceived corruption, large documentation level, inavailability of public contracts, lack of information access, lack of feedback, large lot sizes, existing framework arrangements, lack of capital, long procurement time-scales, bureaucratic procurement procedures, stringent selection criteria, inaccurate contract information, cost of tendering, poor business infrastructure unfavorable taxation regime and pre-qualification were the major challenges SMEs face in accessing public sector contracts in Bondo. Again the study found that SMEs in Bondo which to some extent secured public sector contracts were found to have mostly drawn their public contracts from the Office of the President, Local Authority, Roads & Public Works and Agriculture & Regional Development. In conclusion, there are still a number of challenges that SMEs in Bondo are facing in accessing public sector contracts. These challenges need to be addressed by both the government and SMEs management. To accomplish this, the study recommends that further research be carried on how these challenges could be reduced both by government contracting authorities and/or SMEs themselves. Further research could also be carried on the initiatives the government has put to facilitate SMEs access to public contracts. Research could also be done on contribution of the level of education of procurement officers in achieving value for money during public procurement.

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