ABSTRACT There is a growing demand for indigenous medicinal plants and an increasing interest in their use among Kenyans who depend on them for one use or another. The study was conducted with the main objective to determine the utilization and conservation of indigenous medicinal plants in Koipirir, Ilchurai and Ikumae in Baringo County. The specific objectives were to assess the composition and abundance of the common Indigenous Medicinal Plants in the study areas, to find out the diversity...
ABSTRACT Malaria and lymphatic filariasis transmission along the coastal strip of Kenya is endemic. The predominant mosquito vectors of human malaria include Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Anopheles funestus. The same mosquitoes transmit lymphatic filariasis with an added role for Culex quinquefasciatus. Current control strategies for anthropophagic mosquitoes largely involve methods that sample for adult mosquitoes inside human dwellings before they are implemented. Despite the intensive inter...
ABSTRACT The semi-arid Ijara sub-county borders Fafi sub-county to the north, Lamu and Tana River counties to the south and west respectively and republic of Somalia to the east. It occupies agro-ecological zones IV to VI, that change to V and VI, moving away from Boni forest with an estimated 1000km2 arable land suitable for crop agriculture. Temperatures range 15ºC – 38ºC with average relative humidity 68%. Rainfall data from Kenya Met Services 1970-2008 indicated shift from the tradi...
ABSTRACT Many developing countries have been decentralizing some aspects of natural resource management. Governments justify decentralization as a means of increasing access, use, management, and decision making on natural resources. In Kenya, decentralisation points to conflict resolution whether explicitly or implicitly. However, the questions of to what degree and in what ways decentralization affect conflict in management of natural resources in Kenya have largely been overlooked. Thus, t...
ABSTRACT Mount Kenya Reserve is vital to the livelihood of the local populations who revere it. The forest reserve is of vital ecological, economic and environmental importance and is recognized as a world heritage site. The forest reserve serves as a water catchment reservoir for nearly a third of Kenya‟s population and feeds the country‟s largest River Tana, which in turn supports hydro electric plants that provide more than 50% of the country‟s electricity. The forest reserve is curr...
ABSTRACT Human activites have shaped the world over the years. Survival instincts prompted early man to explore his immediate natural surroundings and try many plants, animal products and minerals to develop a variety of therapeutical agents. W.H.O currently encourages, recommends and promotes research and inclusion of herbal drugs into national health care programmes. Indiscriminate destruction of forests and wood lands has led to reducing biodiversity that is increasingly causing disappear...
ABSTRACT Poverty has often been seen as a purely rural problem but for many developing countries, the pervasive nature of urban poverty constitutes an enormous challenge for policy makers and in development efforts. Poverty reduction tools and approaches that have been developed for rural poverty reduction cannot be replicated in urban areas because urban poverty is different in nature from rural poverty hence, understanding the nature of urban poverty as well as having accurate data that pr...
ABSTRACT Forests cover approximately 30% of the earth‘s land surface area and provide critical ecosystem goods and services to mankind. However, forest cover in Kenya is among the lowest in the world, currently at around 7.6%. The Mau Forest Complex is the largest water tower in Kenya, but is threatened because of land use change and rapid human population growth in the adjoining areas. The overall objective of this study was to assess community attitudes and perception towards conservatio...
ABSTRACT About 90% of Kenya's rural population relies on wood fuel to meet their daily cooking energy needs. The consequences of over reliance on biomass energy are far reaching with adverse effects on the economic, social and environmental spheres of sustainability. Animals are an important source of food and income for many rural people, but their manure is a source of one of the world‟s most potent greenhouse gases. Turning manure into biogas, as an alternative source of energy has not ...
ABSTRACT The Mau Forests Complex (MFC) is considered the most important of the five main watershed areas in Kenya because of its economic, social and environmental contribution to the country. The forest is under increasing threat from irregular and ill‐planned settlements, encroachments and illegal forest resource exploitation. In recent years, the Government of Kenya (GoK) has taken significant steps towards addressing the threat of rapid ecological degradation of its forest resources. A...
ABSTRACT Dust pollution in quarries pose various health risks to the workers including respiratory ailments, skin and eye problems. Depending on the chemical composition and the concentration of the dust, the workers are exposed to inhalation of silica bearing dust thus being at risk of developing silicosis, a fatal lung disease. Information on the chemical composition of the quarry dust is important as it forms a vital baseline for among others the detection of the undesirable health effects...
ABSTRACT At a time of rising food insecurity and high rates of poverty as a result of drought, rural communities have to find alternative means of livelihoods apart from crop and livestock agriculture which are susceptible to drought. Woodcarving is one of the sole most important alternative forms of livelihood in the rural areas. Despite documented potential benefits of high value markets and value addition, wood carved products are majorly produced and marketed locally with or no value ad...
ABSTRACT Climate change is a real phenomenon whose effects ought to be mitigated, based on assessments that are informed by scientific evidence. Trees in agricultural landscapes play a significant role in mitigating climate change hence a robust inventory of tree biomass in these landscapes is essential for the accurate estimation of their potential in sequestering carbon. Therefore, applicable allometric equations that yield accurate biomass estimates of trees in agricultural landscapes are...
ABSTRACT Tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum, is a major horticultural crop grown in many areas in Kenya. The main constraint to tomato production is insect pests with farmers relying heavily on chemical pesticides to control them. This has led to several problems such as contamination of farm produce and pollution of the environment among others. There is need therefore need for alternative methods to control insect pests. A study was carried out in Mwea region of Kirinyaga County to assess the...
ABSTRACT Management of wastes – industrial or otherwise – is a primary step in safeguarding human health. The media, with its agenda-setting role, is important in as far as highlighting the health hazards of poor management of waste is concerned. This study, therefore, focuses on the media and the management of industrial discharge in Nairobi. The objectives of the study were: to determine the volumes of effluent waste emissions by industries; evaluation of industrial effluent discharge a...