Abstract Information and communications technology (ICT) incorporation in teaching physics in Kenyan secondary schools cannot be overlooked, given the key roles and benefits that ICT offers in the process of teaching and learning. Consistently poor average scores in the subject currently witnessed at the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) level in Physics can be attributed to low student motivation and traditional teaching strategies. For instance, in the years 2016, 2017, 2018,...
Abstract The philosophy that advances the study of physics as one of the learning areas in secondary schools cannot be overlooked due to the realization of the contributions of physics towards the industrial and vocational development of the country. The major concern of this particular study is the consistent poor average scores in the subject currently witnessed at the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) level in Physics, which can be attributed to low student motivation and tr...
Abstract While agriculture is a major source of employment, it is notable that youths in developing countries are unemployed, yet the countries’ economies are dependent on it. Though there are immense prospects in the agricultural sector in Kenya, agriculture is taught in schools as an optional subject under the 8-4-4 syllabus so that it may stimulate youths’ participation in agriculture and improve productivity. In the current competency-based curriculum, agriculture is taught in upper ...
Abstract Worldwide, cervical cancer is still a major health concern. The problem is worse in developing nations because there is a lack of access to trustworthy cancer information, which discourages people from getting screened. The usefulness of interpersonal communication channels in spreading awareness about cervical cancer screening was investigated in this inquiry. The study was carried out at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, within the Materna...
Abstract Irrigation plays a critical role in addressing food security as envisaged in Kenya’s development blueprint, the Big Four Agenda. However, the performance of any open channel irrigation system is a function of its canal conveyance efficiency, among other factors. To overcome challenges with irrigation water conveyance at the Ahero Irrigation Scheme, a Hydrologic Engineering Centre River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) model was used to simulate the flow characteristics at the tail-end se...
Abstract Background Grains of important food and export crops in Africa are susceptible to contamination by toxin-producing moulds. Aflatoxins are mycotoxins associated with liver damage and cancer in humans and animals. These toxic substances are produced by fungi (such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus) in food and feed exposed to poor conditions during crop cultivation, storage or processing of harvest. The presence of aflatoxins in especially maize and peanuts in Kenya is...
Abstract Bacillus thuringiensis strains are widely used in many larvicidal pest control programs. However, the large-scale production of these biolarvicides is very expensive due to the high cost of the production synthetic medium. In this study, we developed cost-effective media, based on locally available raw materials namely legumes, potato, and whey. The optical density, protein concentration yield, sporulation and Chilo partellus larvicidal action were studied by growing bacterial strai...
Abstract Lake Elmenteita is one of the alkaline saline lakes within the Kenyan Rift valley. The lake is situated on the floor of the Kenyan Rift Valley at 1,776 m above sea level and has no direct outlet. The microbial diversity of the lake was investigated using a culture-independent approach. Five different sampling points were selected randomly within the lake. Wet sediments and water samples were collected from each sampling point. In addition, dry mud cake was collected from three point...
Abstract Greywater (GW) is household wastewater effluent originating from baths, showers, kitchen and hand wash basins and laundry and constitutes 50-80% of indoor household water use. It represents water that can potentially be intercepted at the household level for use. In Kenya, GW use is practiced on an informal basis to supplement irrigation water, either in urban gardens in middle to upper income suburbs or in food gardens in lower income informal, periurban and rural areas. However, t...
Abstract The breeding programmes of many crops use diallel analyses because of the genetic information they offer to breeders. Six morphological and agronomic traits of Snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were studied to investigate their gene action, and to estimate the general combining abilities (GCA) and specific combining abilities (SCA) of parents and crosses. Three snap bean varieties - Amy, Monel and Morlane and two dry bean varieties - GLP 20 and GLPX 92 were used as parents in a comp...
Abstract Aims: Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a crop with largely unexplored and unexplained potentially valuable genetic variability. The knowledge and understanding of the extent of genetic variation of cassava germplasm is important for conservation and improvement. Objective: The current study was to investigate the genetic divergence of cassava mutants, hybrids and landraces using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Methodology: Genetic diversity of ten cassava genotypes was de...
Abstract Development and deployment of genetically engineered crops requires effective environmental and food safety assessment capacity. In-country expertise is needed to make locally appropriate decisions. In April 2007, biosafety and biotechnology scientists, regulators, educators, and communicators from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, met to examine the status and needs of biosafety training and educational programs in East Africa. Workshop participants emphasized the importance of developi...
Abstract Meloidogyne incognita causes huge yield losses in rice which is the third most important cereal crop in Kenya. The aim of this study was to identify M. incognita-resistant rice cultivars from Kenya and relate the responses to known resistance pathways with OsPR1a, OsPAL1, and OsJAMYB as marker genes in rice. Five rice cultivars BW 196, Basmati 217 (Pishori), Sindano, IR 2793-80-1 (grown in lowland irrigated fields), and NERICA 4 (grown in upland rainfed fields) were evaluated for re...
Abstract Thermophiles are excellent sources of enzymes that can withstand and carry out reactions efficiently under high temperatures. This study isolated and characterised thermotolerant bacteria that produce enzymes of potential industrial value from five hot springs in Eritrea. A total of 65 bacterial isolates were obtained from the five hot springs. Out of the 65 isolates; 19 isolates produced a positive reaction for amylases, 36 for carboxymethyl cellulases, eight for proteases, 10 for ...
Abstract/Overview Temperature plays an important role in the development and survival of insects. The effects of temperature on the development of two cricket species, Acheta domesticus and Gryllus bimaculatus were determined at six constant temperatures (18, 22, 26, 30, 34 and 380C). Parameters for stage-specific development such as fecundity, weight and fat content, structural body size, sex ratio, development time, and longevity were investigated. Relative humidity, light intensity, an...