MPPM Thesis and Dissertations (2017)
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Browsing MPPM Thesis and Dissertations (2017) by Title
Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemAn Analysis of revenue and expenditure performance of county governments in Kenya(Strathmore University, 2017) Kerich, Judith ChelangatThis study examines Revenue and Expenditure performance of county governments during the financial years 2013/14 to 2015/16. Kenya began the fiscal decentralization journey at independence through the creation of regionalism commonly known as Majimboism. Since independence Kenya has experimented on various forms of decentralization such as the Special Rural Development programme of 1966 among others. In 2010 a new constitution was promulgation which paved way for decentralization reforms that saw the devolution of functions, Resources and creation of 47 county governments. Key objectives of this study is to assess revenue performance by analyzing own revenue performance and the level transfer dependency of county governments. Expenditure performance was assessed by examining budget implementation at the county level, utilization of revenue, pending bills and compliance on 30% requirement on development expenditure. The absorptive capacity of counties is also analyzed to assess the extent to which counties are utilizing their resources. The study has used secondary data obtained from the reports of the Controller of Budget, The National Treasury and County Allocation Revenue Act. Data has been obtained for all the 47 county governments. The findings of the study indicate that counties are dependent on national transfers at an average of 87% and have been performing dismally on mobilization of own revenue. On the expenditure side there are counties whose expenditure exceeds available revenue. Compliance with development expenditure found that on average over the three years there are 24 counties that have not met the 30% requirement on development expenditure. The study established that actual allocation of resources to devolved functions namely Agriculture, Health and Water and Environment is different from planned expenditure which means that resources on devolved functions are being reallocated after the budget has been approved. The study concludes that revenue performance at the county level has been poor and several counties have not been able to achieve their revenue targets, hence making counties dependent on national transfers. On the expenditure, the study shows that fiscal discipline is lacking at the county level and compliance with 30% requirement on development expenditure is a challenge for at least 50% of the counties. On absorptive capacity the study concludes that a number of counties are not able to utilize or absorb the resources given to them which is an indication of poor implementation of programs and poor financial management practices because of large pending bills within counties. The study recommends a review of the legislative and policy framework to address the issue of fiscal discipline. The current framework gives guidelines on what should be done but does not provide sanctions on what happens when the stipulated requirements are violated.
- ItemAn Analysis of the factors that would influence investment in infrastructure assets by managers of pension funds in Kenya(Strathmore University, 2017) Mareri, Emma KeruboInfrastructure investments have traditionally been financed by governments but competing needs for limited resources has seen an increase in private sector funding of infrastructure projects. Given the large capital requirements needed for infrastructure investments, pooled savings such as those held by pension funds, insurance companies and endowments funds have been identified as potential sources of funding. The unique characteristics of infrastructure assets such as the long term horizon, stable, predictable and inflation linked cash flows match the liability profile of pension funds making them an ideal potential source of funding for infrastructure. In developed and emerging countries, pension funds have invested in infrastructure assets notwithstanding various barriers that exist. This study sought to analyze the factors that would influence investment in infrastructure assets by pension funds in Kenya. The review of theoretical and empirical literature identified nine factors that could influence investments in infrastructure assets. Questionnaires were issued to managers of pension funds in Kenya and 48 responses out of a targeted 66 respondents were received attaining a 73% response rate. The extent of influence of these factors on investment in infrastructure assets by managers of pension funds in Kenya was measured using an ordinal Likert scale and this was corroborated by a question that asked them to rank the relative importance of each of the factors. Factor analysis was then carried out to reduce the factors. The findings showed that the main factors that would influence the investments in infrastructure assets in Kenya were: the structure and investment characteristics of infrastructure assets, the expected return, governance of pension schemes and risk and regulation. Policy makers in Kenya should engage with the pension industry and address the potential impact these factors would have on attracting private capital as they structure infrastructure assets. Further research can be conducted on the feasibility of Public Private Partnerships in Kenya that require user fees on public utilities to be charged in the long term to meet the asset-liability match required by pension funds.
- ItemAnalysis of the influence of social capital on the utilization of maternal health services in Kibera Informal Settlements, Nairobi, Kenya.(Strathmore University, 2017-06) Gitimu, Anne MuthoniEvidence linking social capital to lower levels of mortality exists. However, little is known about the relationship between social capital and utilization of maternal health services in resource-poor countries such as Kenya. The maternal health goal under the Millennium Development Goal showed slow progress. Maternal health indicators are largely informed by utilization of various services. This study sought to examine the association between structural social capital and the utilization of three types of maternal health services—antenatal care, skilled delivery, and family planning in informal settlements. The study’s objective was to examine the influence of bonding, bridging and linking social capital on the utilization of maternal health services in Kibera informal settlements, Nairobi, Kenya. This study interviewed 391 women who had given birth in the years 2015 and 2016. Questionnaires were administered to these women and interviews were conducted among leaders of community based organizations, Ministry of Health staff, Ministry of Social services staff, and local leaders using a Key Informant Interview guide. Independent variables ─ bonding, bridging and linking social capital were examined in relation to the dependent variables on utilization of the three types of maternal health services (antenatal care, skilled delivery and family planning). Data from the study was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The analysis indicated that bonding social capital was not significant in the utilization of the three types of maternal health services. Bridging social capital was significant in utilization of family planning services only. Linking social capital was significantly associated with utilization of antenatal care services and family planning with both positive and inverse relationships. None of the three types of social capital influenced skilled delivery. The findings of this study will be useful in informing maternal health strategies and programs as well as informing health policy on the important forms of social capital for availing maternal health services in informal settlements. Key words: Maternal health, Social Capital, Informal Settlements
- ItemAn Assessment of consumer protection in the Kenyan insurance sector(Strathmore University, 2017) Kiptum, Godfrey K.The general objective of this research was to assess the effect of insurance features on consumer protection in Kenya’s insurance sector. The study specific objectives were to; examine the extent of consumer awareness on consumer protection in Kenya insurance sector; determine the effect of insurance regulatory framework on consumer protection in Kenya insurance sector; assess the extent of the effect of disclosure of insurance product information on consumer protection in Kenya insurance sector and establish the effect of equitable and fair treatment of consumers on consumer protection in Kenya insurance sector. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and the target population was a total of 700 consumer’s documented insurance complaints in the year 2014. The study applied a stratified random sampling technique to select 230 respondents as the sample size for the study. The study used data collected from secondary sources obtained from documented insurance complaints reports for the year 2014. The study collected documented consumer complaints reported from 42 insurance companies that had complaints made against them. Data of 150 consumers was sampled by the study. The findings indicate that knowledge on consumer education is low, that the insurance framework as currently is affords consumers little protection, product coverage and disclosure is still at the nascent stage and that consumers are not accorded fair treatment by the insurers. The study drew conclusion that the consumer awareness and hence protection in Kenya’s insurance sector was low due to low level of knowledge on insurance matters. This affects consumers’ ability to enforce their contractual rights. It was further noted that the lack of awareness by insurance consumers affected consumers’ protection in Kenya’s insurance legal regime. It is evident that the lack of clear understanding by policy holders on insurance legal legal regime disefranchised consumers and hence may not be able to seek protection provided by the various laws that protect consumers i.e. the Insurance Act and the Consumer protection Act. The study further concluded that lack of clear disclosure of insurance product information by insurance agents or insurance brokers negatively impacted on consumer protection in Kenya’s insurance sector and finally it was concluded that lack of knowledge on particular product or range of options available and the provisions to safeguard consumer rights that are standard contract provision like mediation or arbitration hampers the achievement of equity in resolving consumer complaints and hence the unintended discrimination in resolution of customer complaints. The study recommended that insurance companies’ agents or brokers should properly increase on consumer awareness on insurance products by equipping insurance policy holders with clear knowledge on insurance products. The insurance companies should also ensure that their insurance brokers or agents explains to their customers on the scope of benefits of their insurance covers.
- ItemAn Assessment of the factors affecting price discovery in the procurement of Public - Private Partnership projects in Sub-Saharan Africa(Strathmore University, 2017) Wamukoya, Hosborn AbasaPublic-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have become a common development strategy for governments especially in developing countries. Given that PPPs are a form of public procurement paid for by public funds, it is crucial that governments getting into PPP arrangements ensure that they are value for money. This starts at the project procurement stage through a price discovery process which is supposed to reflect the true price of projects given the factors of price discovery which are market structure, information flow, risk management strategy and market behaviour. This study therefore purposed to assess the factors affecting price discovery in the procurement of Public-Private Partnership Projects in sub-Saharan Africa. It examined the extent to which the four factors of price discovery were important to the price discovery process in the procurement of PPP projects in sub-Saharan Africa. Using a mixed research methodology approach to draw from the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative data, the study assessed sixty PPP projects from across twenty sub-Saharan African countries. The study found that in sub-Saharan Africa, risk management strategy is the most important factor affecting the price discovery process while market behaviour is the least important. The study concludes that all the four factors are important to the PPP price discovery process, albeit with varying degrees of importance. Also, unlike other markets which lean on either market structure or information flow as the most important factors of price discovery, the PPP market reorganises these factors and places more importance on risk management strategy. The study recommends what governments in sub-Saharan Africa, private sector and development partners need to implement in order to create an environment where PPP initiatives achieve desired price discovery outcomes. Specific recommendations include establishment of an enabling environment for PPPs, incentivising private sector participation, strengthening institutional capacity to enforce PPP-supportive laws, project design that minimizes complexity, provision of low-cost financing, enhancing information flow through production of quality documentation, transparency and use of efficient communication tools, embracing public participation and ethical business practice, and establishment of robust risk management strategies and systems.
- ItemAn Assessment of the implementation of the Constituency Industrial Development Centres (CIDCs) project in Kenya(Strathmore University, 2017) Muindi, Julie MueniThe challenge of inadequate worksites for micro and small enterprises (MSEs) has been acknowledged in Kenya through various policy documents such as such as Sessional Paper No. 1 of 1986, Sessional Paper No. 1 of 1994, Sessional Paper No. 2 of 1996 and the Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation (ERS) (2003 – 2007). Measures such as the establishment of Rural Trade Promotion Centres (RTPCs), “Nyayo” sheds and Constituency Industrial Development Centres (CIDCs) have been put in place to address the challenge. However, not much effort has been made to assess whether the implementation of each of the projects has been effective. This study focused on the implementation process of the CIDCs project in Kenya and was guided by the following specific objectives: to identify the nature and type of services offered at the CIDCs, to establish the factors affecting the implementation of the CIDCs project and explore the effect of the new devolved system of governance on the implementation of the CIDCs project. Literature concerning the implementation of policy was extensively reviewed and it was established that majority of the scholars agreed that policy characteristics and resources were significant in the implementation process. With regard to research methodology, a qualitative approach was used for data collection so as to answer the research questions. The population of the study was the operational CIDCs in Kenya. Purposive sampling was used to get a sample of seven (7) CIDCs. Data was collected through in – depth interviews and review of formal policy and strategy documents. Content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data collected from the in - depth interviews. The research produced a number of findings: firstly, the activities undertaken at the CIDCs varied and were not limited to the metalwork, wood work, construction and automotive sectors as initially prescribed in the ESP; secondly, several factors such as content of policy / policy characteristics, operational demands, resources, availability of land, organizational structure and clients / coalitions / key stakeholders, influenced the implementation process; thirdly, the new devolved system of governance has not significantly affected the implementation of the CIDCs project. The main conclusion drawn from this research was that implementation of the CIDCs project faced a myriad of challenges which can be attributed to the factors established herein such as the lack of resources. The study recommends that the Ministry of Industry, Trade & iii Cooperatives needs to prioritize the complete implementation of the CIDCs project and address the challenges militating the implementation process.
- ItemEffects of gender, labour and market availability on technology adoption by dairy farmers in Keiyo South(Strathmore University, 2017) Korir, Steve Kipng'enoThis study was undertaken in Keiyo South, Elgeyo-Marakwet County to identify factors affecting dairy technology adoption. Specifically, the study investigates the role of market availability, labour availability and gender in determining technology adoption. The three technologies under study were: grade cattle, Artificial Insemination (AI) and zero grazing. The study also tested if the technologies are jointly adopted as complements or substitutes. The primary data collected from 250 sample households was analyzed with multivariate probit model. The study established that the three technologies are strongly correlated i.e. they are complementary where adoption of one technology increases the likelihood of adopting either of the other two technologies. Using a multivariate probit model, the study finds that gender differences in the adoption of some technologies do exist. Jointly managed dairy projects were more likely to adopt zero grazing and AI whereas female managed dairy projects are more likely to adopt grade cattle compared to male managed dairy projects. Market and labour availability influenced adoption of zero grazing, however, there was no influence on the two dairy technologies under study i.e. Artificial Insemination and grade cattle. Availability of extension services influenced the adoption of Artificial Insemination and grade cattle. Land size did not influence the adoption of any of the three technologies. Capital costs and running costs were identified as the main challenges inhibiting the adoption of zero grazing and grade cattle. Other than the cost of semen, other challenges which were noted by the farmers included the low success rates, delays in response by the Artificial Insemination providers and the unavailability of this technology through government extension officers. Understanding the key determinants of adoption and challenges of these technologies is critical as adoption leads to improved production which in effect has an impact on the welfare of the households. The study recommends that enabling policies should be set up to ensure that small scale farmers have access to affordable credit to improve adoption technologies such as grade cattle. Improved extension services will also ensure dairy farmers are able to access affordable and reliable dairy cattle breeding services such as Artificial Insemination. Reliable extension services by the government should be accessible to the farmers.
- ItemEvaluating compliance of water policy with World Health Organization standards: a case study of county government of Machakos(Strathmore University, 2017) Mukunya, Sheila MueniStandards are established through consensus building by organizations with the prerequisite authority to do so for purposes of giving guidance for optimal realization of any given objective whilst a public policy being a statement of intent by a public sector entity provides a future solution to the society in a predetermined way. The World Health Organization (WHO) is a body mandated to set norms and standards in the area of international health by the United Nations. The objectives of this study are firstly to determine the application of distance and water consumption standards in the implementation of Machakos County water policy; secondly to establish the number of boreholes and the number of litres required based on the compliance to the WHO standards and thirdly to determine the status of the implementation of the Machakos County Water policy as at May 2017. The World Health Organization (WHO) is a body mandated to set norms and standards in the area of international health by the United Nations since access of water is recognized as a right in as far as the right to health is concerned. The standard with respect to distance is 1 km from home to source of water, while the standard with respect to consumption is 50 litres per capita per day. A hybrid of qualitative and quantitative research methods known as the mixed method approach, was used in this study and the following findings made; i) the full implementation of the Machakos County Water policy will increase the consumption per capita per day by to 52.5litres thus comply with WHO standard on consumption however, it will reduce the distance from the home to the source of water to 3 km which is not in compliance with WHO standard on distance ii) the status of the implementation of the policy as at May 2017 has not reduced the distance as such the distance is still a 5 km while the consumption of water per capita per day has increased to 39.5litres.
- ItemFactors affecting retirees’ consumption pattern in Nairobi County, Kenya(Strathmore University, 2017) Chebii, Simon KibetGlobally, the elderly comprise 10.4% of the global population and is projected to increase to about 21.7% by 2050 with about 80% living in developing economies. Old age poverty have several secondary consequences. Owing to HIV/AIDS pandemic, the older assume more responsibility for caring orphaned and vulnerable grandchildren. As they age, the elderly are more vulnerable to disability, suffer from high incidences of sickness and lack financial resources to access medical care. Shielding the elderly from the risk of poverty is a major challenge to any developing economy. Since 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognized income security in old age as a fundamental human right, the rich economies have invested heavily in providing income security for older people, while coverage of formal pension schemes has remained low in poor economies. Public pension programs have major impact on old age poverty. Pensioners’ consumption pattern also play a critical role in mitigating against poverty at old age. The objectives of the study were to determine the factors that affect the consumption pattern of the retirees and to identify the effect of lump sum pension, monthly pension, income from invested pension, education level and time taken to disburse the pension funds on the consumption patterns of retirees. The study findings are expected to contribute to knowledge on pension utilization; inform social protection policy; provide useful insights to the retirees on how to best manage their consumption patterns; and useful to researchers, academicians and policy makers by contributing to the body of knowledge on retirees’ consumption patterns for the purpose of shaping policy and practice. This study sampled 105 respondents, employed non-experimental research design and sought to investigate factors that influence retirees’ consumption pattern in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study considered Friedman’s permanent income hypothesis model and Keynes absolute income hypothesis. The study used structured and semi-structured questionnaires to collect the primary data. The study revealed that whereas education level has a positive influence, Lump sum and monthly pension have negative influence on retirees’ consumption pattern. However, monthly income from invested pension and the time taken to disburse pension have no influence on retirees’ consumption pattern. The study recommends full implementation of policy on pension payment that is compulsory to all employers, revision of guidelines to ensure schemes nurture a savings culture and increase contributions to reasonable levels, a robust and comprehensive retirement planning package, and adequate pre-retirement information to help retirees make informed choices.
- ItemInfluence of demographics and weather information seeking behaviour on food production by small-scale farmers, Mbeere South sub - county, Kenya(Strathmore University, 2017) Nthigah, Silas WachiraThe agriculture sector in developing countries is increasingly becoming knowledge intensive due to weather and climate change. Climate change has been affecting the amount of rainfall that some areas have been receiving, both in quality and quantity. This therefore, affects the production of crops in areas where farmers rely on rain fed agriculture. Seasonal weather forecasts have a great potential for helping in improving food and nutrition security, human livelihoods and agricultural potential of areas where rainfall patterns have changed and extreme weather events are expected. The main objective of the study was to establish the influence of information seeking behavior on food production by small-scale farmers, Mbeere South sub-county, Kenya. This study employed descriptive research design. The population for this study involved 26,037 small-scale farmers and the sample size was 150 small-scale farmers. The main instruments for the study was the use of questionnaires that was administered to the respondents. The study used quantitative techniques in analyzing the data. Descriptive analysis was employed. Inferential statistics such as correlation and regression analysis were used. The organized data was interpreted because concurrence to objectives using assistance of a computer software to communicate the research findings. The research found that demographic factors have positive influence on food production by small-scale farmers in Mbeere South sub-county. It also found out that there was strong positive correlation between the factors influencing weather information seeking behavior, preferred sources of weather information, effects of information seeking behavior and crop production in Mbeere South sub- county. An increase in any one of them would result in an increase of the food production in the targeted area. The researcher recommended that policies should be put in place that would improve delivery and use of weather information to small-scale farmers, which would in turn help in improving the food production by the small-scale farmers.
- ItemLongevity improvement: financial implications to public defined benefits pension schemes in Kenya(Strathmore University, 2017) Koross, Kiprono DavidProvision of old age social security benefits by governments, pension schemes and insurance companies form the largest proportion of age related spending across the world. It has also been established that people are living longer than initially projected. In Kenya, people born between 1980 and 2000 are living longer and healthier lives than those born before 1980 (World Population Prospects, 20 12). It has also been established that overall liability arising due to longevity of life for the hypothetical defined benefits schemes is estimated to increase. This research examined the implications of longevity improvement on the liabilities of existing public Defined Benefits pension schemes in Kenya which is an issue to both the members and the financiers of the scheme as they represent uncertainty for the amount required to plan for the retirement fund adequately. The research first determines whether pensioners are living longer and then calculates the impact of the longevity improvement on the liabilities of pension schemes. Finally, the paper discusses several policy issues on how to deal with longevity risk while emphasizing the need for policy guidance from the industry regulator. The research applied quantitative analysis. The results of the study show that the members of the Defined Benefits Schemes are living longer than expected and this has a financial impact on the liabilities of the scheme. The findings also establish that the pension funds did not fully account for future improvements in mortality and life expectancy. In response to the changes in lifetimes of the retirees, one policy response was to increase the retirement age from 50 to 60 years and to increase the pension factor thereby increasing the productivity period of an individual while deferring the retirement liability.