Faculty of Agriculture

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    Adoption of banana value addition and its effect on profitability of small-scale agri-enterprises in Kisii County, Kenya
    (Egerton University, 2024-09) Ntabo, Agnes Nyabwari
    Value addition in the banana value chain has become an important opportunity especially the time of high postharvest losses. The strategy prolongs and improves the shelf life and quality of banana fruit hence increasing agripreneurs’ profits. Despite this documented benefits, adoption of banana value addition has remained low globally. This study sought to determine the adoption of banana value addition and evaluate its effects on profitability in Kisii County, Kenya. The specific objectives were: (i) To characterize adopters and non-adopters of value addition among small-scale banana agripreneurs in Kisii County (ii) To examine the factors influencing adoption of banana value addition among small-scale agripreneurs in Kisii County (iii) To evaluate the effect of adoption of banana value addition on profitability among small-scale banana agri-enterprises in Kisii County. The study used pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire to collect cross-sectional primary data from 201 agripreneurs selected using mult-stage sampling technique in Kisii County, Kenya. Descriptive analysis, Cragg’s double hurdle and propensity score matching approach was used to analyse objective one, two and three respectively. Descriptive statistics indicated that flour milling was the most adopted value addition activity followed by slicing and drying, sorting and grading and finally crisps making. Chi-square and t-test results revealed that significant differences between adopters and non-adopters were observed in extension contacts, trainings received, type of road, primary occupation, age, group membership, distance to the output market, output produced, and farm size. Moreover, double hurdle model summarized that output produced, primary occupation, use of murram roads, number of trainings and extension visists, distance to output market, and group membership had a significant effect on decision to adopt banana value addition. While access to credit, use of tarmac roads, output produced, farming experience, number of extension visits, and marital status had a significant effect on extent of adoption of banana value addition. Finally, findings revealed that adoption of banana value addition has a positive significant effect on profitability. Adopters increased their profits by KES 45,510.72 per acre. There is need for the public and private agricultural extension organizations to provide more trainings and extension services to agripreneurs. The County government and development organizations should sensitize agripreneurs to form groups and cooperatives to enhance working collectively in production, processing and marketing of bananas and its value-added products. The County government should invest more funds on developing rural roads to improve access of markets among agripreneurs. All these enhance adoption of banana value addition
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    An analysis of urban household food demand in Nairobi, Kenya
    (Egerton University, 2008-06) Musyoka, Philliph Michael
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    An Economic Evaluation of irish potato research technologies
    (Egerton University, 1998) Muruiki, Muthoni
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    An Household of urban household food demand in Nairobi, Kenya
    (Egerton University, 2008) Musyoka, Phillip Michael
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    An analysis of audit quality attributes and client satisfaction for companies quoted at the Nairobi securities exchange
    (Egerton University, 2014-10) Mbakaya, Joab Anyika
    With the collapse of Enron involving the misconduct of one of the Big 4, Arthur Andersen & Co. in the US and the CMC and Uchumi scandals in Kenya involving the big audit firms Delloitte and PwC, the argument for audits for big audit firms as synonymous with quality audit has become questionable. Despite several studies having been done on audit quality, none of them has touched on the analysis of audit quality attributes in relation to client satisfaction for the listed companies on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The general objective of the study was to analyze audit quality attributes and client satisfaction for companies listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange and the study will be significant to the management of the listed companies and the audit firms alongside the scholars who may want to pursue the subject further. The study comprised of all the listed companies on the Nairobi Securities Exchange as at 31st December 2013, they were 60 companies in number. The study reviewed literature on audit qualities which included audit reliability, audit tangibility, auditors assurance, auditors responsiveness and auditors empathy, also auditors experience and auditors independence were reviewed. Client satisfaction, empirical studies and theoretical review were also covered, the literature review finalized with the conceptual framework. The study employed descriptive study design and entailed the 60 listed companies as the population, which was taken as a census because of the small number. Primary data was collected by use of a structured questionnaire by use of drop and pick later. The collected data was analyzed first by use of descriptive statistics; correlation analysis was done to establish the relationship between the dependent and independent variables and finally a regression analysis was performed on the model to test the hypotheses. A total of 60 questionnaires were sent out of which 49 were respondent to, 41 were satisfactorily filled and considered for analysis, this formed 84 percent response rate. The study found that only two out of five audit quality attributes (i.e., Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy, Tangibles, and Reliability) were statistically significant related to client satisfaction. Thus the two attributes of tangibility and responsiveness has a significant impact on the client satisfaction.
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    An analysis of factors influencing choice of 14-seater Public Service Vehicles and Alternative modes of Public Service Transport in Nairobi City
    (Egerton University, 2013-10) Koimur, Isaac C
    In the year 20 I 0, the Kenya government announced that 14-seater vans, commonly referred to as “matatus” . were to be phased out so as to reduce traffic congestion on the roads and also to ensure efficient commuter movement. Travelers on Kenyan roads have not experienced public transport system without 14-seater PSVs. It is not known whether the perception of commuters about the efficiency of 14-seater vehicles in the city of Nairobi is higher than for the alternative PSV modes. The study's general objective was to establish factors that determine the commuters' choice of 14-seater PSVs over the other alternative PSV modes in Nairobi city in terms of travel time, fare charged, distance walked, number of alternative routes and time taken to board a vehicle to full capacity. Survey research design was used. The population was low­ cadre employees who commute and work at the headquarters of government ministries in Nairobi. Random sampling method is used to select the ministries. Departments in the ministries were also identified through random sampling. Desired data was collected through the administration of a questionnaire whose validity and reliability was ascertained using a pilot study in Nakuru town. The data was processed and analyzed using x2-test, analysis of variance, linear regression model with respect to time and fare charged. The insights gained in the research are of great importance to policy makers in government and non-governmental agencies dealing with public passenger transport. The study established that travel time from house to workplace had influence on choice of 14-seater PSV over the other alternative PSV modes. Second, the existence of alternative routes had influence on commuter choice of 14-seater PSV over the other alternative PSV modes. Third, fare charged had effect on commuter choice of 14-seater PSV over the ther alternative PSV modes. Fourth, the fare charges during the off-peak hours influenced the commuters' choice of the PSV vehicle they would wish to use. Fifth, the time taken to walk by a commuter had no influence on choice of 14-seater PSV over the other alternative PSV modes. To phase out 14-seater PSVs, the government can introduce operational regulations on the use of 14-seater PSVs that make the said PSVs unattractive to both investors and commuters
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    ANALYSIS OF FACTORS INFLUENCING FARMER PARTICIPATION IN HAY FODDER MARKETING FOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE OF MARKET OUTLETS IN LAIKIPIA COUNTY, KENYA
    (Egerton University, 2024-08) MUTUKU, MUEMA STEPHEN
    The increased demand for livestock products due to the growing human population has led to a rise in demand for fodder in Kenya. Fodder, thus, offers viable business opportunities for agripreneurs in the country. In order capitalize on the available market outlets and the rising demand for fodder in Laikipia County and its environs, farmers’ involvement in fodder business activities are not clearly understood. The general aim of this study was to contribute to the up- scaling of fodder production and marketing through analysis of factors that influence farmer participation in fodder markets for improved performance of market outlets in Laikipia County. The specific objectives were to: map the fodder markets, determine the factors influencing decisions, and commercialize fodder and to analyze the performance of fodder market outlets. Data was collected from 204 randomly selected fodder farmers based on a list of 769 farmers provided by the ASDSP II Laikipia and analyzed using STATA software. Functional and institutional analytical approaches were used to map the fodder markets. The Univariate and Multivariate Probit models were used to determine the factors influencing decisions to commercialize fodder. Lastly, market margin analyses were conducted to measure the performance of fodder market outlets. Findings revealed that the fodder market system holistically consisted of input providers, fodder farmers, fodder traders, fodder end-users and support/enabling institutions. The factors significantly influencing farmer participation in fodder markets were age, marketing costs, market agreements, market information access, credit access and proactivity. Further, the choice of local livestock farmers, local traders and buyers from other counties’ outlets was significantly influenced by age, experience, commercialization index, fodder quality, marketing costs, market agreement, distance to the nearest market, market information, proactivity and price. Finally, the market margin analyses pointed to favorable, attractive and viable performance of the fodder outlets. Therefore, government policies that seek to enhance collective action and networking, create business as well as address bottlenecks in various nodes of the market should be explored. Interventions to stimulate market information access, improved feed quality, market linkages and reduced marketing costs are also recommended. In order to capitalize on the existing fodder demand and viability, interventions and policies for financial and technical support for investment, formalization of the fodder market as well as market cost reduction are highly recommended.
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    ANALYSIS OF FISH CONSUMPTION PATTERNS IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT: CASE OF KIBERA IN KENYA
    (Egerton University, 2024-10) ISABU, KAMIDI FERDINAND
    The increasing urban population has resulted in the emergence of informal settlements, which are characterised by poor sanitation, low income and food and nutrition insecurity. Kenya, among many developing nations, experience the challenge of hunger and malnutrition deficiency, especially among the urban poor. To mitigate the issue of food and nutrition insecurity, fish consumption has been reminiscent of addressing protein deficiency since the majority of the informal settlements are facing nutrition deficiency. This is due to inadequate income to support their well-being, which makes it difficult to afford a well-balanced diet. Thus, the objective of this study was to understand the contribution of fish in enhancing food and nutrition security among households in informal settlements. The study was conducted in the Kibera informal settlement. A two-stage sampling procedure was used to select 385 households where food decision-makers were interviewed using a pretested structured questionnaire. Ordered probit was used to analyse both objectives one and two while a Linear Approximate Almost Ideal Demand System (LA-AIDS) model was used in analysis objective three. The results indicated that the frequency of fish consumption was influenced by gender, years in school, income, migration, price, neighbourhood effect, time taken to reach the fish outlet, and the number of outlets within a 100-metre radius. More than half (57%) of consumers consumed fish 2-3 times a day. Income, price, culture, religion, neighbourhood effect, number of meals and information from neighbours influenced the number of species of fish consumed by consumers. The number of species consumed were silver cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea) (51%), Nile tilapia (Oreochromi) (34%), Nile perch (Lates niloticus) (12%) and Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) (<1%). Finally, age, gender, household size and education level significantly influence the demand for fish. Nile tilapia was elastic and hence considered a luxury food category to consumers. Silver cyprinid was inelastic and therefore regarded as a necessary food, while Nile perch was an inelastic and inferior category food among fish consumers. There is a need to increase the fish consumption frequency, especially for the small species of silver cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea), which has been seen to be the most consumed among households in the informal settlement because of its affordability. The increasing demand for various species consumed needs to be enhanced since fish is important in improving nutrition security; hence, an increase in the availability of affordable fish in the informal settlement will improve both food and nutritional security, especially in the Kibera informal settlement.
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    ANALYSIS OF FISH MARKETING AND HOUSEHOLD WELFARE AMONG AQUAFARMERS IN SELECTED COUNTIES IN KENYA
    (EGERTON UNIVERSITY, 2022-07) ODHIAMBO, MALIT JACK.
    Capture fisheries and aquafarming are important in meeting the rising demand for white meat. They also contribute to improved income and nutrition among producers and consumers of fish, respectively. With the global fluctuation in capture fisheries, attention has been diverted towards aquafarming which has shown an increasing trend in the recent years. Despite this progress on the production side, there has been little effort made in the past to improve fish marketing to ensure a ready market for producers and easy access for consumers. Social networks play a key role in facilitating marketing through group formation and networking. In addition, lack of an effective marketing system for fish may result in high post-harvest losses with implication on household welfare. This study analyzed fish marketing and household welfare among aquafarmers for selected Counties in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were (1) to characterize fish market outlets among aquafarmers, (2) to determine the effects of social networks on the choice of market outlets and (3) to assess the influence of post-harvest losses on farmer household welfare. The study used secondary data which was collected in Nyeri, Siaya, Kiambu, Kirinyaga and Kakamega Counties using semi structured questionnaires on a sample of 300 fish farmers. A multi stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Descriptive analysis, multivariate probit model and two stage least squares regression model were used to analyze objectives one, two and three respectively. Results indicated that majority of the fish farmers sold directly to consumers and retailers outlets. In addition, farmers who sold to wholesalers and collectors market outlets received better prices. Results of the multivariate probit model established that social networks captured by the number of farmer groups, membership to Farm Africa (non- government organization), number of years in a group and linkages with the fish market significantly affected the choice of market outlets. As expected, the findings from the study showed that post-harvest losses negatively affect farmer household welfare. Given the results, it is important that the government of Kenya in partnership with other stakeholders help to reduce bureaucracies such as scale of production, packaging and handling procedures in wholesaler and collector outlets. In addition, there is need for extension officers to offer training and technical advice to farmers on the importance of group marketing. The findings underscore the importance of training and provision of credit facilities to enhance fish marketing. In addition, reduction of post-harvest losses through investment in preservation facilities would result in better prices and overall improvement in household income
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