http://localhost/xmlui/handle/123456789/2161 2026-06-16T21:42:21Z 2026-06-16T21:42:21Z Muthui, George Gichuki http://localhost/xmlui/handle/123456789/7024 2026-05-28T08:29:56Z 2026-05-28T00:00:00Z

Predictors of treatment outcomes of childhood tuberculosis among patients attending the TB clinic at Mbagathi County Hospital, Nairobi County Muthui, George Gichuki Background: Globally, tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death by a single infectious agent. An estimated one million children develop tuberculosis disease, and an estimated 233,000 die from its complications worldwide each year. Kenya is among the 30 high TB burden countries which accounted for 87% of the world’s cases. In 2019, 86,385 TB cases were notified in Kenya among which 8,393 were children aged below 15 years. Unlike studies on TB in adults, there is limited published data for the predictors of treatment outcomes in children. The aim of TB treatment policy is to cure patients and therefore alleviate suffering and prevent death from the disease. It’s also aimed at preventing long-term complications arising from the disease and prevent relapse. Treatment is also aimed at preventing the transmission of the infection and development of drug resistance. Outcomes of treatment is a good indicator of the performance of the TB program. MSc Research Publication

2026-05-28T00:00:00Z Gachanja, Joseph Nguru http://localhost/xmlui/handle/123456789/7021 2026-05-26T12:34:58Z 2026-05-26T00:00:00Z

Knowledge Organization Capability and Competitiveness of Chartered Public Universities in Kenya Gachanja, Joseph Nguru Purpose: Knowledge has increasingly become one of the most critical determining factors for organizational competitiveness. In order to acquire and sustain a competitive advantage, it is vital for an organization to develop effective strategies that foster knowledge creation, transfer and integration in the performance of the organization. Knowledge organization refers to activities such as document description, indexing, and classification that provide systems of representation and order for information and knowledge materials. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between knowledge organization capability and competitiveness of chartered public universities in Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive design. The population of the research consisted of 31 chartered public universities authorized to operate in Kenya as at December 2020. The study adopted a census methodology while purposeful and convenient sampling was adopted to select respondents amongst the middle level management staff. The study used both secondary and primary data. A self-administered questionnaire was used as the primary data collection instrument. Out of 155 questionnaires that were sent out, 123 were filled and returned. Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The study used regression model to estimate the level of significance which yielded a positive and significant influence of knowledge organization capability on competitiveness of chartered public universities in Kenya. Findings: The findings indicate that organizational initiatives such as effective knowledge collaboration and utilization, deployment of information technology systems that support knowledge organisation and easy access to information and data contribute to a healthy environment conducive for knowledge management. Owing to the foregoing, the study concluded that knowledge organization capability had a significant positive impact on competitiveness of chartered public universities. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommended that public universities needed to embrace knowledge organization capability in order to obtain sustainable competitive advantage. Keywords: Knowledge Organization, Knowledge Management, Capability, Competitiveness, Public Universities ©2024 by the Authors. This Article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 PhD Research Publication

2026-05-26T00:00:00Z Gachanja, Joseph Nguru http://localhost/xmlui/handle/123456789/7020 2026-05-26T12:26:26Z 2026-05-26T00:00:00Z

The Relationship between Knowledge Sharing Capability and Competitiveness of Chartered Public Universities in Kenya Gachanja, Joseph Nguru Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between knowledge sharing capability and competitiveness of chartered public universities in Kenya. Universities are knowledge intensive environments, and play a central role in the creation and dissemination of knowledge that they generate. Accordingly, it would be expected that such institutions would adopt proactive approaches to the incubation of knowledge management capability and strategies, and that they would have better insight on how to achieve and optimize the value of their knowledge assets. However, research has shown that this is not the case, and that the approaches adopted by universities are passive and inconsistent. In addition, although there is a strong body of research in the area of knowledge management in commercial environments, and growing interest in knowledge management in public sector organizations, there has been little research on knowledge management capability in universities. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive design. The population of the research consisted of 31 chartered public universities authorized to operate in Kenya as at December 2020. The study adopted a census methodology while purposeful and convenient sampling was adopted to select respondents amongst the middle level management staff. The study used both secondary and primary data. A self-administered questionnaire was used as the primary data collection instrument. Out of 155 questionnaires that were sent out, 123 were filled and returned. Statistical Package for Social Studies (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The study used regression model to estimate the level of significance which yielded a positive and significant influence of knowledge sharing capability on competitiveness of chartered public universities in Kenya. Findings: The findings pointed out that knowledge sharing capability significantly influenced competitiveness of chartered public universities in Kenya. The public universities should therefore entrench knowledge management practices in their day to day operations in order to remain competitive. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommended that public universities should embrace knowledge sharing practices in their operations as it enhances competitiveness. One of very important factor in knowledge sharing is that university stakeholders should be accorded with formal, informal and virtual space to interact with each other for knowledge exchange. Keywords: Knowledge Sharing, Knowledge Management, Competitiveness, Public Universities ©2024 by the Authors. This Article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) PhD Research Publication

2026-05-26T00:00:00Z Koros, Clarice Jepchirchir http://localhost/xmlui/handle/123456789/7014 2026-05-26T09:14:35Z 2026-05-26T00:00:00Z

Effect of pressure and moisture content on physicochemical properties of popped finger millet (Eleusine coracana) Koros, Clarice Jepchirchir Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is a nutritious grain whose traditional processing methods have received inadequate application in modern processing to enhance its commercialization. This study investigated how pressure and moisture content affected the puffing yield, density, expansion ratio, colour, proximate composition, selected minerals and antinutritive factors of popped finger millet grain. Grains were equilibrated at 15,18, or 21% moisture content and popped at 120, 140, or 160 psi. The results show that progressively raising the moisture content and pressure significantly (p≤0.05) increased the popping yield and expansion ratio while reducing density. Pressure and moisture content interactions significantly (p≤0.05) influenced the popping yield, expansion ratio and density. Popped grain lightness and total colour difference significantly (p≤0.05) increased when the moisture content was increased from 15% to 21 %. The redness and browning index were significantly (p≤0.05) reduced when the moisture content and pressure were progressively raised from 15% to 21% and 120 psi to 160 psi respectively. Progressive increase of pressure and moisture content, and their synergistic interactions significantly (p≤0.05) reduced the crude fat and moisture contents of popped grain. Moreover, crude protein significantly (p≤0.05) improved when pressure was increased. Zinc and iron and total phenol contents significantly (p≤0.05) increased when the popping pressures and moisture content were progressively raised from 120 psi to 160 psi, and 15% to 21% respectively. Phytates content declined significantly (p≤0.05) when pressure was increased from 120psi to 140 psi or 160psi.Tannins significantly reduced (p≤0.05) when the moisture content was raised from 15% to 21 %. These findings demonstrate that popping finger millet can improve its nutritional value making it a viable avenue for value addition. Key words: Popped finger millet, Pressure, Moisture content, Physico-chemical properties. MSc Research Publication

2026-05-26T00:00:00Z