Theses and Dissertations

Social Media Influencers’ and the Decision Making of Domestic Tourists in Kenya

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Social Media Influencers’ and the Decision Making of Domestic Tourists in Kenya Mohamed, Asmahan Zulekha Social media has manifested to be a powerful form of media capable of influencing consumer decision-making over the past few years. The increased use of social media has also led to the development of high profile individuals who have a huge following on different social media platforms and applications and who can influence the people on matters of a given industry. The use of the social media influencers in the promotion of tourism activities is evident and more widely used today. Many tourism and tourist related business now actively use social media to drive clients to their establishments more than ever before. This study aimed to examine the effect of social media influencers on the decision making of domestic tourists in Kenya. The study had two target populations, the social media users and tours and travel companies that use social media influencers to promote their businesses. A mixed method research design was used and the study made use of questionnaires and interviews to collect data which was later analysed to achieve the objectives set out. The study population was drawn from Nairobi and Kiambu Counties. Data was collected from 399 respondents through questionnaires and 10 key informant interviews. The findings of the research indicate a moderate relationship between source credibility and the decision-making of domestic tourists in Kenya. Source attractiveness revealed a strong relationship with decision making of domestic tourists in Kenya. Moreover, there is a moderate relationship between source power and the decision-making of domestic tourists in Kenya. Finally, there is a very strong relationship between source metrics and the decision-making of domestic tourists in Kenya. The study further found that persuasive techniques as a moderating variable positively influences the decision-making of domestic tourists in Kenya. The study recommends that stakeholders should adopt an adaptive approach by regularly monitoring the effectiveness of influencer-led campaigns and adjusting strategies based on changing trends and audience preferences. This ensures that campaigns remain relevant and impactful in the dynamic landscape of travel and tourism. Since women play a leading role in making travel decisions, as revealed by this study, tourism-related businesses—like travel agencies, hotels, and tour operators— ought to create targeted campaigns that appeal directly to female audiences. Additionally, tourism stakeholders should give priority to influencers who demonstrate clear credibility and a strong connection with their audience. Finally, stakeholders should integrate persuasive strategies into the design of their social media campaigns. Techniques like liking, reciprocation, and social validation should be strategically embedded within influencer content, as they play a key role in shaping audience responses PhD in Mass Communication

Development of a Facility-Based Intervention Model on Male Partner Involvement in Maternal and Neonatal Health in A Public Health Facility, Kiambu County, Kenya

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Development of a Facility-Based Intervention Model on Male Partner Involvement in Maternal and Neonatal Health in A Public Health Facility, Kiambu County, Kenya Okwako, Joseph Mukobe The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) emphasized the need for men to actively participate in sexual and reproductive health. However, male partner involvement in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) in Kenya remains limited. This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of a facility-based intervention model to promote male partner involvement (MPI) in maternal and neonatal health at Thika County and Referral Hospital. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. The qualitative phase involved three focus group discussions (FGDs) with nurses and two FGDs with male partners to explore barriers and enablers to male involvement. Thematic analysis was conducted using MAXQDA 2022 software, which revealed key themes including limited awareness, traditional gender norms, and logistical constraints as major barriers. These insights informed the design of a structured health facility-based intervention, tested using a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design. Ethical approval was sought from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Ref. No. JKU/ISERC/02316/1113) and informed consent from participants. A total of 60 women (30 intervention, 30 control) between 17–28 weeks’ gestation were recruited via systematic random sampling. Male partners in the intervention group received formal invitations to attend antenatal care (ANC) and were followed through six months postpartum. Quantitative data were collected using pre tested semi-structured questionnaires and analysed using SPSS v27.0. Statistical tests included chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, and Mann–Whitney U test, with a significance threshold of p < 0.05. The primary outcome male accompaniment to ANC was significantly higher in the intervention group (U = 11.000, p < 0.001), with a large effect size (r = 0.98). Significant improvements were also observed in male support during pregnancy and childbirth (p < 0.001), knowledge of danger signs in pregnancy (p < 0.001), awareness of exclusive breastfeeding recommendations (p = 0.005), and uptake of couple HIV counselling and testing (p < 0.001). These findings demonstrate that a context-specific, structured, facility-based intervention model can effectively enhance male partner involvement in MNCH and contribute to improved maternal and infant health outcomes. This study recommends that the National and County governments should consider adapting the intervention model to promote MPI in MNCH services. PhD in Nursing

Prediction of Subgrade California Bearing Ratio using Falling Weight Deflectometer for Pavement Evaluation in Kenya

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Prediction of Subgrade California Bearing Ratio using Falling Weight Deflectometer for Pavement Evaluation in Kenya Mugai, Catherine Wambui Subgrade CBR is a very important parameter which gives an indication of the strength of the pavement’s foundation. Kenya’s Road Design Manual (Part 3) classifies the subgrade as S1 to S6 depending on their CBR range. The objective of this study was to predict subgrade CBR using FWD for pavement evaluation. A sample of 18 road sections were selected purposively for the study due to availability of data. The data required was FWD data, trench logs, laboratory results for the samples collected from the trenches and construction data. The FWD data was collected at intervals of about 100m using Primax FWD equipment. Trial pits were dug at intervals of about 5 km and the samples collected were tested in the laboratory to establish the soil properties. An average of three FWD readings were obtained at the exact chainage where the trial pits were dug. The materials were first characterized and classified using Unified Classification System (UCS). Lean clay (CL) and Elastic Silt (MH) were found to be the predominant soil classes. The average values of PI, OMC and MDD per road section were found to range from 7 to 23%, 12 to 27% and 1250 to 1821 kg/m3 respectively. The 4th geophone (D4), which was positioned at 600mm from the centre of the loading plate, was selected for developing the model based on the deflection bowls and surface modulus graphs. 11 models were developed by considering varying independent variables like deflections, contact pressure, air temperature, MDD, OMC, PI and Soil Class the dependent variables were the predicted CBR values. The data for all the road sections was split randomly into two; 80% was used to train the models and 20% to test the models. The models developed were Linear Regression models (LR) and machine learning models which were Random Forest (RF) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Three models had the highest R2 score of 55 to 61% which means they explained the variability of lab CBR and were the best models. The same models had the lowest RMSE therefore making them the best models for predicting CBR. The CBR values predicted were correlated with the CBR values from the lab and found to have Pearson’s correlation coefficient of 0.81 to 0.84. The two machine learning models require specialized software like python to make predictions. The LR model developed was CBR = 5.2215 + (-0.0036 x D4) + (-0.0144 x Pc) + (-0.2522 x Tair) + (0.0233 x MDD) + (-0.3732 x OMC). The deflections, contact pressure and air temperature are values obtained from the FWD data. The study recommended that the developed predictive models can be subjected to additional validation by using them to predict CBR from other road sections in future pavement evaluations. MSc in Civil Engineering (Transportation Engineering)

Evaluation of Sickle Cell Crisis Determinants among Sickle Cell Disease Patients Aged 15 Years and Below in Three Selected Health Facilities in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Evaluation of Sickle Cell Crisis Determinants among Sickle Cell Disease Patients Aged 15 Years and Below in Three Selected Health Facilities in Nairobi City County, Kenya Kimile, Davis Manthi Considering the lack of curative armamentaria for SCD and its crises, the associated management costs exert an unquantifiable burden on parents/caregivers, compounded with psychological trauma, social stigma, and other devastating effects. This study investigated factors associated with sickle cell crisis among SCD patients aged 15 years and below in three hospitals in Nairobi city County. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among children aged ≤15 years with sickle cell disease (SCD), their caregivers, and healthcare professionals at three SCD-focused health facilities in Nairobi city County. A total of 193 participants were recruited using systematic sampling, while healthcare professionals were purposively selected. Data were collected using pretested structured questionnaires assessing sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors, knowledge and perceptions of SCD, medication adherence, and SCD-associated crises. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, and multiple logistic regression in GraphPad Prism, with ethical approval and informed consent obtained prior to study commencement. The results showed that most patients aged below 15 years with SCD in the sampled hospitals were females (52.85 %). Regarding age, most affected patients were aged 0-5 years (46.63 %). 65.80 % of all the patients had primary school level of education, with a paltry 7.77 % having a secondary school level of education. Besides, most of the caregiver respondents of SCD patients aged 15 years and below were females (92.23 %). Most caregivers (37.82 %) were aged 26-30 years followed by those aged 31-35 years (26.42 %), with a minority (13.99 %) being aged 21-25 years. Most caregivers had attained primary education (53.37 %), were married (75.13 % and were peasants (63.73 %). The results showed most (96.89 %) caregivers resided in rented houses, which were mostly single-roomed (62.18 %), and most (62.69 %) earned 36 years]) = 1.415 -1.674 (Gender [Female])+3.849 (Age-group [26-30 years])+5.220 (Age-group [31-35 years]) + 3.856 (Age-group [> 36 years]). This study showed that patient and caregiver factors influence the severity of SCD and its crises, and their appropriate modification may improve the prognosis and the wellbeing of both the patients and the caregivers. Further, appropriate strategies must be formulated and implemented to improve adherence to treatment requirements for SCD patients aged 15 years and below to improve prognosis and quality of life. MSc in Public Health