Browsing by Subject "Kenya"

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11

Hydrothermal activity
(2009-03) Barker, Daniel S.
Implementing Energy Efficiency Policies in East Africa: The Cases of Kenya and Ethiopia
(2018) Deres, Feiruz; McIver, John; Graham, Lawrence
Implementing energy efficiency policies in the third world is a critical step for a developing nation to improve its social, economic, and political well-being. Within the African context, East Africa has emerged as a region in which energy efficiency is making steady advancements. Of the nations located in East Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia have become leaders in implementing policies that promote the use of renewable resources in order to increase energy efficiency. This paper discusses the several ways in which Kenya and Ethiopia have achieved this goal by analyzing resource availability, energy projects, energy policies, and national history. A majority of this paper analyzes Kenyan and Ethiopia energy policies which are eventually compared in order to determine which of the two nations is making faster improvements.
Land Conflict and Distributive Politics in Kenya
(African Studies Association, 2012-04) Boone, Catherine
This paper argues that even with the incorporation of land policy provisions into Kenya’s new constitution, there is every reason to believe that in the near future, highly politicized land conflict will continue. This is because land politics in Kenya is a redistributive game that creates winners and losers. Given the intensely redistributive potential of the impending changes in Kenya’s land regime—and the implications of the downward shift in the locus of control over land allocation through decentralization of authority to county governments—there is no guarantee that legislators or citizens will be able to agree on concrete laws to realize the constitution’s calls for equity and justice in land matters. This article traces the main ways in which state power has been used to distribute and redistribute land (and land rights) in the Rift Valley, focusing on post-1960 smallholder settlement schemes, land-buying companies, and settlement in the forest reserves, and it highlights the long-standing pattern of political contestation over the allocation of this resource. It then traces the National Land Policy debate from 2002 to 2010, focusing on the distributive overtones and undertones of the policy and of the debate over the new constitution that incorporated some of its main tenets.
Learning about barriers to information diffusion in rural Kenya
(2022-08-22) Fabregas, Raissa
Our research project, generously funded by IC2, studied potential barriers in agricultural information seeking or sharing among smallholder maize farmers in rural Kenya. For purposes of this research project,we focused on two types of information: external information about soil chemistry in the area, and information collected from farmers who are considered knowledgeable about farming practices.First, to understand whether farmers value this type of agricultural information (and hence would want to obtain it), we ran baseline surveys in which we elicited their valuations for these different types of information. This exercise sheds light on the demand (valuation) for agricultural information and farmers' perception of its "usefulness" in monetary terms.
Mothering a nation : the gendered memory of Kenya’s Mau Mau rebellion
(2015-05) Murimi, Wanjira; Richardson, Matt, 1969-; Livermon, Xavier
This paper approaches fiction as a site of gendered history and memory and presents two pieces of literature by Kenyan authors - Passbook Number F.47927 by Muthoni Likimani and The Trial of Dedan Kimathi by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and Micere Githae Mugo - as examples of countermemory production that disrupt dominant and colonially and post-colonially perpetuated narratives of Kenya's fight for independence within the context of the Mau Mau uprisings. I assert that historical fiction can be a medium of challenge and disruption of hegemonically formed reports of history, reweaving into the tapestry of national memory voices forgotten or excised. I posit that this contestation of history and memory through countermemory can be an ethical and feminist project. However, countermemory, much like the history and memory it challenges, does not exist in a vacuum, and is subject to structures of power that may result in its being participant and enacting of oppressive power. Using gender as a lens, I elucidate the ways in which both these pieces participate in and challenge heteropatriarchal notions of manhood and womanhood as resistance strategies for nation building.
Selling the African wilds : a history of the safari tourism industry in East Africa, 1900-1939
(2015-12-02) Simmons, Trevor Mark; Louis, William Roger, 1936-; Hunt, Bruce J; Vaughn, James M; Raby, Megan; Zuelow, Eric G.E.; Lewis, Joanna
This dissertation examines the rise and development of the safari tourism industry in the British East Africa Protectorate (later Kenya) between 1900 and 1939. It shows how the establishment of British rule and the introduction of modern transportation technology made East Africa accessible and gradually transformed the region into a tourist attraction of great economic value that would come to be managed by imperial powers, advertised in a globalized marketplace, and visited by tourists who desired to hunt, photograph, and observe East Africa’s abundant wildlife on an adventure known as the “safari.” It became a lucrative business. Numerous outfitters, safari and travel companies, guides, and other safari workers entered the business and helped to make the industry a model of its kind in Africa. As the safari trade expanded and animal populations came under pressure, however, this industry began to adopt new, eco-friendly forms of wildlife tourism that could preserve the main elements of the tourist safari while reducing its toll on wildlife populations, a shift exemplified by the introduction of motorized tours, photographic and filmmaking safaris, and the quest to establish national parks. The research presented in this study, drawn from archival collections across three continents, demonstrates that the four decades between 1900 and 1939 became a crucial phase in the development of safari tourism in Kenya. During this time, safari tourism became a leading sector of the regional economy and gave rise to a highly developed commercial and institutional infrastructure that laid the foundations of modern wildlife tourism in Kenya. At the same time, the safari industry became a product of the British Empire, shaped by the laws, institutions, and attitudes of colonial rule. While the introduction of British rule and the arrival of British colonists promoted tourist development, built roads and railways, ensured a degree of security demanded by travelers, and linked foreign tourists with Africa, it also relegated indigenous Africans to subordinate positions in the industry, and forcibly relocated African settlements to make way for parks and tourist spaces. This meant that the prerogatives of the tourism industry often clashed with indigenous ideas of land use and economic management, instead serving the interests of the British community in Kenya who owned and controlled the trade. Thus, the development of safari tourism under the aegis of the British colonial state aided the material development of the industry, but also created economic, social, and racial inequalities that remain evident to the present day.
Stroke Awareness and Proposed Stroke Health Campaign in Mombasa, Kenya
(2021) Meghani, Kinza; Garcia, Alexandra
Stroke is the second leading cause of death and a significant source of disability worldwide. With two-thirds of stroke mortalities occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a need for researchers to comprehend the current understanding of stroke and its related factors in this region. Since stroke knowledge in the general public has been shown to mitigate the incidence of stroke and improve timely treatment-seeking behavior, the purpose of this thesis is to conduct 1) a stroke awareness assessment in Mombasa County, Kenya, and 2) a literature review of stroke interventions and health campaigns. The stroke awareness assessment surveyed 155 community members, collecting demographic data, perceptions, and knowledge about risk factors, warning signs, and response for stroke. Chi-square tests and odds ratios were used to analyze significant associations between knowledge of stroke and demographic characteristics. Findings from this study were that generally, the respondents were aware that stroke risk can be increased by poor lifestyle habits and that stroke needs to be treated at a hospital; however, their understanding of stroke and its warning signs and specific risk factors were fairly low. Majority of this sample had completed higher education but still scored low on awareness thus counties surrounding Mombasa County with lower proportions of high education may have substantially less stroke knowledge. These findings demonstrate a need to improve response time and outcomes of stroke, while reducing its prevalence. A review of the literature on stroke campaigns highlighted four main types of prevention methods that have been implemented in various countries and regions: mass media campaigns, educational presentations, health screenings, and multi-modal community programs. Through exploration of these campaigns, an optimal stroke prevention campaign for Mombasa would combine elements of a multi-modal community approach and a mass media campaign due to the intensive and wide-spread nature of these methods.
Technology Entrepreneurship in Indonesia and Kenya
(LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin, 2015-07) Eaton, David J.; Leist, Alexander
During 2014-2015, The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs (LBJ School) and the IC² Institute of The University of Texas at Austin, in cooperation with National Instruments unit Planet NI, based in Austin, Texas, conducted two experiments to facilitate technology transfer to encourage entrepreneurship and economic development in Indonesia and Kenya. The "Technology Transfer, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development" project was designed as an opportunity for graduate students to develop skills as "consultants" to assist a variety of institutions including non-profit organizations, for-profit firms, university research centers, and government agencies in encouraging technology entrepreneurship. Students operated within interdisciplinary teams to provide diverse management consulting services on issues of organizational development, technology innovation and transfer, strategy, marketing, finance, human resources, development, fundraising, and sustainability. These two experiments have sought to enable innovative small and medium-sized enterprises and startups as key contributors to socioeconomic development to generate high-value employment and positively affect local communities within Indonesia and Kenya. Their findings are reported in this report and in two accompanying video documentaries.
Technology Entrepreneurship in Indonesia and Kenya, PRP 183
(LBJ School of Public Affairs, 2015) Eaton, David J.; Gibson, David
The Technology Transfer, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development project was designed as an opportunity for graduate students to develop skills as “consultants” to assist a variety of institutions, including non-profit organizations, for-profit firms, university research centers, and government agencies in encouraging technology entrepreneurship in Indonesia and Kenya. Students operated within interdisciplinary teams to provide diverse management consulting services on issues of organizational development, technology innovation and transfer, strategy, marketing, finance, human resources, development, fundraising, and sustainability. These two experiments have sought to enable innovative small and medium-sized enterprises and startups as key contributors to socioeconomic development to generate high-value employment and positively affect local communities within Indonesia and Kenya.
Thinking Inside The Block[chain]. An analysis of Blockchain Technology's transformative potential on individuals' social well-being in El Salvador, Kenya, and Venezuela.
(2023-12) Wolf, Jordan
Blockchain Technology acts as a buzzword, an innovative tech solution that can fix almost any logistical issue. How does this innovative technology affect the social well-being of its users? In this paper, I have explored the essence of what Blockchain Technology is, how it is used, and finally, the social effect that it has had and has the potential to have. When measuring the effect that technology has on individuals' social well-being I will use the capability approach theory. Evaluating the effect that blockchain has on individuals' well-being by looking at how it alters the control they have over their environment through both political and material control. This analysis will focus on the effect in three specific nations; El Salvador, Kenya, and Venezuela. Using the capability approach offers a lens into individuals' well-being based on their access and capability to control their lives.
Winnie Kibe
(2021-02-28) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Winnie Kibe, who is originally from Kenya, but now lives in North Texas with her family and will soon move to Boston for law school. Winnie speaks about her experience with racism in a small town in Iowa and how she was not prepared to encounter similar situations in Austin, a city that boasts of its diversity and inclusivity. Winnie also discusses a week-long power outage, icy roads, and a shortage of water during the polar vortex. Winnie recommends that communities come together to hold our government accountable and pay close attention to who’s really taking care of everyone.