At a time of sociocultural changes that started questioning established Islamic learning traditions (independence years, post-Cold War/book market liberalization), printing diasporas exerted... Show moreAt a time of sociocultural changes that started questioning established Islamic learning traditions (independence years, post-Cold War/book market liberalization), printing diasporas exerted influence on the circulation of Islamic texts in East Africa: published overseas (Cairo, Beirut, and the Indian subcontinent) and/or locally reprinted on the Swahili-speaking Islamic coast, they came to play a seminal role in negotiating Swahili Muslim literary culture. How have transoceanic religious and intellectual networks operating beyond national borders become intertwined? In this paper, the beginnings of Swahili Muslim book publishing—and the entities underpinning it, such as Nairobi’s Islamic Foundation Center, a Pakistani-oriented charitable foundation—will be outlined. I will then delve into the history of Indian-and-Swahili family-run publishers Adam Traders based in Mombasa in order to tackle hitherto neglected transoceanic connections and patterns of influence across the sea. Show less
This paper focuses on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the education system in Kenya with reference to vocational training institutions. The paper analyses how the provision of vocational... Show moreThis paper focuses on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the education system in Kenya with reference to vocational training institutions. The paper analyses how the provision of vocational training was impacted after Covid-19 from the perspective of principals of colleges, tutors, and students. The paper collected qualitative experiences of the above-mentioned stakeholders to understand to which degree vocational education has been affected by Covid-19. This was accomplished through the use of interviews, questionnaires, and document analysis. The study has found that the Covid-19 pandemic completely disrupted learning in six public VTCs as institutions were closed and students and tutors did not meet or interact for more than eight months. It was impossible for a work-based learning model to be used by students after institutions were closed because even the industries and businesses where they were supposed to undertake their practicum and internship programmes downscaled their operations, while others closed down completely. After reopening of VTCs in January 2021, close to 34.8% of their former students did not report back because some of them dropped out, some could not pay fees, some engaged in alcoholism, drugs, and substance abuse, some emigrated to other areas to look for opportunities while some settled down in marriage. It is recommended that guidance and counselling should be continuously provided to tutors and students as a way of addressing the psychological and behavioural challenges brought about by Covid-19, tutors need to be trained on remote learning methodologies (digital skills) and county governments need to invest in setting up infrastructure to support online learning in VTCs. This research provides a realistic picture of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on vocational education and training in public institutions in West Pokot County which is considered to be a marginalised and arid and semi-arid region in the North-western part of Kenya. Show less
The article is a plea for sustaining the indigenous languages of Tanzania and Kenya. These languages display an impressive richness in diversity which is diminishing currently. It is important to... Show moreThe article is a plea for sustaining the indigenous languages of Tanzania and Kenya. These languages display an impressive richness in diversity which is diminishing currently. It is important to appreciate the value of the current linguistic diversity and that of multilingualism. The article is based on a presentation at a conferenceof the Languages of Tanzania project and hence is biased towards the Tanzanian situation. I argue that the success of the language policy of promoting Kiswahili now opens the ways to support the local languagesthat pose no threat to national unity. Given that this article is a plea and one making ample use of my personal experiences of linguistic research in Tanzania and Kenya the style is more personal and lacks the usual detachment of academic papers. Show less
Calhoun, L.M.; Mirzoyants, A.; Thuku, S.; Benova, L.; Delvaux, T.; Akker, T. van den; ... ; Speizer, I.S. 2022
Plain language summary In Kenya, about 15% of women age 15-19 have already had a birth and approximately one third of these women did not want to have a child at that time. Yet about 45% of... Show morePlain language summary In Kenya, about 15% of women age 15-19 have already had a birth and approximately one third of these women did not want to have a child at that time. Yet about 45% of sexually active women ages 15-24 report that they currently use family planning (FP). Among young people, friends and peers are an important influence on behaviors. This study focused on a representative sample from Kenya of female and male youth (ages 15-24) who ever had sex. Men and women were asked questions about use of FP, if they think their peers use FP and about characteristics such as age and education. The results showed that young women and men who believed their peers use FP were more likely to use FP themselves. Also, young men and women who believed that peers use FP were more likely to use condoms than not use any FP and more likely to use condoms than to use another modern method of FP. Young women who thought their peers use were more likely to use another modern method (not including condoms) than to be a nonuser of FP. Programs targeting young people should include information on a range of FP methods and aim to include groups of peers and encourage open discussion.Background Prior research has established that an individual's social environment may influence his or her reproductive behaviors, yet less is known about peer influence on contraceptive use among young people (ages 15-24). In Kenya, the site of this study, 15% of adolescents ages 15-19 have begun childbearing and 45% of sexually active young women report current use of a modern contraceptive method. This highlights the need to better understand what factors influence young people to use contraception. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between the perception of peers' use of contraceptives and contraceptive use and method choice among young men and women in Kenya. Methods This study utilizes a nationally representative sample of women and men aged 15-24 years from the 2018 and 2019 cross sectional Shujaaz State of the Kenyan Youth annual surveys. Among the sample of sexually experienced young people (59%), multivariable multinomial logistic regression was used to explore the association between the perception of peers' use of contraceptives and the respondent's contraceptive method choice: non-user, condom use or use of any other modern method. Results are presented separately for young men and young women. Results Our results show that sexually experienced young men and women who perceive that their peers are using contraceptives are more likely to report current use of condoms compared to being a nonuser (RRR = 2.12, p < 0.001, RRR = 2.59, p < 0.001, respectively); they are also more likely to use condoms than another modern method of contraception (RRR = 2.13, p = 0.034, RRR = 1.71, p = 0.014, respectively). Young women are more likely to use another modern method (not including condoms) than be a nonuser when they perceive that their peers' use contraceptives (RRR = 1.51, p = 0.020). Conclusions The results of this study highlight the important role of peer influence on young people's contraceptive choices. These findings can be used to develop programs that encourage behavior change communication activities in Kenya that focus on normalizing use of a full range of contraceptive methods among peer groups of sexually experienced young people. Show less
This thesis investigates the potential contribution of the Dutch private sector, and supportive Dutch Private Sector Development policies, to inclusive development (in terms of outcomes and... Show moreThis thesis investigates the potential contribution of the Dutch private sector, and supportive Dutch Private Sector Development policies, to inclusive development (in terms of outcomes and processes) in Kenya in three sectors: tea, flowers and renewable energy. This study is timely and relevant:- To academia, as to date an explicit link between the international private sector operations in developing countries and their contribution to inclusive development has been little explored.- To Dutch government, as it has been continuously supporting policies and initiatives stimulating private sector and economic development in developing countries since the inception of its bilateral aid.- To the Sustainable Development Agenda debate, as the private sector was identified as one of the main strategic partners to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.This study applied an exploratory research design with the overarching qualitative method of process tracing. Based on the case studies of Unilever Tea Kenya Limited, the flower sector and Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) project, this research confirmed that inclusive development prompted by the operations of the private sector can contribute to poverty and inequality reduction but not in its full inclusiveness potential. Moreover, the identified inclusive outcomes are proceeded by lengthy and exclusive political processes. These processes are not only exclusive, but also ‘occlusive’ in nature – they happen behind closed doors among groups of carefully selected strategic actors. Hence, I have coined the term ‘occlusive development’. Overall, support given to the private sector in developing countries by the Dutch government is important, but PSD policies need to be more realistic about what the private sector, in the specific context, can actually do to contribute to a specific dimension of inclusive development in a country. Show less
This article presents a first study of the Islamic ideas and social committment expressed through the poetry of Mahmoud Mau, an imam poet and social philantrophist from Kenya. This contribution... Show moreThis article presents a first study of the Islamic ideas and social committment expressed through the poetry of Mahmoud Mau, an imam poet and social philantrophist from Kenya. This contribution aids in illuminating intellectual history and poetic productions from the Eastern African coast. Show less
This article provides a review of the latest status and policy framework for wind energy in Africa. In addition, it takes a close look at Kenya, which is one of the most successful African... Show moreThis article provides a review of the latest status and policy framework for wind energy in Africa. In addition, it takes a close look at Kenya, which is one of the most successful African countries in terms of attracting renewable energy (RE) investments, including the largest wind farm on the continent. Globally, wind energy development needs strong government policy. Following numerous bilateral and multilateral efforts, by 2016, the majority of African countries had defined RE supporting policies, with nearly half also having defined their wind energy targets. However, the review of such policies on the continent as a whole, as well as a closer examination of the situation in Kenya, indicate that established supportive policies and fiscal incentives remain important for the development of wind energy on the African continent but are not the decisive factors. It also suggests that international private participation in energy generation and renewable/wind energy expansion in Africa is critical and expected to increase. Consequently, it may be challenging to ensure that African countries capitalise on their inherent advantage in terms of clean energy during their energy transition processes. Show less
Western donor countries consider a proper functioning multiparty democracy as one of the most import conditions for achieving more legitimate governance and subsequently economic development and... Show moreWestern donor countries consider a proper functioning multiparty democracy as one of the most import conditions for achieving more legitimate governance and subsequently economic development and reduction of poverty in their partner countries. Support to free and fair elections is an integral part of the ‘good governance’ agenda of the traditional donor community. On the basis of the findings of this study, it appears however that it is not so much the acceptance of Western type political institutions or compliance with generally endorsed liberal-democratic standards that determine the possibilities for developing countries to achieve economic transformation and substantial poverty reduction, but rather the nature of the political settlement among the political elites. Show less
Matelski, M.; Otundo, B.; Zijlstra, S.; Dekker, M.; Kempen, L. van; Nangulu, A.; Spierenburg, M. 2018
In 2050 zullen er in de Afrikaanse steden naar schatting 1,3 miljard mensen wonen, tweemaal zoveel als in heel Europa. Deze steden ontwikkelen zich vanuit een geheel eigen dynamiek. De stad Kisumu... Show moreIn 2050 zullen er in de Afrikaanse steden naar schatting 1,3 miljard mensen wonen, tweemaal zoveel als in heel Europa. Deze steden ontwikkelen zich vanuit een geheel eigen dynamiek. De stad Kisumu in Kenia telt in 2018 700.000 inwoners, waarvan er 550.000 in krottenwijken wonen. De informele straateconomie beheerst de openbare ruimte en levert de meeste werkgelegenheid. Bijna de helft van de mensen leeft onder de absolute armoedegrens. In zijn onderzoek richt Rob van Gemert zich op Obunga, een wijk van Kisumu. Hij schetst een beeld van het wonen en werken in deze krottenwijk. Samen met de bewoners zoekt hij naar mogelijkheden om de wijk te verbeteren. Terwijl hij door de wijk loopt, rondkijkt, luistert en vergadert, vormt zich een integraal plan. De eigenheid van de wijk vormt hierbij het uitgangspunt; niet als probleem, maar juist als oplossing. Dan presenteert het stadsbestuur een stedenbouwkundig plan, ontworpen door Franse adviseurs. Ze hebben een nieuw imago voor het centrum bedacht, negeren de straateconomie volledig en willen alle krottenwijken ombouwen tot woongebieden voor de middenklasse. “Niemand luistert naar ons”, zeggen de mensen in Obunga. Show less
Youth ‘languages’ are an important topic of research in the domain of linguisticchange through language contact because the change is rapid and observableand also because the social dimension of... Show moreYouth ‘languages’ are an important topic of research in the domain of linguisticchange through language contact because the change is rapid and observableand also because the social dimension of change is inevitably present. Engsh, asa youth language in Kenya expresses not only modernity and Kenyan identitybut also, the status of being educated, and it differs in this respect from Sheng,the dominant Kenyan youth language. The element of Engsh that expresses thisaspect most directly is the use of a grammatical system from English whereasSheng uses Swahili. In lexicon, Engsh draws upon Sheng and urban Englishslang. This is a first extensive description of Engsh. The social function of Engshis interesting in that class is expressed in it, which is not often reported inAfrican urban youth codes. Also the fact that Engsh is a non-exclusive register,which expands through its use in (social) media and most of all in computermediated communication. Show less
This dissertation examines the World Heritage status of Mt. Kenya, an alpine area in Central Kenya. The mountain joined the World Heritage List in 1997 and in 2013 the original designation... Show moreThis dissertation examines the World Heritage status of Mt. Kenya, an alpine area in Central Kenya. The mountain joined the World Heritage List in 1997 and in 2013 the original designation expanded to cover a larger area. Both events were formulated exclusively in natural scientific language. This partly echoes the natural beauty of Mt. Kenya’s landscape, but it also reverts to a range of conditions that shaped the World Heritage nomination and modification processes, this work demonstrates. These conditions include the World Heritage Convention’s rigid separation of natural and cultural heritages, reflected in its bureaucratic apparatus; the ongoing competition between two government institutes over the management of Mt. Kenya, which stems from colonial forest and game laws; the particular composition of Kenya’s political arena in respectively the late 1990s and the early 2010s; and the precarious position of white inhabitants of post-colonial Kenya, which for instance translates in constant fears for losing land rights. In sum, this dissertation argues against studies that claim that World Heritage is a state tool that chiefly serves the dissemination of nationalist propaganda. Instead, it suggests unpacking World Heritage’s technical and non-political rhetoric, to begin understanding how and why individual World Heritage Sites come about. Show less
This paper aimed at investigating the existence of productivity spillovers and their transmission channels in both Kenya and Malaysia firm-level panel data from the manufacturing sector for the... Show moreThis paper aimed at investigating the existence of productivity spillovers and their transmission channels in both Kenya and Malaysia firm-level panel data from the manufacturing sector for the period 2000–2005. Both countries have a long history of relying on FDI in industrial development. The existing literature on productivity spillovers suggests that productivity spillovers may be one of the most important effects that foreign MNEs impart to local firms in developing countries. Yet still, few studies exist in both countries on productivity spillovers and their transmission channels. Three spillover channels were examined: demonstration, competition, and information. In addition, the backward linkage channel was examined for the case of Malaysia. The results reveal that there is limited evidence of negative productivity spillovers from foreign firms to domestic firms through the competition effects in Kenya. In Malaysia, there is evidence of positive spillovers from foreign-owned firms to domestic firms through the demonstration effects. In addition, there is evidence of negative spillovers through the competition effects as well as backward linkages. There is also evidence of positive productivity spillovers from domestic firms to foreign-owned firms through backward linkages. Productivity spillovers are found to be dependent on the technology gap. Show less
After observing the growth of the Indian and Filipino Business Processing Outsourcing sectors, Kenyan policy-makers and managers made substantial investments in international internet... Show moreAfter observing the growth of the Indian and Filipino Business Processing Outsourcing sectors, Kenyan policy-makers and managers made substantial investments in international internet infrastructure and BPO marketing campaigns. While observers continue to discuss the sector in terms of its international work opportunities, in recent years the sector has increasingly focused on contracts sourced from Kenyan and other East African clients. The government has also refocused efforts on attracting international BPO companies. This domestic turn signals both the difficulties of gaining access to overseas work due to the power of incumbents and the increasing use of the internet and ICT-enabled automation within Kenyan organizations. In effect, better connectivity has enabled a two-way globalisation of services: Kenyan BPO companies have been able to access some international work opportunities but the connectivity has also contributed to the inflow of international service companies and business practices into Kenya.The conclusion examines what these shifts might entail for the sector and its workers in future [pre-publication draft]. Show less
After observing the growth of the Indian and Filipino Business Processing Outsourcing sectors, Kenyan policy-makers and managers made substantial investments in international internet... Show moreAfter observing the growth of the Indian and Filipino Business Processing Outsourcing sectors, Kenyan policy-makers and managers made substantial investments in international internet infrastructure and BPO marketing campaigns. While observers continue to discuss the sector in terms of its international work opportunities, in recent years the sector has increasingly focused on contracts sourced from Kenyan and other East African clients. The government has also refocused efforts on attracting international BPO companies. This domestic turn signals both the difficulties of gaining access to overseas work due to the power of incumbents and the increasing use of the internet and ICT-enabled automation within Kenyan organizations. In effect, better connectivity has enabled a two-way globalisation of services: Kenyan BPO companies have been able to access some international work opportunities but the connectivity has also contributed to the inflow of international service companies and business practices into Kenya.The conclusion examines what these shifts might entail for the sector and its workers in future [pre-publication draft]. Show less
It is now commonly accepted that, for the sake of international peace, the provisions of the UN Charter (originally devised to regulate interstate wars) should be interpreted so as to allow for... Show moreIt is now commonly accepted that, for the sake of international peace, the provisions of the UN Charter (originally devised to regulate interstate wars) should be interpreted so as to allow for intrastate interference as well. Yet the UN Charter does not explicitly state what the term peace refers to. It seems that the concept underpinning this term is so much the norm that only deviations from it are marked and therefore noteworthy or definable. Still, in view of the wide array of UN peacekeeping missions all over the world, a clear notion of ‘peace’ could make an important contribution to the success of these missions. In view of this, the paper addresses two questions: what lies behind the concept of ‘peace’ embedded in UN discourse, and how internationally salient is it? To provide the necessary perspective, we undertake a comparative analysis of the UN and Giryama (Kenya) ‘peace’ concepts. The analysis aims to highlight those aspects of Giryama and UN ‘peace’ that are characteristically ‘socially meaningful’ and concludes by highlighting convergences and divergences between them. Show less
