Kenya’s service-sector expansion has not automatically produced structural transformation. This article combines descriptive World Development Indicators for 2006–2024 with a structured integrative synthesis of peer-reviewed and institutional evidence. It assesses how services can support productivity, exports, employment and production linkages. Services increased from 50.4% to 55.7% of GDP between 2006 and 2024, while their employment share rose from 33.1% to 41.2%. Over the same period, industry’s share of GDP declined from 19.4% to 16.3%. Average services growth exceeded overall GDP growth. However, services trade fell from 14.9% to 11.4% of GDP, indicating weak external orientation. The article develops a five-channel framework and differentiates six service portfolios using scalability, tradability, linkages and inclusion. It concludes that Kenya should combine modern tradable services, production-enabling services and upgraded local services. The study offers a diagnostic policy framework rather than causal estimates. Read more

Kenya government commercial institutions are operating in a more intricate and competitive environment that requires adaptability, creativity, and strategic modernization. This study takes into account the intersection of modernization efforts and performance of government commercial institutions with focus on how organizational performance is influenced by improvements in technology, digitization, and business process engineering. The research aims to evaluate if modernization as an element of turnaround strategy contributes to operational efficiency, improved delivery of services, and institution sustainability. Using a descriptive survey design, the study targeted a population of 34 government-owned commercial entities in Kenya. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaires and statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression modeling via SPSS. Post-positivist philosophy and quantitative orientation were adopted by the research to allow for replicability and objectivity of findings. The results showed that modernization exerts a significant influence on organizational performance when implemented with strategic fit and adequate resource support. Specifically, in-house business process automation, digital innovation, and infrastructure improvements were established to streamline operations and reduce redundancies in operations. However, the study also established that targeted modernization initiatives lacking strategic integration or launched in the absence of good change management frameworks are likely to yield little in terms of performance improvement. Furthermore, environmental factors and political factors were established to have the role of moderators between the performance-modernization approach relationship, thereby emphasizing the need for enabling policy and regulatory environments. The study concludes that modernization is not just a technical or technological process but also a strategic imperative for public sector organizations to enhance performance and remain pertinent in an increasingly dynamic economic landscape. It recommends modernization to be institutionalized as an ongoing practice supported by leadership, capacity building, and continuous monitoring. Read more

Introduction Foods prepared from germinated ingredients have lower antinutrients and thus suitable vehicles for Micronutrient powder (MNP). Unfortunately, home consumption of these food products is declining in Kenya. Methods Three phase acceptability study: Seven-days phase one using a cross over design, a two-week parallel site-randomized feeding trial, and a focus group discussion with caregivers. Results Caregivers reported significant differences in color and texture between germinated flour porridge and control porridge, but these differences did not impact overall acceptance. Significantly more non-germinated flour porridges were consumed during the sensory testing. Conversely, germinated flour sorghum porridge (p=0.003), maize (p=0.127), and millet (p=0.073) were consumed more over 2-week feeding phase. Significantly more germinated flour porridges compared to non-germinated flour porridges were consumed in the latter days compared to the initial days (p<0.001). Caregivers gave positive feedback on the germinated porridges. Conclusion The three germinated porridges were accepted and could serve as vehicles for MNP in Homa-bay County. Read more

This study explored the relationship between a company’s growth rate, as a capital structure decision, and the financial performance of state sugar corporations in Kenya. The purpose of the research was to assess how growth rate influences financial outcomes in the state sugar sector. Guided by Modigliani and Miller’s (1958) capital structure model and key theories, including Trade-off, Pecking Order, and Agency Cost, the study adopted correlational and descriptive survey designs. The target population comprised 1,145 employees in the state sugar sector, with a sample size of 291 selected using Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) table. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and interviews and analysed using SPSS Version 25. Descriptive and inferential methods, including Pearson’s correlation and linear regression, revealed a positive correlation (p = 0.000 < 0.05) between growth rate and financial performance. The study concludes that higher growth rates enhance financial outcomes and recommends similar research in private sugar firms for sector-wide knowledge and understanding. Read more

Despite the high cost of electronic customer relationship software solutions, its use can be justified as an investment in building long-term client relationships, improving customer retention, and, ultimately, boosting long-term profitability. As a result, it is critical for small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) in Kenya to take a forward-thinking attitude and maintain their market survival by adapting to developing trends in customer relationship management. This is because modern business setting has become exceedingly dynamic, necessitating small and medium enterprises to formulate strategies that align with the rapid evolution of technology, shifting customer demands, and intensified global competition to improve their performance. The findings indicate SMEs in Kenya are increasingly implementing relatively uncomplicated information and communication technologies to enhance their capabilities in customer communication and information management. This strategic move is aimed at gaining a competitive edge by leveraging electronic customer relationship management practices. Small and medium-sized enterprises perceive the communication component of electronic customer relationship management as more manageable, yet encounter challenges in effectively incorporating client information into their decision-making processes. Overall, it can be observed that electronic customer relationship management implementation in SMEs is often characterized by an ad hoc approach rather than a strategic one. SMEs need to align electronic customer relationship initiatives with the overall strategic goals to enhance their overall performance. Read more

Employee performance is integral to organizational success, yet public universities in Kenya have faced challenges in achieving satisfactory performance despite implementing human resource management (HRM) practices. This study aimed to investigate the effect of recruitment practices on employee performance in public universities in Nyanza region, Kenya. The target population comprised of 3,129 individuals, and the sample size of 355 teaching and non-teaching staff were determined using the Yamane formula, employing random sampling techniques for data collection. A structured questionnaire was utilized as the primary data collection tool in a quantitative research design. Cronbach's alpha was calculated for each scale in the questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics by the aid of SPSS version 23. To ensure reliability, Results was as follows: recruitment practices have a significant positive effect on employee performance ((β = 0.165, p<0.05). The study concluded that recruitment practices have a significant positive effect on employee performance. The study recommended that hiring decisions in the universities should be done always on the basis of a person’s potential to do job. The study recommended that hiring decisions in the universities should be done always on the basis of a person’s potential to do job. The recruitment process should continue to being done in a transparent manner and the recruitment processes in the universities should keep on being improved to enhance employee satisfaction. The employee selection process should always be done in an ethical manner and in a manner that is fair. Read more

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of oxygen therapy among nurses working in pediatric and medical units at a referral hospital in limited resource setting. Design: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Methods: A total of 213 nurses participated after completing an acute oxygen therapy questionnaire that assessed their knowledge of oxygen therapy. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and explored the association between variables with chi-square or t-test at P < 0.05. Results: The mean age of participating nurses was 37 years, and over 50% were female. On average, participants had not undergone any refresher course on oxygen therapy in the preceding three years. Oxygen therapy knowledge was found to be higher in male nurses (p = 0.008), those who were aware of the WHO guidelines for oxygen therapy (p = 0.006), and those in senior positions (0.028). Paediatric nurses scored higher in the ‘Recognizing Hypoxemia’ domain than nurses in the medical department (p = 0.003). The domain with the lowest number of correct items identified by participants was ‘Clinical Practices’ (3.23 ± 1.04). Being older (r2 = -0.135) and having worked in the facility for longer (r2 = -0.156) correlated with low knowledge of correct oxygen therapy documentation. Conclusion This study identified gaps in knowledge of oxygen therapy among nurses at a referral hospital in Kenya and emphasized the importance of re-training nurses involved in oxygen therapy administration. Read more

Background: Children with disabilities face inequalities in accessing healthcare systems, particularly in low-resource settings. The situation is particularly dire in Kenya, where disability is still widely viewed as a curse or a punishment, and where many traditional healers claim to have the ability to cure disabilities. As a result, many children with disabilities in Kenya frequently have unmet special healthcare needs. Understanding the challenges faced by differently-abled children under five years old in accessing healthcare in low-resource settings is crucial to developing more responsive and effective healthcare systems for this population. Methods: In this hospital-based cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate the factors affecting access to healthcare for disabled children under five years old in Wajir County, Kenya. We used a simple random sampling technique to recruit 69 caregivers of disabled children, who were interviewed using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Ethical approval was granted by the KNH/UON Ethical Committee. We used descriptive and inferential statistics, including chi-square tests, to analyze the data using SPSS version 25.0. Results: The majority of the caregivers were women (75.4%). We found that several factors were significantly associated with healthcare accessibility, including the belief that disability was caused by demon possession (p=0.019), reliance on traditional healers for the treatment of disabilities (p=0.034), accessibility of healthcare facilities (p=0.034), distance to the health facility (p=0.042), perceived differential treatment of disabled children (p=0.047), medical costs (p=0.028), lack of access to physiotherapist services (p=0.008), and difficulty in getting appointments suitable for the child (p=0.015). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that children with disabilities in Wajir County face significant barriers in accessing healthcare services, which are compounded by socio-cultural beliefs and economic challenges. A more coordinated, collaborative, and multidisciplinary approach is needed to improve healthcare access for this vulnerable population. Policymakers, healthcare providers, and caregivers should work together to address the identified barriers and ensure that disabled children under five years old have access to the healthcare services they need to thrive. Read more

Transformational leadership is an enabler of improved organizational work efficiency, enhanced job satisfaction and organizational performance. In theory, transformational leadership is positively correlated with a variety of organizational outcomes. The current study sought to establish the moderating effect of transformational leadership on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and manufacturing firms’ performance in Nairobi County, Kenya. This paper was anchored on the positivism world view and was quantitative in nature. The research design was explanatory design to show cause and effect relationships and the strategy for inquiry was a survey strategy. The independent variable was entrepreneurial orientation with the dependent variable being firms’ performance whereas the mediator was networking capability with the moderator being transformational leadership. The study utilized Hayes Model 59 using PROCESS Macro Version 4.0 for multiple regression analysis. Results on interaction further indicated that transformational leadership had a moderating effect on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and enterprise performance with β = .03, p = .005. The study concluded that, transformational leadership had varied moderating effects on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and manufacturing firms’ performance. It was the recommendation of this study that for manufacturing firms to better enhance sustainable performance and gain competitive advantage, they should not only adopt entrepreneurial orientation as a strategy but they should also infuse the concept of transformational leadership hence increased improvement. Read more

This study estimates an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) econometric model between 1970 to 2018 to test the long-run effect of remittances on financial development in Kenya. It also interacts remittances with monetary policy and human capital to test their complementarity in facilitating financial development. The long-run model finds that remittances hurt financial development contradicting the theoretical view. A possible explanation is the substitutability hypothesis which states that remittances replace the demand for financial products. The long-run model’s results find that monetary policy complements remittances while human capital harms the complementarity role of remittances. More studies are required to isolate the cause of the negative externality of human capital in facilitating remittances to boost financial development. Surprisingly, openness and economic growth used as control variables have negative effects on financial development, which also need further study. The long-run equilibrium model adjusts at a speed of 51.8 percent to correct short-term disequilibrium after every two years. The study recommends that policymakers in Kenya should be cautious about the negative side effects of remittances on financial development. This study recommends that policymakers identify prudent monetary, exchange rate, trade, and fiscal policies to curb the side effects of remittances in the economy and broader development planning. Read more