Abstract/Overview For long, it has been believed that song of abuse, as it has come to be called, is a preserve of west African communities. Early inroads into this oral subgenre were made by scholars who, more often than not, hailed from Ghana and Nigeria. A false impression of its locus was created to the effect that it was region-specific. This paper is an attempt to illustrate the pervasiveness of this verbal art, in disguised forms among the Swahili of East African. Drawing illustrat...
Abstract/Overview This article examines the portrayal of the absent father-figure in African American autobiographies. In particular, the article discusses how Obama relies on memories and reflections to prop the image of his absent father in his autobiography, Dreams from my father. The article adopted an analytical research design. Content analysis was used to generate data. The data was then coded and analyzed according to the modes of characterization. Tenets of postcolonial and psych...
Abstract/Overview This paper explores the portrayal of co-wife bonding and its impact in polygamy in Sue Nyathi’s The Polygamist (2012) and Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (2010) (hereafter referred to as Polygamist and Secret Lives respectively). The identity of women in polygamy, particularly that of the junior wife, often has a sense of inadequacy and inferiority. This often results into unending jealousies and co-wife rivalries. However, this paper argues t...
Abstract/Overview Knowledge acquisition is facilitated through communication and communication occurs through language. However, in individuals with communication impairments, effective communication is adversely tempered with. This implies that communication impairments would affect knowledge acquisition. The question, however, is how this happens? Little effort has been made to answer this question, as revealed by the literature. In the quest to establish the effects of communication im...
Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of Lutsotso consonants on pronunciation of selected English consonants among Form One Students, learning English as a second language (ESL), in Lurambi Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya. The selected English language consonant sounds were: plosives /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/, fricatives /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/ and affricates /t∫/, /ʤ/ only. The objectives of the study were to examine the influence of the Lutsotso consonants o...
The right to life, as it pertains to humans, is fundamental and serves as the basis for other rights. However, this right has been violated and challenged in various ways throughout history. While some advocate for the respect of human life, others seem indifferent to actions that threaten this fundamental right. These opposing viewpoints are broadly categorized as “Pro-life” and “Pro-choice.” Pro-lifers support maintaining the dignity of human life and oppose acts like abortion, ...
Abstract/Overview Increasingly food culture in the context of socio-cultural dimension is becoming important for sustainable urban development. In the last four years food festivals have been held in Kisumu attracting several interests both from within and without the City. The Kisumu fish night event of 2013 marked the melting point of food culture in Kisumu. This paper thus explores the noble intention of integrating food culture in Kisumu as a socio-cultural capital for the advancement...
Abstract/Overview Background:Rift Valley Fever (RVF), is a viral zoonotic disease transmitted by Aedes and Culex mosquitoes. In Kenya, its occurrence is associated with increased rains. In Baringo County, RVF was first reported in 2006–2007 resulting in 85 human cases and 5 human deaths, besides livestock losses and livelihood disruptions. This study sought to investigate the county’s current RVF risk status. Methodology and principal findings:A cross-sectional study on the knowledge,...
Abstract/Overview The world population is growing and shifting in character from to predominantly rural to increasingly urban. It is projected that by 2050, two thirds of the world’s population will be living in urban areas. The food system of cities has an impact on the health and wellbeing of residents. This study is a review of data and integration of findings from two projects done in Kisumu from 2016 - 2020: Consuming Urban Poverty (CUP) project and Nourishing Spaces (NS) project. ...
Abstract/Overview Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) are vital for the growth, especially for developing countries as they create jobs and distribute the national wealth among rural communities. It is believed that their development is mostly influenced by availability of financial services. Mogotio District has a number of micro financial institutions. It was not clear the extent to which they interacted with MSEs so as to support their growth especially in rural areas of Mogotio. This s...
Abstract: In this paper, we dive deep into the world of spacecraft propulsion, focusing specifically on the exciting realm of electric propulsion systems tailored for small satellites. Electric propulsion holds immense promise, offering a host of advantages over traditional chemical systems, including improved efficiency, reduced propellant consumption, and enhanced mission flexibility. Small satellites, with their compact nature, stand to gain substantially from the versatility and scalabili...
This study demonstrates that self-interpretation does indeed occur in Kenyan courtroom proceedings, a situation that necessitates the use of a language other than the regular and official languages of Kenyan courts. Such language use rendered mostly in terms of self-interpretation has far-reaching ramifications on the content, facts, style, and meaning predispositions of a witness’s testimony. Most studies in courtroom communicative interactions, language, and speech manifestations, have be...
Abstract: Sovereignty has in cooperated negative and positive connotations. Positive connotation involves the state ability to control its political and economic aspects on its own. That is it should make sure there is political stability and better social and economic conditions (Jackson 1993, p. 77). Positive connotation of sovereignty depends on the predominantly on action and resources of government and their population . It is also an internal part of sovereignty whereby the government ...
Abstract: This research explores the case study of one prominent insurgent group in the Middle East: the Houthi movement. There is limited research available on the strategies insurgent groups employ and factors that influence these non-state actors to attain their goals. The research examines three key areas of the Houthi movement: the factors, the actors and the strategies that enabled it to achieve its objectives. Yemen has struggled with various other insurgent groups in recent history. ...
Abstract: Efforts to date the oldest modern human fossils in eastern Africa, from Omo-Kibish1,2,3 and Herto4,5 in Ethiopia, have drawn on a variety of chronometric evidence, including 40Ar/39Ar ages of stratigraphically associated tuffs. The ages that are generally reported for these fossils are around 197 thousand years (kyr) for the Kibish Omo I3,6,7, and around 160–155 kyr for the Herto hominins5,8. However, the stratigraphic relationships and tephra correlations that underpin these...