https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/4 2026-05-12T04:00:24Z 2026-05-12T04:00:24Z Mudogo, Benard Barasa, David Omuteche, Jairus https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3525 2026-04-22T06:28:36Z 2026-04-18T00:00:00Z

Strategies in communicating COVID-19 crisis in Kenya: the role of an effective health campaign framework among populations in urban informal settlements Mudogo, Benard; Barasa, David; Omuteche, Jairus The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges across the world. One of these challenges relates to the communication of COVID-19 messages due to the complexities of health communication, especially among vulnerable people living in urban slum areas. Using data from populations in Kenya’s urban informal settlements, this paper investigates stakeholders’ capacities, successes and challenges in communicating health crisis messages. The data are drawn from people living in Majengo and Makaburini informal settlements in Kakamega town, Western Kenya. The findings indicate that lack of structured crisis communication has hampered the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among people living in urban informal settlements where essential social amenities are limited. We also use the collected data to describe how a crisis communication model, adapted from Kaplan and Norton’s (Strategy Leadersh 32(5):10–17, 2004) strategy map can be customized to enhance effectiveness of health communication campaigns. The implications of this strategy serve to broaden both theory and practice of healthcare crisis communication and provide insights into ways to strengthen the quality of crisis emergency communication response.

2026-04-18T00:00:00Z Wanyama, Timothy Vitalis Oruta, Evans M. Onyango, Erick Ater https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3315 2026-03-30T07:06:36Z 2025-11-21T00:00:00Z

Examination of the Effects of Imprisonment on Recidivism: A Review of Kisumu County, Kenya Wanyama, Timothy Vitalis; Oruta, Evans M.; Onyango, Erick Ater High rates of recidivism continue to challenge the effectiveness of CZimprisonment as a tool for criminal rehabilitation and public safety in Kenya. In Kisumu County, a growing number of former inmates find themselves re-entering the prison system, raising questions about the role of incarceration in breaking the cycle of crime. This study examines the effects of imprisonment on recidivism rates. This study employed a mixed-methods research design, which enabled the integration of quantitative and qualitative data to comprehensively examine the effects of imprisonment on recidivism in Kisumu County. Data were collected from 700 ex-convicts, 85 prison officers, and 15 probation officers using structured questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis. Quantitative findings revealed that 62% of ex-prisoners were re-arrested within three years, while only 18% had access to consistent rehabilitation programmes during incarceration. Additionally, 76% of recidivists cited unemployment and social stigma as major barriers to reintegration. The qualitative data supported these findings, highlighting overcrowded prison conditions, limited vocational training, and insufficient post-release support as key contributors to reoffending. The study concludes that imprisonment in its current form often fails to rehabilitate offenders and instead contributes to a cycle of repeat offending. It recommends increased investment in community-based rehabilitation, expansion of vocational programmes within prisons, and the establishment of structured reintegration frameworks to reduce recidivism and promote social reintegration.

2025-11-21T00:00:00Z Shiyoya, Nebert Kamau, Rahab Mutua, Gershom https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3314 2026-02-10T11:12:29Z 2025-11-09T00:00:00Z

Utilization of Cuscuta japonica powder as a novel affordable adsorbent for removing disperse dyes from water Shiyoya, Nebert; Kamau, Rahab; Mutua, Gershom Textile industrial activities have become major contributors of water pollution through the release of dyes into water systems. Disperse red 13 and disperse orange 3 dyes are still heavily used in the industry despite having been reported to be carcinogenic. Adsorption using locally available materials has recently emerged as an effective technology for the removal of pollutants from water. In this study, the potential of Cuscuta japonica powder was investigated for the removal of disperse red 13 and disperse orange 3 dyes from water. The C. japonica powder’s functional groups and the surface chemistry were examined using FTIR spectroscopy and SEM, respectively. TG-DTG analyses were employed to study the thermal characteristics of the powder while EDS was used to determine the elemental composition profile of the powder. Experiments were performed to determine the effect of contact time, pH, initial adsorbate concentration and reaction temperature on the removal of the two dyes from aqueous solution. After 120 min of reaction at 25 ℃, the removal efficiencies recorded were 87.77% and 79.16% for disperse red 13 and disperse orange 3, respectively. The corresponding sorption capacities were 11.10 mg/g for disperse red 13 and 10.61 mg/g for disperse orange 3. The adsorption of the two dyes onto the C. japonica powder followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model. This indicates that the adsorption of the two dyes is largely chemisorption. The Sips isothermal model provided the most appropriate fit for the two dyes. The adsorption of the two dyes onto the powder occur mainly through π–π stacking, hydrophobic interactions, and hydrogen bonding. The adsorption reaction of two dyes onto the adsorbent was exothermic and spontaneous. It was also established that the powder can be used more than three times without significantly losing its adsorptive capacity. These findings demonstrate that C. japonica vines can serve as an affordable source for adsorbent materials for the remediation of water polluted with industrial dyes.

2025-11-09T00:00:00Z Sitati, Meshack Kituyi Mutua, Gershom Kyalo Onunga, Daniel O. Jaganyi, Deogratius Mambanda, Allen https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3313 2026-02-10T11:11:58Z 2025-12-15T00:00:00Z

Reactivity of [(arene)(chloro)(phosphino)ruthenium(II)]+ complexes towards thiourea nucleophiles Sitati, Meshack Kituyi; Mutua, Gershom Kyalo; Onunga, Daniel O.; Jaganyi, Deogratius; Mambanda, Allen Arene Ru(II) complexes; (η6-Benzene)chloro-bis(triphenylphosphino)ruthenium(II) chloride, C1, (η5-cyclopentadienyl)chloro-bis(triphenylphosphino)ruthenium(II) Chloride, C2, (η6-Benzene)chloro{bis(diphenylphosphino)methane}ruthenium(II) Chloride, C3, η5-cyclopentadienyl)[bis(diphenylphosphino)methane]ruthenium(II), C4 (η6-Benzene)chloro{1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane}ruthenium(II) Chloride, C5 and (η6-Benzene)chloro{1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane}ruthenium(II) Chloride, C6 were successfully synthesized by modified literature methods. The rates of chloro substitution and mechanism of reactions of the arene Ru(II) complexes by thiourea nucleophiles were studied under pseudo first order conditions in 0.1 M NaClO4/LiCl methanol solution as a function of nucleophile concentration and temperature. The reactions were monitored using the UV–vis absorption spectrophotometer or stopped flow spectrophotometer for fast reactions. The coordinated arene ligand donates electrons towards the Ru metal ion centre and its π -electron cloud presents an electrostatic repulsive effect onto and around the Ru centre as measured by the projected cone angle. The bidentate bis(diphenylphosphino)methane ligand hinders the approach of nucleophiles during the substitution process. When the bis(diphenylphosphino)methane chelate is expanded through the introduction of a methylene carbon within the bridge, the steric hindrance to the approach of nucleophiles is reduced because of the trough like conformation of the alkyl chain which traps the nucleophiles within the coordination sphere. This enhances the reactivity by a factor of 103. The observed reactivity trends are supported by DFT calculations. The entropy of activation values are positive indicating that the mechanism of substitution has interchange dissociative (ID) character.

2025-12-15T00:00:00Z