University Journals/ Articles

Charaxes Butterflies as Bioindicators of Forest Integrity: Conservation Priorities for Kenya's Threatened Nandi Forests

2026-05-06T00:00:00Z

Charaxes Butterflies as Bioindicators of Forest Integrity: Conservation Priorities for Kenya's Threatened Nandi Forests Tsingalia, Mugatsia Harrison; Kipngetich, Jairus Melly; Oroto, Brenda Atieno Fragmented tropical forests urgently need practical, cost-effective tools to assess ecosystem health and direct management resources where they matter most. Butterflies of the genus Charaxes are promising candidates: their larvae depend on specific woody host plants, and adults are readily sampled using fruit-baited traps, linking assemblage patterns directly to forest structure and quality. We assessed Charaxes diversity, disturbance responses and habitat associations across North Nandi Forest (~11,000 ha; 1700–2130 m a.s.l.) and South Nandi Forest (~15,000 ha; 1600–2000 m a.s.l.), two of Kenya's last Guineo-Congolian rainforest fragments. Six sites spanning a disturbance gradient were sampled monthly throughout 2023, with Van Someren-Rydon fruit-baited traps and visual censuses deployed concurrently at all sites to ensure comparability. A total of 1847 individual Charaxes belonging to 18 species were recorded. Both forests maintained high diversity (Shannon H′ = 2.61–2.64; Pielou's J′ > 0.91) and log-normal rank-abundance distributions, confirming intact community structure. Species inventories were near-complete (Chao1: 90%–95%). Total Charaxes abundance declined by 61% from intact to heavily disturbed sites (Kruskal–Wallis H(2) = 14.32, p = 0.001, η2 = 0.72), with three forest specialists, Charaxes cithaeron, C. violetta and C. zoolina, declining by 72%–76% and showing strong fidelity to closed-canopy habitats (79%–84% of captures under shade). Canonical correspondence analysis explained 52.3% of species–environment variation (F (5,6) = 3.14, p = 0.002, 999 permutations), with Prunus africana density (r = 0.68), canopy cover (r = 0.64) and host plant richness (r = 0.61) as the strongest predictors. Bioindicator evaluation using IndVal analysis identified four robust candidate species (IndVal 68.7–76.3, p < 0.005), and significant compositional turnover between forest blocks (βSIM = 0.38) confirmed that each contributes uniquely to regional diversity. Based on these findings, we recommend equal conservation investment in both forests, maintaining canopy cover above 70%, targeted protection and enrichment planting of P. africana and Turraea stapfiana, and a tiered monitoring protocol using the three specialist species as early-warning bioindicators of forest deterioration.

From Lake Victoria to the Tap: Antibiotic Resistance and Pathogenic Contamination of Kisumu City Water Supply and Wastewater Network

2026-03-16T00:00:00Z

From Lake Victoria to the Tap: Antibiotic Resistance and Pathogenic Contamination of Kisumu City Water Supply and Wastewater Network Reva, Oleg N.; Sifuna, Anthony; Orata, Francis; Omolo, Caroline; Iramiot, Jacob Stanley; Enright, Mark C.; Mutshembele, Awelani; Zhou, Jian; Shivoga, William A. Waterborne diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pose mounting public health threats across sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in rapidly urbanising regions dependent on untreated or poorly treated surface waters. This study applied shotgun metagenomic sequencing to characterise microbial communities, virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in water samples collected from Lake Victoria, River Wigwa, Dunga Water Treatment Plant, Nyalenda Wastewater Stabilisation Ponds and the tap water outlet in post-treatment supply pipe in Kisumu city (Kenya). Bacterial taxa dominated all metagenomes, with 121 classes represented. Cyanobacteria, particularly Planktothrix, were highly abundant in lake and tap water, whereas wastewater and river samples exhibited greater taxonomic diversity. Major human pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Escherichia coli , Acinetobacter baumannii and Bacillus cereus/anthracis, were detected in nearly all samples, with unexpectedly high prevalence in tap water. Viral indicators of faecal contamination (adenoviruses, enteroviruses and torque teno viruses) corroborated widespread wastewater influence. Functional gene profiling revealed a rich resistome comprising aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes, β-lactamases, vancomycin-resistance operons and disinfectant-resistance determinants. The highest ARG and virulence gene frequencies occurred in tap and treatment-plant water, suggesting that incomplete disinfection and biofilm persistence promote the proliferation and exchange of ARGs between environmental and pathogenic taxa. In contrast, Lake Victoria water exhibited lower ARG abundance, reflecting natural self-purification processes. These findings underscore the inadequate water treatment and open wastewater systems create ecological ‘hotspots’ for ARG selection and horizontal gene transfer. Metagenomic surveillance integrated into One Health frameworks can enhance risk forecasting and guide interventions to mitigate AMR emergence and dissemination in freshwater systems serving over 35 million people across the Lake Victoria basin.

Effectiveness of Nurse-Led Behavior Change Intervention in Addressing First Maternal Delay in Nakuru County, Kenya

2026-04-01T00:00:00Z

Effectiveness of Nurse-Led Behavior Change Intervention in Addressing First Maternal Delay in Nakuru County, Kenya Kibet, Grace J.; Ochanda, Damaris A.; Sum, Tecla P. Context:Globally, about 700 mothers die daily during pregnancy, labor, and childbirth, a steadily increasing trend, where 40% of the cases have been linked to the first maternal delay. Pregnant mothers who experiencefirst delay are at risk of facing several health problems, accelerating other forms of maternal delays. Aim:The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led behavior change intervention in addressingfirst maternal delay in Nakuru County, Kenya.Methods:The study employed a pre-and post-quasi-experimental design, utilizing a standard, structured questionnaire as a data collection tool for both the intervention and control groups. A total of 211 antenatal mothers were included in the study during pre-posttest, where 105 consented pregnant mothers at 28-30 gestational weeks, from 4 level 3 health center facilities received intervention (nurse-led behavior change intervention plus standard routine antenatal care (ANC)), while the remaining 106 consented pregnant mothers represented control group in the other 4 level 3 health facilities, they continued with their standard routine antenatal care only. The two arms of the study were studied for a period of 3 months. Results: The proportion of first maternal delay experienced among the intervention group during the baseline assessment was 78.1%, while the control group had 86.8%. However, after the study period utilizing nurse-led health education, those participants in the intervention group, experienced drastic reduction in first maternal delay experience to 0.95% (AOR, 0.004 and a p value <0.001), showing the transformative change. Conclusion: The nurse-led behavior change intervention significantly reduced the first maternal delay experience among study participants in the intervention groupcompared to the controls, specifically targeting the time taken to decide to seek care in an emergency during antenatal or childbirth,resulting in improvements in maternal and neonatal health.The study recommended that health authorities in both national and county governments integrate nurse-led behavior change interventions into the standard antenatal carepractice for all pregnant mothers to aid in improving maternal outcomes.

Employee Empowerment and Service Delivery in Kakamega County Government

2026-03-31T00:00:00Z

Employee Empowerment and Service Delivery in Kakamega County Government Baraza, Elizabeth; Rutto, Reuben; Misigo, Gordon Purpose: Assess the extent to which employee empowerment affects service delivery in Kakamega County Government. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study utilized a descriptive research design with correlational analysis. The sample size of 250 aplied. Primary data was gathered through self-administered questions. The study applied both quantitative and descriptive in nature, allowing for statistical analysis such as correlation and regression to assess the relationships between the variables under study Findings: The relationship between empowerment and service delivery indicated a significant positive relationship. The delegation of authority, skill development, and involving the workforce in decision-making processes were proven to be a way to empower the employees and make them more motivated and efficient. This elucidates the important contribution empowerment can make in terms of enabling employees to own their jobs and contribute to the performance of the county. Implications/Originality/Value: The County Government of Kakamega ought to create participatory work environment in the workplace where consultation and shared decision making should be the culture. With regular coaching sessions, capacity building of employees on the basis of skills, and selective delegation of duty, employees will be motivated, engaged, and efficient.