Joseph Nzomoi’s scientific contributions

Many developing countries often acquire external debts to address their budget deficits. In Kenya, the government has over time accumulated large stocks of external debt to facilitate the provision of the essential public services and promote infrastructural development. Kenya’s external debt has been increasing, recorded at 36.4 per cent of gross domestic product as at 2022. Despite the increased external borrowing in Kenya, investment target levels have not reached the levels envisaged in the Kenya Vision 2030 development blueprint. The inflation rate has also increased over time, beyond the set threshold of 5 per cent of gross domestic product. The specific objective of this study was to investigate the effect of external debt on inflation in Kenya. The non-Ricardian Theory of Public Debt and Quantity Theory of Money were the foundations of the relationship between external debt and inflation. A descriptive research design was utilized to examine the relationship among the study variables. Annual time series data on the mentioned variables for the years 1990 to 2022 was collected using the structured data collection checklist from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund websites. The research utilized the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model. STATA software was used for data analysis. Diagnostic tests were done to ascertain that linear regression assumptions were adhered to. To test for the stationarity of data, Augmented Dickey-Fuller test was used where interest rate, GDP growth rate, exchange rate and the dummy variable were stationary at level whereas money supply, tax, external debt and inflation were stationary at first difference. The coefficient of external debt (0.4043) in the model was positive and significant, implying that 1 percentage increase in external debt would increase inflation by 0.4043 per cent. The p-value of the coefficient was 0.009. The model was a good predictor of inflation with an R2 value of 0.9973. The study recommends a robust system of debt management and mechanism to regulate the acquisition and utilization of the borrowed funds towards the earmarked projects. The study results may guide the policy makers as they formulate the fiscal and monetary policies to promote investment, while controlling inflation rate. The investors may also learn about the potential risk and benefits of investing in the country.

Adequate funding of the education sector is crucial to the provision of quality education for all (OECD, 2016). Financing of education is the greatest enabler of learners to participate in education and flow through education system from entry to exit. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) on participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The targeted respondents included School Principals and their Deputies from 196 secondary schools in Makueni County as well as 9 Sub County Directors of Education from Makueni County. Data collection instruments included questionnaires for Principals, Deputy Principals and interview schedule for Sub-county Directors of Education. The instruments were ascertained through piloting and by research experts to ascertain content validity while reliability was achieved through piloting and testing reliability. Data collection registered a response rate of 91.8%. The data was analyzed by use of SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations and inferential statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically through content analysis and the responses were presented in narratives. Tables and figures were used to present the analyzed data. The results revealed that there was statistically significant relationship between FDSE capitation grants and participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County. This was at R values of 0.67 which was positive and significant with values of 0.014. From this result the study concludes that Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) capitation grants influence students’ participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. The qualitative results also confirmed that education subsidies influence students’ participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. The study recommends that government should sustain and increase capitation grants to schools and also partner with other stakeholders in financing education to enhance students’ participation rates in education

Governments around the world agree that the ability to provide quality education for all and to respond to new priorities depends on the availability of adequate funding in education (OECD, 2016). Financing of education is the greatest enabler of learners to participate in education and flow through education system from entry to exit. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of financing by non-state agencies on participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. This study adopted a descriptive survey design where the targeted respondents included School Principals and their Deputies from 196 secondary schools in Makueni County as well as 9 Sub County Directors of Education from Makueni County. Data collection instruments included questionnaires for Principals, Deputy Principals and interview schedule for Sub-county Directors of Education. The instruments were piloted and tested for content validity and reliability. The response rate from the data collection exercise was 91.8%. The data was analyzed by use of SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations and inferential statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically through content analysis and the responses were presented in narratives. Tables and figures were used to present the analyzed data. The results revealed that there was statistically significant relationship between education financing by non-state agencies and participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County. The adjusted R square of 0.630 indicated that 63% of the variation in the participation of students in schooling in public secondary schools in Makueni County could be explained by provision of funding by non-state agencies in financing education. From this result, the study concludes that financing by non-state agencies does influence students’ participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. The qualitative results also confirmed that education subsidies influence students’ participation rates in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. The study recommends that government should increase funding to schools and also enhance the partnership with other stakeholders in financing education to enhance students’ participation rates in education

Mission hospitals play a critical role in the provision of health services in Kitui County. The environment within which mission hospitals operate is ever changing and is aggravated by Kenya’s devolved governance structure. This study therefore sought to establish the effect of composition of board of directors on performance of mission hospitals in Kitui County. Stewardship Theory formed the foundation of the study. A descriptive1 research design1 was undertaken. The target population was the 21 mission hospitals in Kitui County with a cumulative total of 267 respondents comprising of board directors, chief executive officers, administrators and senior managers of these facilities who attend board meetings. A census was adopted since the respondents are few. To obtain primary data, the researcher made use of self-administered questionnaires. The drop and pick technique was chosen to administer questionnaires. For this research, data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 27.0). Based on study findings, the composition of the board of directors had a significant influence, as indicated by a p-value of 0.004, which was below the level of significance of 0.05. Key components of this impact include board size, independence, and the diversity of skills and gender representation. The study concluded that diversity encompasses not only gender representation but also a diversity of skills, backgrounds, and experiences among board members. Based on the findings, the study recommends mission hospitals in Kitui County to: review and optimize the composition of the board of directors by ensuring a balance of expertise, independence, and diverse perspectives.

Purpose: In the past decade, Kenya’s economy registered an average real GDP growth rate of 4.63 percent. Despite this growth, many people have been locked out of social and economic opportunities, with 19.1 percent of the Kenyan population living in poverty. This has intensified the need for inclusive growth, a growth model that promotes shared prosperity. Several studies have shown that financial systems that function well play a great role in the economy through the provision of key financial services that drive growth. However, there is a lack of substantial inquiry into financial development and inclusive growth in Kenya. This study sought to examine this relationship for the period 2000-2022. Methodology: The study employed a causal research design and used time series data that was collected from various databases. The level of inclusiveness in Kenya was analyzed using an inclusiveness matrix. An inclusive growth index was constructed, which was then used to empirically test the effect of financial development on inclusive growth. The data was presented in tables and figures. Findings: The inclusiveness matrix shows that despite positive economic growth rates, there is a low rate of equity growth, which shows that Kenya has a low level of inclusivity. The empirical results show that bank deposits and private-sector credit have a positive and statistically significant effect on inclusive growth. A 1% increase in bank deposits leads to a 0.074% increase in inclusive growth. When private-sector credit increases by 1%, inclusive growth expands by 0.070%. Bank return on assets has a positive but insignificant effect on inclusive growth. The study confirms that financial depth and access to financial services are the most conducive to inclusive growth in Kenya. Other determinants of inclusive growth include initial income, human capital development and macroeconomic stability. The overall findings suggest that financial development can be used to create economic opportunities for poor people in Kenya, thus reducing income disparities. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study has contributed to the ongoing conversation on inclusive growth, specifically on its measurement. The empirical results on the finance-inclusiveness nexus provide evidence-based policy interventions that can help in reducing income disparities and enhancing shared prosperity. The findings imply that policymakers and practitioners need to focus their attention on promoting financial access and financial depth in marginalized regions to create a significant impact on inclusive growth in Kenya.

Purpose: The horticulture sector in Kenya has consistently dominated agricultural sector’s contribution to the economy’s GDP growth over the last two decades. This paper assesses the export performance of horticulture sector’s three main components of cut flowers, fruits and fresh vegetables for the period 2010 – 2021. The paper also sought to identify the challenges that affect the horticulture sector and propose ways of addressing the challenges. Methodology: The study utilized secondary annual time series data collected from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the Central Bank of Kenya and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and draw inferences and conclusions. Findings: The study shows that the value of export revenues from cut flowers have been consistently higher than the earnings from fruits and fresh vegetables for the twelve year period from 2010 to 2021 with the highest earnings being recorded in 2018 when the subsector earned Ksh 113 Billion. Fresh vegetables recorded higher earnings than fruits over the same period, except for the year 2021 when fruit earnings were higher (at Ksh 27 Billion) than earnings from fresh vegetables (at Ksh 18 Billion). This is despite the fact that fruit volumes were lower than the vegetable volumes, implying that the export prices for the fruits were much better than the vegetable prices. Results also show that when real GDP dipped to negative 0.3 per cent in 2020 mainly due to the effects of COVID 19, horticulture export earnings stood at Ksh 151 Billion, perhaps a display of sectoral resilience to the adverse economic effects associated with COVID 19. There does not seem to be a clear relationship between real GDP growth and export earnings from horticulture products during the ten-year period of analysis. This tends to invalidate the export-led growth hypothesis. Key challenges facing the sector include overreliance on the EU market, pest infestation, low production and productivity and high cost of airfreight. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Based on these findings, the paper concludes that Kenya’s export performance is way below its potential and recommends increased production to meet global demand and diversification of markets and product range.

Purpose: this study was to investigate the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in the commercial banks in Machakos Town. Methodology: The study adopted descriptive survey design. The target population was 82 commercial bank customers in Machakos Town. Primary data was collected through use of structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics included frequency, mean and standard deviation. Simple regression modeling was used to aid in data analysis. Results: Research findings revealed that F statistic of model 1 was 33.236(p=.000). This portrayed that the influence of service quality aspect of customer retention strategies on customer satisfaction was statistically significant at 95% confidence level for (p<.05). Hence this model was suitable to estimate customer satisfaction amongst the five commercial banks in Machakos town. Adjusted R2 was of .648 which implies that customer retention strategies explained 64.8% of the variations in customer satisfaction. Bank retention strategies had statistically significant influence on customer satisfaction with a one unit change leading to .384(p=.000) change in customer satisfaction. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that management need to improve on efficiency in its operations regarding the customers and develop their products fully so as to satisfy their customers and control their product prices as well to be sure of customer retention. In addition, the bank should mitigate the risk of customer loss by ensuring that policies are put in place maintain product diversification.