Karatina University

Roads and habitat fragmentation pose significant conservation challenges for many animals, yet the environmental factors that influence roadkill risk remain poorly understood. In Kenya, the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway cuts through the ranges of numerous wildlife species within one of the country’s most biodiverse regions, the Athi-Kapiti Plains. To investigate the environmental factors influencing roadkill risk in this region, we combined remote sensing data on long-term drought (Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index, SPEI) and vegetation greenness (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) with 6,240 km of road transect surveys conducted in 2023 and historical roadkill records from 2020 to 2022. We recorded 218 wildlife roadkills involving 11 species, predominantly plains zebras (Equus quagga, 69

The alarming rise of antibiotic resistance has prompted the search for alternative medicines to address the crisis of microbial resistance. Over the last two decades, scientists have become increasingly interested in the new dimensions of metallic nanoparticles. In this study, we expand upon this knowledge by synthesizing antibacterial silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Prunus africana stem bark extract as a reducing, capping, and stabilizing agent. Using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer, the surface plasmon resonance observed at 432.5 nm indicated the formation of AgNPs. Probable vibrational stretches that are characteristic of AgNPs and the capping functional groups were identified using an FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared) spectrophotometer. The characteristic peaks of the XRD (X-ray Diffraction) pattern confirmed the synthesis of pure AgNPs with an average crystalline size of 17.07 nm. TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) analysis confirmed that the synthesized AgNPs were spherical with sizes ranging from 15.95 nm to 43.04 nm. DLS (Dynamic Light Scattering) analysis confirmed the stability of the AgNPs in solution at -12.44 mV. The synthesized AgNPs demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against four bacterial strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis) and one fungus (Candida albicans), compared to the corresponding aqueous Prunus africana extracts and the positive control. The AgNPs showed notable antibacterial activity against MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli, with zones of inhibition ranging from 10.18 to 12.58 mm. The results indicated significant antibacterial and antifungal effects, highlighting the potential of green-synthesized AgNPs as effective agents in medicine.

Wind energy is vital for climate change mitigation, but poses risks to some bird species, particularly raptors. This study investigated raptor flight behaviour at the Kipeto Wind Farm in southern Kenya and exposure to potential collision risk related to time of day, season and weather. Observers monitored raptor flights from 09:00-18:00 daily for five years, beginning January 2020, and assigned flight time to height classes above, below or at collision risk height (CRH, 30-180 m). Raptors were categorised as falcons/kestrels, medium raptors, large raptors, vultures or Palaearctic migrants. Vultures accounted for 44% of all raptor sightings, with passage rates of 0.3-0.6 birds per hour, 86% of flights entirely above CRH and only 3% of flight time at CRH overall. Migrants also mainly flew above turbines (5.1% of time at CRH), with resident species spending more flight time at CRH (11.0%, 18.6% and 22.8% for large raptors, medium raptors, and falcons/kestrels respectively). Vulture time at CRH was least during the cool, dry mid-year months and peaked around the short rains in November-December. Other than migrants, other raptor categories did not show strong seasonal patterns in activity. Except for falcons/kestrels, time at CRH was highest before 11:00 for all categories. Controlling for confounding factors, vulture and migrant passage rates at CRH were elevated at lower barometric pressures, owing to greater overall activity. Resident raptors (falcons, medium and large raptors) made more flights at CRH in dry and sunny weather, or (for large raptors) when wind speed was low. For vultures, large raptors and migrants, activity patterns appear related to physical requirements for soaring flight. Species' actual collision risk at a site will depend on many factors, not only on time spent at collision risk height. A better understanding of raptor flight activity in relation to environmental factors nevertheless helps inform risk assessment and mitigation for wind energy developments.

This paper interrogates the cultural, ideological, and gendered dimensions of silence through a critical reading of Yvonne Vera’s Under the Tongue, foregrounding the paradoxical romanticisation of silence within patriarchal societies. It argues that while silence is often culturally aestheticised and sanctified, such romanticisation functions to naturalise repression and sustain gendered power hierarchies. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s theorisation of silence as a mechanism of power embedded within institutions, the study examines silence as both a survival strategy and an instrument of control. Vera’s protagonist, Zhizha, embodies silence as a response to incestuous violence, illustrating how enforced muteness both shields and erases the traumatised subject. The paper contends that the fetishisation of such silence transforms suffering into aesthetic spectacle, thereby muzzling lived pain rather than confronting it. Through Runyararo, Vera disrupts this ideological economy of silence. Her rupture, provoked by the discovery of her daughter’s violation, constitutes a radical intervention that exposes the devastating human cost of cultural silence and challenges its moral legitimacy. Methodologically, the study employs a qualitative approach grounded in close textual analysis of Under the Tongue, supplemented by feminist, cultural, and critical theory. A thematic analytical framework is employed to examine silence as a culturally sanctioned yet oppressive construct within African patriarchal conditions, with reflective reference to Zimbabwe as a representational society. The findings position silence not merely as a communicative mode but as a powerful mechanism of repression whose romanticisation demands urgent ethical re-evaluation. The paper ultimately proposes alternative cultural engagements that privilege voice, justice, and human dignity over inherited silences.

Bananas (Musa spp.) are an important staple and commercial crop in Kenya, contributing significantly to food and nutrition security and generating income for farmers. There is limited information on the combined influence of cultivar and geographical location on the nutrient composition of banana pulp and peel under Kenyan agro-ecological conditions. This study evaluated the effects of variety and growing location on the proximate composition of three banana varieties (Uganda Green, FHIA 17, and Williams Hybrid) at the ripe and unripe stages across Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties. Samples were collected using a factorial design (3 varieties × 3 locations × 2 maturity stages) with three biological replicates. Moisture, crude protein, crude fat, ash and dietary fiber (soluble and insoluble) were determined using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) standard methods. Total carbohydrates were calculated by difference. Data were analyzed using a three-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and means were separated using Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference test at p < 0.05. Results showed that both variety and location significantly (p < 0.05) influenced nutrient composition. Embu samples generally recorded higher fat, protein, fiber content, while Meru samples of unripe FH 17 and Uganda Green showed relatively higher ash content. All samples of the three varieties from Tharaka Nithi consistently recorded higher carbohydrate levels in both pulp and peel. Ripening significantly reduced protein, fat and fiber contents, while increasing moisture and carbohydrate levels, reflecting starch hydrolysis and tissue softening. Banana peels, particularly at the unripe stage, exhibited higher levels of protein, fiber and ash than pulp, indicating their potential as a valuable resource for food and feed applications. These findings demonstrate that banana nutritional composition is strongly influenced by the interaction between genotype, environment and maturity stage. Strategic selection of banana varieties and growing locations can enhance their role in food systems, value addition, and nutrition-sensitive interventions, while promoting the use of peels can reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency. Key words: banana, variety, geographical location, proximate composition, pulp, peel, Kenya