Machakos University

Access to quality seed potatoes is essential for boosting productivity and food security among smallholder farmers. However, the adoption and use of these seeds remain low in Kenya, thus constraining yield potential and dietary diversity. This study investigates the adoption, level of use, and impact of quality seeds on household food security among smallholder farmers in Kenya. Using a semi-structured ques-tionnaire, data were collected from 541 households through a multi-stage sampling approach. The Heckman two-stage model estimated factors influencing adoption and usage intensity, while the propensity scores matching model assessed the impact of quality seed use on household food security. The findings indicate that about 44% of farmers used quality seeds, with significant barriers including unavailability, limited accessibility, and high cost of these seeds. Key drivers of adoption and usage intensity included the level of education, total land size, household income, access to extension, digital information, credit access, membership in a farmers' organiza-tion, access to subsidies, livestock portfolio, and geographical location. Adopting quality seeds enhanced household food security, as evidenced by significantly higher household dietary diversity scores (HDDS) and food consumption scores (FCS). This improvement was largely attributed to increased intake of nutrient-dense foods, particularly animal-source proteins, fruits, and vegetables. These results underscore the need for policies that enhance local certified seed multiplication and distribution to increase access and reduce the cost of quality seeds. Supporting the adoption of quality seeds can substantially improve agricultural productivity and strengthen food and nutritional security.

Iron-based Metal Organic Frameworks (Fe-MOFs) have wide range of applications recently due to their easy tunability, enhanced pore architecture and high surface area. This review summarizes the developments in synthesis techniques, characterizations, and applications of Fe-MOFs, focusing on how they may be applied for catalysis, gas adsorption and separation, decontamination of the environment, and biomedicine. Recent advances in synthesis procedures have achieved better control in the structural and functional aspect of Fe-MOFs for efficient water purification and desalination. Despite the advantages of Fe-MOFs, inherent challenges to scalability, stability, and cost issues are considered limiting factors to realize a large industrial application. Bibliometric analysis indicates Fe-MOFs as a growing field across diverse disciplines. Future Fe-MOF studies will focus on integration into sustainable energy utilization, environmental cleanup processes, and medical treatments for disease in advanced stages.

Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes due to human activities and natural factors significantly influence the variation in Ecosystem Service Values (ESVs). This study assessed the spatio-temporal dynamics of ESVs in Baringo, an Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) county located in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, over 24 years (2000–2024). The Benefit Transfer Method (BTM) was employed to estimate ESV changes using LULC data for the years 2000, 2014, and 2024, alongside updated valuation coefficients from the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database (ESVD) published by de Groot and others in 2020. The analysis revealed a substantial decline in the total ESVs in Baringo County, from United States Dollars (US) 25.70 billion in 2000 to US14.92 billion in 2024, representing a loss of US-10.78 billion (-41.9

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection remains a major public health concern, particularly in developing countries with inadequate sanitation. The increasing rate of antibiotic resistance complicates treatment, prolongs infections, increases household transmission, and raises the risk of complications like stomach ulcers, highlighting the need for improved interventions. This study develops and analyzes a mathematical model of H. pylori transmission that incorporates antibiotic resistance, classifying infectious individuals into drug-sensitive, drug-resistant, and stomach ulcer cases. Individuals with drug-sensitive infections are treated with first-line antibiotics, those with drug-resistant infections are treated with second-line antibiotic therapy, and patients infected with stomach ulcer cases undergo specialized antibiotic management. Moreover, the transition from drug-resistant to drug-sensitive cases occurs as treatment suppresses resistant strains, letting sensitive strains dominate. Analytical results show that the basic reproduction number ℜc; is the sum of two reproduction numbers ℜs and ℜr representing the contribution of the sensitive and resistant strains, respectively. The disease-free equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable when ℜc<1, indicating possible eradication under effective control measures, while the endemic equilibrium is stable when ℜc>1, implying persistent transmission. Sensitivity analysis identifies critical parameters that influence the persistence of H. pylori in the population. Numerical simulations demonstrate that improved hygiene and sanitation, together with the use of appropriate and timely antibiotic therapy, significantly reduce the prevalence of sensitive and resistant strains, limit stomach ulcer development, and lower the overall infection burden.

IntroductionThe electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS) is a mobile health technology that was scaled nationally to community health workers (CHWs) in Kenya beginning in 2023. Since the rapid scale up, reports on eCHIS uptake show varying adoption rates. The overall purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between implementation process and acceptability of eCHIS by CHWs in Kenya.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 counties in Kenya with 310 CHWs (40 community health assistants and 270 community health promoters) selected through convenience stratified sampling. A structured questionnaire, developed by integrating the Technology Acceptance Model questionnaire and the Normalization MeAsure Development (NoMAD) tool, was administered by trained research assistants using Kobo Collect. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling in STATA version 18.ResultsImplementation process mechanisms were found to have positive and significant relationships with the acceptability of eCHIS. Specifically, cognitive participation had a significant and positive relationship with perceived usefulness of eCHIS (β = .2783, p < .05). Additionally, coherence (β = .3911, p < .001) and reflexive monitoring (β = .3272, p < .05) had significant and positive relationships with perceived ease of use. The study also revealed inadequate training, financial resources, and technical and management support as the key implementation barriers.ConclusionsImplementation process significantly influences the acceptability of eCHIS. It is therefore important for governments and other implementing partners to strengthen the eCHIS training programs, allocate sufficient financial and technical resources, and provide management support to the CHWs to enhance eCHIS adoption.