Paul Kariuki - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Paul Kariuki
Medical image classification is not only a complex task but also a challenging one due to the het... more Medical image classification is not only a complex task but also a challenging one due to the heterogeneous nature of medical data. Deep transfer learning has proven to be a viable technique for medical image classification throughout the years, mostly because it is able to leverage knowledge from pre-trained models learned from large-scale datasets, improved performance, minimal training and overcoming the disadvantage of small data sets. This paper offers a succinct review of the cutting-edge deep transfer learning optimization approaches for medical image classification. The paper begins with an overview of convolutional neural networks (CNN) and transfer learning techniques, such as relation-based, feature, parameter and instance-based transfer learning. Then, the study examines classical classifiers, such as Resnet, VGG, Alexnet, Googlenet, and Inception, and compare their performance on medical image classification tasks. The study also presents optimization techniques, includ...
Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, 2019
As the desire for personalized interactions with government increases, efforts to enhance citizen... more As the desire for personalized interactions with government increases, efforts to enhance citizen- and business-focused digital government are becoming a norm in our society. The intention of this paper is to discuss the challenges that the EThekwini Metro is experiencing in translating its engagement with its citizens digitally. This mixed method study collected its data through a questionnaire and interviews with citizens and municipal officials. A total of 30 interviews were conducted. The study found that there was a low priority within the metro that is given towards e-government due to a lack of political. Moreover, internet access proved a challenge to most citizens. The article argues that the metro must priorities making digital services accessible to all citizens irrespective of their socio-economic conditions.
Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies
Social cohesion is an important policy issue with social, political and economic consequences in ... more Social cohesion is an important policy issue with social, political and economic consequences in South Africa. Given the country’s diverse population comprised of different races, ethnicities and migrants from around the world, its history of violence and the persistent incidences of xenophobia, social cohesion has become a prominent issue. The study foregoes discussing the challenges of achieving social cohesion to examine the nexus between social media and social cohesion promotion. Since lockdown was introduced in March 2020, social media has become a means for daily communication, bridging racial, ethnic, class and geographical boundaries. Against this background, this study explored the impact of social media on social cohesion in South Africa? The main objective was to examine the role played by social media in fostering social cohesion. A systematic review of relevant academic literature and research reports on social media and social cohesion was adopted in gathering data. B...
Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, 2016
Active citizen engagement remains a principle tenet of South African democracy that is rooted in ... more Active citizen engagement remains a principle tenet of South African democracy that is rooted in the Constitution and supported by various laws. However, as the country's democracy continues to mature, citizen engagement has been reduced to tokenism in many aspects of local governance. An earnest quest by ordinary citizens to make their voices heard has been an ongoing trend. This paper presents preliminary findings of an ongoing project on community experiences of engaging elected political representatives using mobile phone technology. It recommends that citizens be capacitated to use social media platforms to maximize such engagement.
Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management, 2021
Aim/Purpose The paper's objective is to examine the challenges of using the mobile phone to m... more Aim/Purpose The paper's objective is to examine the challenges of using the mobile phone to mine location data for effective contact tracing of symptomatic, pre-sympto-matic, and asymptomatic individuals and the implications of this technology for public health governance Background The COVID-19 crisis has created an unprecedented need for contact tracing across South Africa, requiring thousands of people to be traced and their details captured in government health databases as part of public health efforts aimed at breaking the chains of transmission Contact tracing for COVID-19 requires the identification of persons who may have been exposed to the virus and fol-lowing them up daily for 14 days from the last point of exposure Mining mo-bile phone location data can play a critical role in locating people from the time they were identified as contacts to the time they access medical assistance In this case, it aids data flow to various databases designated for COVID-19 work Meth...
The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization culture on custom... more The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization culture on customer perspective of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The specific objective of this study was to determine the influence of organizational culture on customer perspective of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was a cross sectional survey targeting 102 large manufacturing firms and the response rate was from 94 firms. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Null hypothesis was tested and results indicated that organizational culture had no influence on customer perspective. The study was limited in that change of variables of study was not monitored or observed over time as would be the case with longitudinal studies.
The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization resources on retu... more The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization resources on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The specific objective of this study was to determine the influence of organizational resources on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was a cross sectional survey targeting 102 large manufacturing firms and the response rate was from 94 firms. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Null hypothesis was tested and results indicated that organizational resources had influence on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was limited in that change of variables of study was not monitored or observed over time as would be the case with longitudinal studies.
Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 2018
The study sought to establish the effect of leadership styles on strategy implementation at the N... more The study sought to establish the effect of leadership styles on strategy implementation at the National Treasury (Ministry of Finance). The researcher adopted a descriptive research study as there were variables that could not be quantified. The researcher selected 210 respondents out of a total of 439. The study recommended that there was need for junior members of staff to be more trusted with decisions or important tasks given that leader in the organization dictate all the work methods and processes, the treasury needs to set out rules given that they important in the organization and tend to be clearly outlined and communicated and that there is also need to encourage more creativity and innovative thinking among the staff. The study established that autocratic leadership, leissez-faire leadership democratic leadership, transactional leadership and transformational leadership affects strategy implementation at the National Treasury (Ministry of Finance). The study also recomme...
The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization culture on return... more The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization culture on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The specific objective of this study was to determine the influence of organizational culture on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was a cross sectional survey targeting 102 large manufacturing firms and the response rate was from 94 firms. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Null hypothesis was tested and results indicated that organizational culture had influence on return on assets. The study was limited in that change of variables of study was not monitored or observed over time as would be the case with longitudinal studies.
Journal of Education, 2021
The study sought to establish the influence of educational strategies on online learning in Kenya... more The study sought to establish the influence of educational strategies on online learning in Kenyan institutions of higher learning amid COVID 19 Pandemic. Higher learning institutions, like every other educational institution were forced to close down to curb the spread of covid-19. As centers of innovation across the world, universities were expected to come up with solutions. Higher learning institutions in Kenya embraced online learning. Naturally, there were concerns as to whether such institutions can handle such a massive transformation seemingly overnight. These institutions had to initiate online lectures as well as exams in some cases in order to continue with a school calendar that had already suffered greatly as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. The transition has not been perfect and has faced a number of challenges. The paper used a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main themes. A critical review of empirical lit...
Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, 2017
At a time when global economic climate is becoming harsher for the majority of people worldwide, ... more At a time when global economic climate is becoming harsher for the majority of people worldwide, accessing credit for entrepreneurship is becoming challenging for most people, especially young people. By their very nature, young people lack the necessary collateral that financial institutions require in order to grant credit. This situation calls for innovative ways to raise the necessary capital for any business venture. A developing country like South Africa, with a high unemployment rate, young people are pressed to explore alternative ways to create their own jobs. Stokvels are known to provide credit with less strict conditions compared to mainstream banks. WhatsApp has significantly altered the stokvel landscape. Young people have discovered alternative means of accessing soft credit to enhance their own economic power. This new trend offers an exciting field of investigation for development practitioners, researchers and policy makers. This research project explored mobile phone practices amongst 'young entrepreneurs from townships' in the informal business sector in Durban, South Africa. It relied on in-depth interviews with selected young entrepreneurs in order to understand better this emerging trend of accessing credit via WhatsApp. From this research, the study found out that young people preferred WhatsApp-operated Stokvels because they were easily accessible, the money needed was available on the same day within hours of request and no strings attached to the lending because lending was done on the basis of mutual trust and commitment to the stokvel. From this study, it is evident that mobile technology is a catalyst for youth entrepreneurship. Mobile platforms such as WhatsApp are instrumental in enabling financing of young entrepreneurs to realize their dreams whilst at the sametime addressing the chronic challenge of youth unemployment in the country.
Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, 2017
The KwaZulu Natal Civil Society Coalition (KZNCSOC) deployed 28 monitors and 850 observers throug... more The KwaZulu Natal Civil Society Coalition (KZNCSOC) deployed 28 monitors and 850 observers throughout the province to ensure the elections are conducted in a free and fair atmosphere. This paper presents experiences from this electoral team that utilized WhatsApp as a tool for relaying information amongst themselves and the control centre in reporting incidences as they occurred in various parts of the province. The main findings emanating from this project were that monitors found it easier to communicate with another while in the field and could secure critical advice real time for effective decision making. It also enabled real time reporting of incidences relating to electoral violence to security agencies who in most cases responded immediately and quelled violence. The paper contends that election monitoring and its management can be made effective when communication tools such as WhatsApp are utilized. The paper concludes that such platforms should be institutionalized by electoral agencies as effective tools for electoral monitoring and management.
Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, 2020
This article explores the role of open data in the monitoring of budgets as a citizen-centered ac... more This article explores the role of open data in the monitoring of budgets as a citizen-centered accountability mechanism that could benefit budget allocation and spending by municipalities in Africa. Annually, municipalities allocate significant amounts of financial resources towards better provision of basic services. However, often these budgets are drawn-up with minimal citizen engagement and limited scrutiny of how the budget is being spent. This study used a mixed-methods approach to collect its data. It found that there are limited citizen-oversight and weak fiscal accountability by local governments in both countries. The article premises that open data has the potential to increase citizen scrutiny of municipal budgets thereby improving fiscal transparency. Effective use of open data has the potential to enhance credible participatory governance at the local government level. This requires significant political will to make all important data accessible to the public, so they can use it in holding the local government accountable.
Advances in Information Security, Privacy, and Ethics
Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on Theory and practice of electronic governance, 2009
... Inanda Ntuzuma Kwamashu (INK) Digital Hub, Durban, South Africa Paul Kariuki School of Develo... more ... Inanda Ntuzuma Kwamashu (INK) Digital Hub, Durban, South Africa Paul Kariuki School of Development Studies (UKZN) Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Science Howard College Campus Durban 4041 +27 7333 02 845 pamirry@gmail.com ...
Ngare Ndare sub-catchment is located in the Ewaso Ngiro North Basin. The sub-catchment was purpos... more Ngare Ndare sub-catchment is located in the Ewaso Ngiro North Basin. The sub-catchment was purposively selected since it is hardest hit by conflicts that have persisted for a long period between diverse water users. The trans-boundary nature of water resource also ...
Governments in many developing countries have stepped up efforts to provide water and sanitation ... more Governments in many developing countries have stepped up efforts to provide water and sanitation services sustainably to as many people as possible. In some instances, time frames for provision of services to all of their citizens have been set. While these are commendable efforts, the question whether these services are provided efficiently remains unanswered. In South Africa, although the government conducts consumer satisfaction surveys, seldom are citizens consulted for their views. While its efforts have been hailed as a success in the postapartheid era, there have been many obstacles in the supply process. The assumption has been that the government knows what the citizens want and gives it them, irrespective of their concerns. This study interrogated this assumption as its overall research objective, aiming to evaluate whether a supply-driven approach is effective in satisfying the demands of the consumers. My God, for His strength, wisdom and courage to pursue my dreams, My Wife, Miriam for her tremendous love and support in this journey, Dr. Esther W. Dungumaro, my supervisor for her guidance, mentorship and coaching throughout this project, I can never thank you enough. The School of Development Studies, for awarding me a grant to conduct my research. My Parents, for always believing in me and encouraging me to be the best I can be. My friends, Jason Musyoka, Graham Sherbut and Tatenda Choto, for their encouragement and support. My lecturers at the School thank you for your commitment to share with us your wisdom and knowledge. My fellow students at the School, for all the input you gave in and outside the seminar room. Lesley Anderson, you are the best administrator in the world. Mary Smith, thank you for your commitment to serve the students anytime. The Board, Management and staff of the Durban YMCA for your support. Deanne Collins for editing my work. Lastly, but not least, I would like to thank the research assistants that worked with me during the data collection phase of the project and also Ohlange Township residents for their hospitality.
African Evaluation Journal, 2017
Background: Post-apartheid South Africa faces major challenges in ensuring that it provides high ... more Background: Post-apartheid South Africa faces major challenges in ensuring that it provides high quality and sustainable services that meet citizens’ expectations. The public wants local government that is not only responsive to their needs but also provides high quality services equitably to all people irrespective of their socioeconomic status. Sadly, basic services delivery has been on a downward spiral, characterised by ongoing community protests in many local municipalities. The article premises that municipalities need effective monitoring and evaluation systems to operate optimally.Objectives: The article sought to show that monitoring and evaluation is a critical development tool that needs to be supported by municipal political and administrative leadership to ensure that it functions optimally by offering citizen-responsive services.Method: The study focused on KwaZulu-Natal province, the second largest province in South Africa, predominantly rural with a significant pover...
Journal of Strategic Management
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish the impact of financial innovation strategies ... more Purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish the impact of financial innovation strategies on performance of commercial banks. Methodology: The study used census approach and targeted all the 41 commercial banks in Kenya. This is because the population is small. Senior Operations and the Senior Finance managers working in the headquarters of the commercial banks were targeted. This was therefore a total of 82 respondents. The research adopted cross-sectional survey. The study used both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected using questionnaires while Secondary information was acquired from the commercial banks' audited financial statements. After quantitative data was obtained through questionnaires, it was prepared in readiness for analysis and keyed into statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) computer software (version 22) for analysis. Findings: Results from both primary and secondary data showed that financial innovation strategies had a positi...
Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 2019
The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of corporate social responsibility strate... more The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of corporate social responsibility strategies on sustainable competitive advantage in oil marketing companies in Kenya. The study sought to achieve the following specific objectives: to establish how supporting innovation, environmental initiatives, community development strategy and supporting entrepreneurship influence sustainable competitive advantage in oil marketing companies in Kenya. A descriptive design was adopted for the study. Census was carried out and questionnaires were used as the main research instrument. The sample population was 164 employees of National Oil Corporation of Kenya. The study used a structured self-administered questionnaire to collect primary data. Secondary data was obtained from published documents. The collected data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods. Data from questionnaire was coded, entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (...
Medical image classification is not only a complex task but also a challenging one due to the het... more Medical image classification is not only a complex task but also a challenging one due to the heterogeneous nature of medical data. Deep transfer learning has proven to be a viable technique for medical image classification throughout the years, mostly because it is able to leverage knowledge from pre-trained models learned from large-scale datasets, improved performance, minimal training and overcoming the disadvantage of small data sets. This paper offers a succinct review of the cutting-edge deep transfer learning optimization approaches for medical image classification. The paper begins with an overview of convolutional neural networks (CNN) and transfer learning techniques, such as relation-based, feature, parameter and instance-based transfer learning. Then, the study examines classical classifiers, such as Resnet, VGG, Alexnet, Googlenet, and Inception, and compare their performance on medical image classification tasks. The study also presents optimization techniques, includ...
Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, 2019
As the desire for personalized interactions with government increases, efforts to enhance citizen... more As the desire for personalized interactions with government increases, efforts to enhance citizen- and business-focused digital government are becoming a norm in our society. The intention of this paper is to discuss the challenges that the EThekwini Metro is experiencing in translating its engagement with its citizens digitally. This mixed method study collected its data through a questionnaire and interviews with citizens and municipal officials. A total of 30 interviews were conducted. The study found that there was a low priority within the metro that is given towards e-government due to a lack of political. Moreover, internet access proved a challenge to most citizens. The article argues that the metro must priorities making digital services accessible to all citizens irrespective of their socio-economic conditions.
Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies
Social cohesion is an important policy issue with social, political and economic consequences in ... more Social cohesion is an important policy issue with social, political and economic consequences in South Africa. Given the country’s diverse population comprised of different races, ethnicities and migrants from around the world, its history of violence and the persistent incidences of xenophobia, social cohesion has become a prominent issue. The study foregoes discussing the challenges of achieving social cohesion to examine the nexus between social media and social cohesion promotion. Since lockdown was introduced in March 2020, social media has become a means for daily communication, bridging racial, ethnic, class and geographical boundaries. Against this background, this study explored the impact of social media on social cohesion in South Africa? The main objective was to examine the role played by social media in fostering social cohesion. A systematic review of relevant academic literature and research reports on social media and social cohesion was adopted in gathering data. B...
Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, 2016
Active citizen engagement remains a principle tenet of South African democracy that is rooted in ... more Active citizen engagement remains a principle tenet of South African democracy that is rooted in the Constitution and supported by various laws. However, as the country's democracy continues to mature, citizen engagement has been reduced to tokenism in many aspects of local governance. An earnest quest by ordinary citizens to make their voices heard has been an ongoing trend. This paper presents preliminary findings of an ongoing project on community experiences of engaging elected political representatives using mobile phone technology. It recommends that citizens be capacitated to use social media platforms to maximize such engagement.
Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management, 2021
Aim/Purpose The paper's objective is to examine the challenges of using the mobile phone to m... more Aim/Purpose The paper's objective is to examine the challenges of using the mobile phone to mine location data for effective contact tracing of symptomatic, pre-sympto-matic, and asymptomatic individuals and the implications of this technology for public health governance Background The COVID-19 crisis has created an unprecedented need for contact tracing across South Africa, requiring thousands of people to be traced and their details captured in government health databases as part of public health efforts aimed at breaking the chains of transmission Contact tracing for COVID-19 requires the identification of persons who may have been exposed to the virus and fol-lowing them up daily for 14 days from the last point of exposure Mining mo-bile phone location data can play a critical role in locating people from the time they were identified as contacts to the time they access medical assistance In this case, it aids data flow to various databases designated for COVID-19 work Meth...
The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization culture on custom... more The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization culture on customer perspective of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The specific objective of this study was to determine the influence of organizational culture on customer perspective of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was a cross sectional survey targeting 102 large manufacturing firms and the response rate was from 94 firms. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Null hypothesis was tested and results indicated that organizational culture had no influence on customer perspective. The study was limited in that change of variables of study was not monitored or observed over time as would be the case with longitudinal studies.
The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization resources on retu... more The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization resources on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The specific objective of this study was to determine the influence of organizational resources on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was a cross sectional survey targeting 102 large manufacturing firms and the response rate was from 94 firms. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Null hypothesis was tested and results indicated that organizational resources had influence on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was limited in that change of variables of study was not monitored or observed over time as would be the case with longitudinal studies.
Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 2018
The study sought to establish the effect of leadership styles on strategy implementation at the N... more The study sought to establish the effect of leadership styles on strategy implementation at the National Treasury (Ministry of Finance). The researcher adopted a descriptive research study as there were variables that could not be quantified. The researcher selected 210 respondents out of a total of 439. The study recommended that there was need for junior members of staff to be more trusted with decisions or important tasks given that leader in the organization dictate all the work methods and processes, the treasury needs to set out rules given that they important in the organization and tend to be clearly outlined and communicated and that there is also need to encourage more creativity and innovative thinking among the staff. The study established that autocratic leadership, leissez-faire leadership democratic leadership, transactional leadership and transformational leadership affects strategy implementation at the National Treasury (Ministry of Finance). The study also recomme...
The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization culture on return... more The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization culture on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The specific objective of this study was to determine the influence of organizational culture on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was a cross sectional survey targeting 102 large manufacturing firms and the response rate was from 94 firms. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Null hypothesis was tested and results indicated that organizational culture had influence on return on assets. The study was limited in that change of variables of study was not monitored or observed over time as would be the case with longitudinal studies.
Journal of Education, 2021
The study sought to establish the influence of educational strategies on online learning in Kenya... more The study sought to establish the influence of educational strategies on online learning in Kenyan institutions of higher learning amid COVID 19 Pandemic. Higher learning institutions, like every other educational institution were forced to close down to curb the spread of covid-19. As centers of innovation across the world, universities were expected to come up with solutions. Higher learning institutions in Kenya embraced online learning. Naturally, there were concerns as to whether such institutions can handle such a massive transformation seemingly overnight. These institutions had to initiate online lectures as well as exams in some cases in order to continue with a school calendar that had already suffered greatly as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. The transition has not been perfect and has faced a number of challenges. The paper used a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main themes. A critical review of empirical lit...
Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, 2017
At a time when global economic climate is becoming harsher for the majority of people worldwide, ... more At a time when global economic climate is becoming harsher for the majority of people worldwide, accessing credit for entrepreneurship is becoming challenging for most people, especially young people. By their very nature, young people lack the necessary collateral that financial institutions require in order to grant credit. This situation calls for innovative ways to raise the necessary capital for any business venture. A developing country like South Africa, with a high unemployment rate, young people are pressed to explore alternative ways to create their own jobs. Stokvels are known to provide credit with less strict conditions compared to mainstream banks. WhatsApp has significantly altered the stokvel landscape. Young people have discovered alternative means of accessing soft credit to enhance their own economic power. This new trend offers an exciting field of investigation for development practitioners, researchers and policy makers. This research project explored mobile phone practices amongst 'young entrepreneurs from townships' in the informal business sector in Durban, South Africa. It relied on in-depth interviews with selected young entrepreneurs in order to understand better this emerging trend of accessing credit via WhatsApp. From this research, the study found out that young people preferred WhatsApp-operated Stokvels because they were easily accessible, the money needed was available on the same day within hours of request and no strings attached to the lending because lending was done on the basis of mutual trust and commitment to the stokvel. From this study, it is evident that mobile technology is a catalyst for youth entrepreneurship. Mobile platforms such as WhatsApp are instrumental in enabling financing of young entrepreneurs to realize their dreams whilst at the sametime addressing the chronic challenge of youth unemployment in the country.
Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, 2017
The KwaZulu Natal Civil Society Coalition (KZNCSOC) deployed 28 monitors and 850 observers throug... more The KwaZulu Natal Civil Society Coalition (KZNCSOC) deployed 28 monitors and 850 observers throughout the province to ensure the elections are conducted in a free and fair atmosphere. This paper presents experiences from this electoral team that utilized WhatsApp as a tool for relaying information amongst themselves and the control centre in reporting incidences as they occurred in various parts of the province. The main findings emanating from this project were that monitors found it easier to communicate with another while in the field and could secure critical advice real time for effective decision making. It also enabled real time reporting of incidences relating to electoral violence to security agencies who in most cases responded immediately and quelled violence. The paper contends that election monitoring and its management can be made effective when communication tools such as WhatsApp are utilized. The paper concludes that such platforms should be institutionalized by electoral agencies as effective tools for electoral monitoring and management.
Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, 2020
This article explores the role of open data in the monitoring of budgets as a citizen-centered ac... more This article explores the role of open data in the monitoring of budgets as a citizen-centered accountability mechanism that could benefit budget allocation and spending by municipalities in Africa. Annually, municipalities allocate significant amounts of financial resources towards better provision of basic services. However, often these budgets are drawn-up with minimal citizen engagement and limited scrutiny of how the budget is being spent. This study used a mixed-methods approach to collect its data. It found that there are limited citizen-oversight and weak fiscal accountability by local governments in both countries. The article premises that open data has the potential to increase citizen scrutiny of municipal budgets thereby improving fiscal transparency. Effective use of open data has the potential to enhance credible participatory governance at the local government level. This requires significant political will to make all important data accessible to the public, so they can use it in holding the local government accountable.
Advances in Information Security, Privacy, and Ethics
Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on Theory and practice of electronic governance, 2009
... Inanda Ntuzuma Kwamashu (INK) Digital Hub, Durban, South Africa Paul Kariuki School of Develo... more ... Inanda Ntuzuma Kwamashu (INK) Digital Hub, Durban, South Africa Paul Kariuki School of Development Studies (UKZN) Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Science Howard College Campus Durban 4041 +27 7333 02 845 pamirry@gmail.com ...
Ngare Ndare sub-catchment is located in the Ewaso Ngiro North Basin. The sub-catchment was purpos... more Ngare Ndare sub-catchment is located in the Ewaso Ngiro North Basin. The sub-catchment was purposively selected since it is hardest hit by conflicts that have persisted for a long period between diverse water users. The trans-boundary nature of water resource also ...
Governments in many developing countries have stepped up efforts to provide water and sanitation ... more Governments in many developing countries have stepped up efforts to provide water and sanitation services sustainably to as many people as possible. In some instances, time frames for provision of services to all of their citizens have been set. While these are commendable efforts, the question whether these services are provided efficiently remains unanswered. In South Africa, although the government conducts consumer satisfaction surveys, seldom are citizens consulted for their views. While its efforts have been hailed as a success in the postapartheid era, there have been many obstacles in the supply process. The assumption has been that the government knows what the citizens want and gives it them, irrespective of their concerns. This study interrogated this assumption as its overall research objective, aiming to evaluate whether a supply-driven approach is effective in satisfying the demands of the consumers. My God, for His strength, wisdom and courage to pursue my dreams, My Wife, Miriam for her tremendous love and support in this journey, Dr. Esther W. Dungumaro, my supervisor for her guidance, mentorship and coaching throughout this project, I can never thank you enough. The School of Development Studies, for awarding me a grant to conduct my research. My Parents, for always believing in me and encouraging me to be the best I can be. My friends, Jason Musyoka, Graham Sherbut and Tatenda Choto, for their encouragement and support. My lecturers at the School thank you for your commitment to share with us your wisdom and knowledge. My fellow students at the School, for all the input you gave in and outside the seminar room. Lesley Anderson, you are the best administrator in the world. Mary Smith, thank you for your commitment to serve the students anytime. The Board, Management and staff of the Durban YMCA for your support. Deanne Collins for editing my work. Lastly, but not least, I would like to thank the research assistants that worked with me during the data collection phase of the project and also Ohlange Township residents for their hospitality.
African Evaluation Journal, 2017
Background: Post-apartheid South Africa faces major challenges in ensuring that it provides high ... more Background: Post-apartheid South Africa faces major challenges in ensuring that it provides high quality and sustainable services that meet citizens’ expectations. The public wants local government that is not only responsive to their needs but also provides high quality services equitably to all people irrespective of their socioeconomic status. Sadly, basic services delivery has been on a downward spiral, characterised by ongoing community protests in many local municipalities. The article premises that municipalities need effective monitoring and evaluation systems to operate optimally.Objectives: The article sought to show that monitoring and evaluation is a critical development tool that needs to be supported by municipal political and administrative leadership to ensure that it functions optimally by offering citizen-responsive services.Method: The study focused on KwaZulu-Natal province, the second largest province in South Africa, predominantly rural with a significant pover...
Journal of Strategic Management
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish the impact of financial innovation strategies ... more Purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish the impact of financial innovation strategies on performance of commercial banks. Methodology: The study used census approach and targeted all the 41 commercial banks in Kenya. This is because the population is small. Senior Operations and the Senior Finance managers working in the headquarters of the commercial banks were targeted. This was therefore a total of 82 respondents. The research adopted cross-sectional survey. The study used both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected using questionnaires while Secondary information was acquired from the commercial banks' audited financial statements. After quantitative data was obtained through questionnaires, it was prepared in readiness for analysis and keyed into statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) computer software (version 22) for analysis. Findings: Results from both primary and secondary data showed that financial innovation strategies had a positi...
Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 2019
The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of corporate social responsibility strate... more The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of corporate social responsibility strategies on sustainable competitive advantage in oil marketing companies in Kenya. The study sought to achieve the following specific objectives: to establish how supporting innovation, environmental initiatives, community development strategy and supporting entrepreneurship influence sustainable competitive advantage in oil marketing companies in Kenya. A descriptive design was adopted for the study. Census was carried out and questionnaires were used as the main research instrument. The sample population was 164 employees of National Oil Corporation of Kenya. The study used a structured self-administered questionnaire to collect primary data. Secondary data was obtained from published documents. The collected data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods. Data from questionnaire was coded, entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (...