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Papers by walter akuno

International journal of humanities & social studies, Mar 3, 2021

South Asian research journal of agriculture and fisheries, Apr 17, 2021

Agricultural subsidies have been provided by the Kenyan government to farmers since 2004 in order... more Agricultural subsidies have been provided by the Kenyan government to farmers since 2004 in order to increase their outputs thereby improving the economic viability of small-scale farmers and improving food security Access and use of farm inputs in Alego Usonga is wanting as certified seeds and fertilizers are very expensive and out of reach for most farmers in the study area. This study examines the influence of farm inputs subsidy on yields of small holder farmers in Alego Usonga sub-county in Siaya County. The aim of this study is determining how inputs subsidies influence yields of small holder farmers in the study area. The study targeted 317 beneficiary farmers under the government's subsidy programme in Alego Usonga Sub County. Simple Random Sampling was then used to pick the final samples from the population strata. The instruments for data collection were observation, interview schedule, key informant guide and a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) computer program. Quantitative data was analyzed using simple statistics like frequency distribution tables and percentages, while narrative analysis was done using chi-square test for independence, spearman rank correlation to test the nature of the correlation between two variables and logistic regression model. The key findings showed that 55.5% of participants were female while 44.5% were male. Majority 62.1% of the participants agreed to have benefited from input subsidy. 61.5% of the participants agreed that fertilizers subsidy improve crop production. Finally, the study concluded that indeed input subsidy increase yields of small holder farmers.

International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, Aug 25, 2014

The role of agricultural extension is vital to the diffusion of new technologies, but extension i... more The role of agricultural extension is vital to the diffusion of new technologies, but extension is currently not very effective in many African nations, with traditional extension approaches having minimal impact. In Kenya, there have been gaps on the availability of studies and documentation of the specific extension approaches and their influence on the acquisition of knowledge, skills and productivity for household food security despite the various extension efforts and resources put in place in many parts of the country. This study therefore investigated the influence of Farmer Field Schools extension approaches on the acquisition of knowledge, skills and productivity for household food security in the Lake Victoria region, Kenya. The main objective of the study was to compare the influence of Farmer Field Schools and Conventional extension on the acquisition of knowledge, skills and farm productivity for enhanced household security in the Lake Victoria region of Kenya. A cross sectional survey design was adopted in order to develop a detailed account of the effect of the three approaches. The total population of the study area was 188,661 households from which a random sample of 236 was selected comprising of small-scale farmers from three sub counties: Bondo, Rachuonyo and Nyamira.

East African journal of agriculture and biotechnology, Jun 2, 2022

There is no doubt about the nutritional value and environmental impact of edible insects; they ar... more There is no doubt about the nutritional value and environmental impact of edible insects; they are a good substitute for source of protein. However, incorporating them in the human daily diets requires an intense change in mentality of youth in Kenya. People's attitude towards a food product is important when it comes to its acceptance. Therefore, the aim of the research was to explore the perception and attitude of young people in Kenya on the utilization of insects as food and feed. The findings showed that Kenyan youth have a neutral to a possible positive perception and attitude regarding the use of edible insects as food and feed. The findings of a logistic regression analysis show that education level is associated with low likelihood of consuming and using insects as livestock feed. The perceived benefits, feelings and intentions were also associated with low probability of insects consumption and use as livestock feed. However, 79.9% of respondents were willing to incorporate insects in their food diets and 75.6% were willing to use them as a source of income.

International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, Aug 25, 2014

Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology

The utilization of edible insects as food and feed is not a new concept, it is a practice that ha... more The utilization of edible insects as food and feed is not a new concept, it is a practice that has been part of the tradition of many communities around the world. They have been primarily used as supplementary food in most African countries. However, there has been a significant decline in the consumption of insects over the years, especially among young people. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the knowledge on entomophagy and the utilization of insects among the youth. The study revealed that the majority of youth had limited knowledge about consumption, nutrition, harvesting, preparation and use of edible insects as livestock feed. From the Chi-square analysis it was observed that age and education level have a significant relationship to the familiarity of consumption of edible insects, P=0.014 and P=0.009 respectively. The results also show that there is a significant association between awareness on the nutritional value of insects with age and education level, P=0.0...

South Asian Research Journal of Agriculture and Fisheries, 2021

International Journal of Sciences Basic and Applied Research, May 2, 2014

Attempts by the government of Kenya to control the noxious water hyacinth via various interventio... more Attempts by the government of Kenya to control the noxious water hyacinth via various intervention efforts have had limited success only for the weed to resurge. The proliferation of water hyacinth in Lake Victoria-Kenya has decimated the livelihoods of the locals and reduced the water quality, among other negatives. Meanwhile, the indigenous trees and bushes have been felled for firewood leading to environmental degradation. This study explored water hyacinth briquettes as alternative to

East African Journal of Agriculture and Biotechnology

There is no doubt about the nutritional value and environmental impact of edible insects; they ar... more There is no doubt about the nutritional value and environmental impact of edible insects; they are a good substitute for source of protein. However, incorporating them in the human daily diets requires an intense change in mentality of youth in Kenya. People’s attitude towards a food product is important when it comes to its acceptance. Therefore, the aim of the research was to explore the perception and attitude of young people in Kenya on the utilization of insects as food and feed. The findings showed that Kenyan youth have a neutral to a possible positive perception and attitude regarding the use of edible insects as food and feed. The findings of a logistic regression analysis show that education level is associated with low likelihood of consuming and using insects as livestock feed. The perceived benefits, feelings and intentions were also associated with low probability of insects consumption and use as livestock feed. However, 79.9% of respondents were willing to incorporat...

International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, Aug 25, 2014

The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, 2021

The study focused on a value chain analysis geared towards identifying the various, processes, in... more The study focused on a value chain analysis geared towards identifying the various, processes, inputs and major players in the mango value chain system. Data was collected from the main actors in the mango value chain at different segments including input suppliers, producers, traders and consumers using a structured questionnaire. The sampling method employed included stratification of respondents on the basis of functional roles of the various actors followed by a Sequential random sample of the requisite number of respondents per segment. Data and information collected were cleaned and coded for electronic entry and analysis. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel were employed to generate basic descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages, z-scores, chi-squares, standard deviations and minimum and maximum levels as well as the means. These were used to organize the data for in depth analysis and presentation. Results showed that impo...

The role of agricultural extension is vital to the diffusion of new technologies, but extension i... more The role of agricultural extension is vital to the diffusion of new technologies, but extension is currently not very effective in many African nations, with conventional extension approaches having minimal impact. In Kenya, there have been gaps on the availability of studies and documentation of the specific extension approaches and their influence on the acquisition of knowledge and skills for improved farm productivity despite the various extension efforts and resources put in place in many parts of the country. This study therefore investigated the influence of three selected alternative extension approaches namely: Farmer Field Schools, On-Farm Research and Focal Area approaches on the acquisition of knowledge and skills for improved farm productivity and household food security in the Lake Victoria Region, Kenya. The purpose of the study was to compare the individual and collective influence of each approach on the acquisition of knowledge and skills and their contribution far...

The role of agricultural extension is vital to the diffusion of new technologies, but extension i... more The role of agricultural extension is vital to the diffusion of new technologies, but extension is currently not very effective in many African nations, with traditional extension approaches having minimal impact. In Kenya, there have been gaps on the availability of studies and documentation of the specific extension approaches and their influence on the acquisition of knowledge, skills and productivity for household food security despite the various extension efforts and resources put in place in many parts of the country. This study therefore investigated the influence of three selected alternative extension approaches on the acquisition of knowledge, skills and productivity for household food security in the Lake Victoria region, Kenya. The main objective of the study was to compare the individual and collective influence of Farmer Field Schools, On-Farm Research and Focal Area approaches on the acquisition of knowledge, skills and farm productivity for enhanced household securi...

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, Feb 25, 2017

Simple, production processes involving local community labour provide useful cottage fuel product... more Simple, production processes involving local community labour provide useful cottage fuel products. Such conversion of waste or intrusive bio mass to fuel briquettes is more about know-how than large capital infrastructure and funding. This paper describes up scaling a pilot process that converted water hyacinth to briquettes by hands on training of Kendu Beach Community Unit members, in situ, over a two week period. System and target knowledge, before training, and transformational knowledge, post training, were elicited and the results analyzed. Briquettes produced from five plant bio mass types and their respective blends vide carbonization, were tested in a laboratory. Water hyacinth briquettes produced during up scaling were much better than those produced during the pilot production due to machine compaction refinements. Blending five dried biomass types with each other before carbonization yielded higher calorific values despite the labour intensive and relatively low technology mediated process. User acceptance tests were conducted on site. The uptake of the easy to follow; labour intensive process using simple briquetting machines was a success with the community producing briquettes on their own after an initial three day, post drying production run. Such cottage solutions for domestic consumption and sale should be promoted as a sustainable substitute for fossil or wood based fuel. Confidence building measures between the community and their devolved representatives such as ward administrators and members of Constituent Assemblies under the 2012 Constitutional dispensation should be undertaken. The East African Community project LVEMP-II should, through greater stakeholder engagement, have a greater impact on Lake Victoria's ecosystem in order to enhance the livelihoods of the beach communities.

International Journal of Sciences Basic and Applied Research, May 2, 2014

Bmc Public Health, May 17, 2014

Background: Only a few studies to evaluate groundwater fluoride in Eastern Africa have been under... more Background: Only a few studies to evaluate groundwater fluoride in Eastern Africa have been undertaken outside the volcanic belt of the Great Eastern Africa Rift Valley. The extent and impact of water fluoride outside these regions therefore remain unclear. The current study evaluated fluoride levels in household water sources in Bondo-Rarieda Area in the Kenyan part of the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) and highlighted the risk posed by water fluoride to the resident communities. The results, it was anticipated, will contribute to in-depth understanding of the fluoride problem in the region. Methods: A total of 128 water samples were collected from different water sources from the entire study area and analyzed for fluoride content using ion-selective electrodes. Results: Lake Victoria was the main water source in the area but dams and open pans (39.5%), boreholes and shallow wells (23.5%), and streams (18.5%) were the principal water sources outside walking distances from the lake. The overall mean fluoride content of the water exceeded recommended limits for drinking water. The mean water fluoride was highest in Uyoma (1.39±0.84 ppm), Nyang'oma (1.00±0.59 ppm) and Asembo (0.92±0.46 ppm) and lowest in Maranda Division (0.69±0.42 ppm). Ponds (1.41±0.82 ppm), springs (1.25±0.43 ppm), dams and open pans (0.96±0.79 ppm), and streams (0.95±0.41 ppm) had highest fluoride levels but lake and river water did not have elevated fluoride levels. Groundwater fluoride decreased with increasing distance from the lake indicating that water fluoride may have hydro-geologically been translocated into the region from geochemical sources outside the area. Conclusions: Lake Victoria was the main water source for the residents of Bondo-Rarieda Area. Majority of inland residents however used water from dams, open pans, boreholes, shallow wells, ponds and streams, which was generally saline and fluoridated. It was estimated that 36% of children living in this area, who consume water from ground sources from the area could be at the risk of dental fluorosis.