https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1318 Fri, 15 May 2026 12:34:00 GMT 2026-05-15T12:34:00Z https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/6437 Urban food systems and the spatial planning regime in Kakamega municipality, Kakamega County, Kenya SHIKOLI, Sammy Shileche Rapid urbanization has resulted in tremendous transformation in urban system dynamics. In particular, urban areas are increasingly experiencing food shocks and stresses that have affected their resilience ability, leading to challenges in food availability and access. Currently, urban areas occupy only 2% of the earth surface but consume more than 70% of the global food supply. Without intervention, consumption will increase and possibly surpass existing food supplies. This necessitates the establishment of sustainable and resilient urban food systems. Over the past decade, food systems planning has blossomed into a central concept in urban planning. Planners have gradually realized that they cannot achieve sustainable urban development unless the urban food system is integrated into the urban planning framework. The question however remains how to affect this integration. Kakamega is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Kenya, with the majority of households perennially affected by food insecurity. With a population growth rate of 2.5%, food demand and consumption rate will escalate in the near future. Yet it is not known how, or if at all, the urban food system dovetails into the extant municipal planning framework. How, for instance, does the planning regime (re)produce Kakamega’s food system? This study therefore sought to examine the structures and level of integration of Kakamega’s urban food system into the municipal planning framework. Specifically, the study aimed at examining the extant urban planning processes; analysing components of the local urban food system; and strategies of integration between the urban food system and urban planning in Kakamega Municipality. The study is anchored on the Food Supply Distribution System (FSDS) model. The study applied a cross-sectional design. The data sources were primarily from first hand interaction with respondents, observation and literature reviews. A sample survey of 382 households derived by the Morgun formula from a total of 52,015 households spread across the eight municipal wards was considered. A sample size of 175 market retailers (25 retailers from each of the 7 markets) was also interviewed. Four focused group discussions were held with food retailers, a youth group, meat suppliers and university students. Besides, key informant interviews were held. Officers in key departments dealing with policy and functions in urban planning and urban food systems namely County directors of Urban Planning, Agriculture, Trade, Finance and Economic Planning departments, as well as with the Municipal Planner, market superintendents and ward administrators were purposely sampled and interviewed. Field-based observations were also conducted. Qualitative data was analysed thematically, while quantitative data was summarised and reported by mean, mode and variance. The findings indicate that the local planning policy and regulatory framework is at variance with the quotidian practice on the ground. Furthermore, the municipal food system as currently practiced is informal, unstructured and unstable, determined as it is by the vagaries of demand and supply forces. While there is some level of integration between the local food system and the extant urban planning framework, this remains rather weak and hence unable to guarantee food resilience for long-term urban sustainability. In the upshot, the study recommends that the urban planning framework be strengthened by formulation of the urban development control guidelines to regulate developments. The Municipal board to increase budgetary allocation for urban planning framework, empower the planning team by increasing more staff since we only have one Municipal planner. The Municipal planner as an urban manager to introduce policies in the planning framework that promotes food production in urban areas, such as reservation of agricultural land, limit on bylaws that restrict urban agriculture and reduce taxes on urban agriculture practices. The food system be formalized and documented by the Municipal manager. That the captured data be processed and accessible to all stakeholders in the municipal food system. More emphasize on food production rather than depending on food imports. It is proposed that the necessary synergies be build capitalizing on the prevailing slight integration between the urban food system and the planning framework in order to eliminate the current tendencies of the two entities functioning in isolation, and often at cross-purposes. PhD Thesis Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/6437 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/6243 Influence of regulations, infrastructure and gender interactions along food corridors on food access in Kisumu city, Kenya ONYANGO, Loice Loo Inefficiencies linked to regulations, infrastructure and gender interactions within food corridors serving urban areas have compromised urban food access; a key component of urban food security. Conversely, studies in African Agricultural Growth Corridors and Kenya link limited food access to volatile and fluctuating food prices. These and other studies have thus yielded conflicting results on the factors that influence food access, indicating the need for more studies especially in urban areas which can only produce 30% of their consumption, and where 68% of the world’s population will reside in 2050. The main objective of the study was therefore to determine the influence of regulations, infrastructure and gender on food access within the food corridors of Kisumu city. Specific objectives are: to establish how time taken to meet regulations within the food corridors affect food price in Kisumu city; to examine the influence of infrastructural costs within food corridors on Kisumu city’s food prices; to establish the significance of gender price gap for men and women operating within the food corridors of Kisumu city on food access. Access theory was employed to investigate the variables highlighted herein and which the theory refers to as mechanisms of access. The mechanisms of access as unbundled by the theory aided in framing the relationships that were investigated in the study. Cross-sectional research design was employed targeting a population of 7480 business persons from which a sample of 366 was drawn. This was proportionately distributed amongst business persons trading in food from Kisumu – Kitale, Kisumu – Meteitei and Kisumu – Kebenet food corridors. Categorical, nominal and quantitative data were collected through Semi-structured interviews, Focus Group Discussions and surveys. The study found a positive relationship between time taken to meet regulation and food price expressed by the equation y = 1641.9x + 12011. Additionally, costs of infrastructure due to; private storage and collection points as well as poor transition from major roads to minor roads in markets also led to added costs via head loading and carts. As such, the study finds that food prices increase in time with transportation costs as evidenced in regression analysis with a positive coefficient expressed by the equation y = 2.512194x + 18275.85. However, gender price gap is characterized by low food prices in female traders who dominate food trade thereby highlighting an opportunity for increasing food access. Significance of price differences between male and female traders was established through a chi square analysis at a P-value of = .0004. The study concludes that food security initiatives should be geared towards increasing efficiency in the flow of food from hinterland to urban areas through reduced travel time. To this effect, the study recommends standardization of regulations governing food flows to save on time lost and to reduce double payments as a way of mainstreaming efficiency. In addition, guidelines for development of infrastructure critical to the operations of food corridors should be drafted to standardize their provision for reduced costs of transactions. Finally, the study recommends, increment of asset control by female traders to stabilize their performance and presence in food markets for continued provision of lower food prices which is critical to food access. This is in tune with the Kenyan government policy objective to increase the quantity and quality of food available and accessible in order to ensure an adequate, diverse and healthy diet. PhD Thesis Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/6243 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/5682 Local institutional capacity to foster climate change adaptation responses in the Mara river basin, Kenya ASAMBA, Isabella Lutzili Climate change is a global reality that has made communities vulnerable. The international community and Kenya‘s national government have responded to climate change by fostering adaptation and mitigation at multiple levels. Adaptation is critical in the immediate present because it provides for adjustment to suit the changing environmental conditions and establish resilience. The global and national institutional landscape for adaptation is well defined with clear mandate and capacity. However at the local level where adaptation action is implemented there are questions raised about the ability of the local institutions to effectively carry out adaptation since these local institutions were established for other reasons and not adaptation. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which local institution in the Mara river basin can carry out adaptation. The main objective of the study was to establish the capacity of local institutions to foster climate adaptation responses in the Mara River Basin. The specific objectives were 1) to assess local institutional practices that promote climate change adaptation in the Mara river basin,2)to evaluate the internal institutional structures that enable or hinder climate change adaptation in the Mara river basin,3)to analyze the opportunities in the institutional landscape that enhance community involvement in climate change adaptation in the Mara river basin. The systems theory was applied to examine the institutional framework as a complex system with boundaries that allow input and output for maximum efficiency and delivery thus enabling understanding of the relationship between different variables. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design and a sample of 137 institutions drawn from government, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs and private sector were interviewed. The study developed an Institutional Effectiveness Tool for data collection and analysis. The study established that local institutions implement 81% of the adaptation practise interrogated by this study. It also established all scores on the institutional effectiveness tool were above 60% meaning the internal institutional structures of local institutions promote adaptation. Finally it established that the institutional landscape had 44 linkages of which 55% were vertical and 45% horizontal creating a network with opportunities for adaptation. The study concluded that local institutions in the Mara river basin have adequate capacity to foster adaptation despite not having it in their mandate. It recommends that stakeholder engagement in adaptation be institutionalised so as to better engage the local institutions and also explore the opportunities present in the linkages Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/5682 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/5573 An assessment of planning institutional frameworks influencing urban agriculture in three towns of western Kenya Dawo, Isaac Otieno Globally, urbanization and population increases have resulted into a reduction in arable land and increased food demand simultaneously. It is estimated that Africa will be 60% urbanized, while Kenya will be 46% urbanized by 2050. However, the current planning institutional framework does not effectively facilitate and regulate urban agriculture (UA). A planning institutional framework that effectively supports urban agriculture can play a major role in ensuring more food supply in urban areas. The study was conducted in rapidly growing medium-sized towns of Kisumu, Kakamega and Eldoret in Western Kenya. The purpose of the study was to assess the influence of planning institutional framework on urban agriculture in three towns in Western Kenya. The specific objectives were to: appraise the socio-economic and environmental status of urban agriculture; establish the effect of planning legislative framework on urban agriculture; and analyse the contribution of planning strategies, plans, and programmes to urban agriculture in the three towns in Western Kenya. Institutional, regulatory compliance, and general systems theories were used. A mixed-methods approach using concurrent triangulation research design was used on a target population of 440 urban farmers. Stratified random sampling technique was employed to obtain a sample size of 205 urban farmers, while 12 key informants and 24 discussants were sampled via a purposive technique. Interviews and observation were used as data collection methods, while data collection tools were an interview schedule, questionnaire, focus group discussion checklist, and observation schedules. Content and construct validity were tested with the help of experts as well as a pilot study conducted in Mbale, Vihiga town. Reliability of the questionnaires was determined at 0.7 and above using the Cronbach Alpha test. Results show that urban agriculture plays a progressive and critical socio-economic and environmental role in urban farmer households. The planning legislative framework affects urban agriculture unequally among the urban farmers in the three towns, and planning strategies, plans, and programmes do not contribute directly to urban agriculture except during spatial planning and drawing of residential plots, where some 10% of green space is often left in the plan for greenery or urban agriculture. Loglinear analysis revealed final models, after backward elimination, between variables of food nutrition and reuse of grey water (FN*GW), food nutrition and poultry keeping yielding high income (FN*PI), gardening in open spaces or road reserves, and public participation in the development and review of city/town plans (GO*PP), and gardening in open spaces or road reserves and town planning department having an urban agriculture unit (GO*TU), land policy and municipal by-laws (LP*MB), and land policy and physical and land use planning law (LP*PL). In conclusion, the existing planning institutional frameworks influenced urban agriculture unequally through, their legislative framework , and planning strategies, plans, and programmes, thereby limiting its facilitation and regulation in the three study towns. The study recommends provision of water for urban agriculture as a way of improving food nutrition and income of urban farmers, institutionalization of urban agriculture through formulation and enactment of a specific urban agriculture county legislation or municipal by-laws, for its proper facilitation and regulation, and establishment of urban agriculture unit in planning department to provide oversight for the effective integration and inclusion of UA in urban strategies, plans, programmes. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/5573 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4279 Poverty, Livelihoods and property rights in the Nyando Basin, Kenya: A case for Integrated Approaches to Development Planning AKINYI, Leah Onyango Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4279 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4124 Local Institutional Capacity to Foster Climate Change Adaptation Responses in The Mara River Basin, Kenya LUTZILI, Isabella Asamba Climate change is a global reality that has made communities vulnerable. The international community and Kenya’s national government have responded to climate change by fostering adaptation and mitigation at multiple levels. Adaptation is critical in the immediate present because it provides for adjustment to suit the changing environmental conditions and establish resilience. The global and national institutional landscape for adaptation is well defined with clear mandate and capacity. However at the local level where adaptation action is implemented there are questions raised about the ability of the local institutions to effectively carry out adaptation since these local institutions were established for other reasons and not adaptation. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which local institution in the Mara river basin can carry out adaptation. The main objective of the study was to establish the capacity of local institutions to foster climate adaptation responses in the Mara River Basin. The specific objectives were 1) to assess local institutional practices that promote climate change adaptation in the Mara river basin, 2) to evaluate the internal institutional structures that enable or hinder climate change adaptation in the Mara river basin, 3) to analyze the opportunities in the institutional landscape that enhance community involvement in climate change adaptation in the Mara river basin. The systems theory was applied to examine the institutional framework as a complex system with boundaries that allow input and output for maximum efficiency and delivery thus enabling understanding of the relationship between different variables. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design and a sample of 137 institutions drawn from government, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs and private sector were interviewed. The study developed an Institutional Effectiveness Tool for data collection and analysis. The study established that local institutions implement 81% of the adaptation practise interrogated by this study. It also established all scores on the institutional effectiveness tool were above 60% meaning the internal institutional structures of local institutions promote adaptation. Finally it established that the institutional landscape had 44 linkages of which 55% were vertical and 45% horizontal creating a network with opportunities for adaptation. The study concluded that local institutions in the Mara river basin have adequate capacity to foster adaptation despite not having it in their mandate. It recommends that stakeholder engagement in adaptation be institutionalised so as to better engage the local institutions and also explore the opportunities present in the linkages Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4124 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4076 The Differential Advantage Approach as A Rural Development Strategy: An Assessment of The “One Village One Product” (Ovop) Projects in Kenya NYAMU, George Kimu Most of the world’s poor who are not economically active but economically dependent live in rural areas. Whilst poverty in the world’s growing cities is a major problem, a large proportion of the urban poor are migrants from rural areas. Differential advantage approach has been applied to unlock rural under development based on premises of making rural poor economically active by delivering valuable products or services for the market hence faster income growing. Rural firms’ needs adjustment and upgrading differentiating factors to achieve rural development. Lack of attention to product competitiveness, human resource development, marketing and cluster productive process differentiating factorsmay decline level of success for the approach on rural development. This study therefore sought to investigate the differential advantage approach as a rural development strategy. The study sought to; analyse the relationship between product competitiveness and rural development in the One Village One Product (OVOP) projects; find out the relationship between human resource development and rural development in the OVOP projects; determine the relationship of market accessibility contribute on rural development in the OVOP projects and establish the relationship between cluster productive process and rural development in the OVOP projects. The study adopted descriptive case design in assessing the four pioneer projects as unit of study. The selection of four OVOP projects (Jitunze, Watuka, Rumuruti and Kionyweni) was by use of pre-qualification characteristics and desired degree of accuracy determined by Slovin’s formula. Questionnaires, interview guides, FGDs and observations were methods used to collect qualitative data. Means and standard deviation were calculated, hypothesis was test and significant value was done by use of bivariate Pearson correlation and linear regression. The regression result indicated statistically significant of product competitiveness at 0.782;human resource development at 0.770; market accessibility at 0.788 and cluster productive process at 0.751 on rural development. The study concluded that differential advantage approach was a strategy of rural development through human resource development, product competitiveness, market accessibility and cluster productive process factors. The study recommended for: upgrading of village polytechnics; promotion of product development in the village cottage industries; develop bulking centers and joint village cooperatives; develop and promote industrial clusters; collective economic movement and strengthen consultative mechanisms policy for village land use. It was expected that the lesson provided by this study provides deep understanding the factors of differential advantage approach as a rural development strategy. Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4076 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4068 Influence of mobile telephony utilization on spatial economic development of fisher communities in Lake Victoria, Kisumu west sub-county, Kenya RABARE, Rose Susan Atieno The use of mobile telephony is one of the most striking and fastest growing Information and Communications Technology advancements in Africa in the 21st century. However, in Africa, there have been concerns over disparities in the geographical rollout of mobile phones and challenges of cellular access. Fishing, which is a key economic activity in the Lake Victoria region, involves dealing in perishable products which require time critical transactions which mobile phones are able to provide. Mobile telephony has been used to advance various economic activities in the world. However, studies that explore mobile phone use and its influence on spatial economic development of fisher communities are limited. The extent to which mobile phones are being utilized to enhance business transactions for the perishable fish products was not known despite the fact that beaches in Lake Victoria, Kisumu County suffer lack of storage facilities and poor road network. Furthermore, development plans that can make mobile phones a transformative tool for spatial economic development planning in Kenya are not clearly documented. The study therefore sought to establish the influence of mobile telephony utilization on spatial economic development of fisher communities in Lake Victoria, Kisumu West Sub-County. The specific objectives were to assess the level of mobile telephony utilization among the fisher communities in Lake Victoria; to establish the influence of mobile telephony utilization on the business transactions of fisher communities in Lake Victoria and to assess the influence of mobile telephony utilization on spatial economic development of superstructures and infrastructure of beaches in Lake Victoria, Kisumu West Sub-County, Kenya. The study used spatial economic theory and time space convergence concept to understand the relationships of the key constructs of fishing activities, mobile telephony and spatial economic development of fisher communities. Cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs were used in the study. Three hundred and nineteen fishers were sampled using stratified random sampling from a population of 699 from six major beaches namely, Usoma, Ogal, Usare, Paga, Rari and Rota. Data was collected through interviews and non-participant observation. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential methods which included Chi-Square, correlation and regression analysis. The findings indicate that, while ownership of mobile telephony was 92.5%, it had contributed to only 5.3% variation in business transaction and accounted for 29.4% change in spatial economic development of infrastructure and superstructures in the beaches. The study found that location of mobile banking superstructures were mostly in the periphery of the beaches. The study concludes that there is a high level of ownership of mobile telephony, and it positively influenced business transactions and spatial economic development of the beaches in Kisumu West Sub-County, Kenya. However, the potential use of mobile telephony had not been optimized despite the fact that mobile telephony was crucial for bridging the temporal gap and overcoming the transport communication challenges. ICT support hubs should be introduced within the beaches to support use of mobile telephony. Beach Management Units should create conditions that are attractive for investors and allow for development of infrastructure and super-structures within the beach boundaries to support mobile telephony use. Phd Thesis Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4068 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4005 The Differential Advantage Approach as A Rural Development Strategy: An Assessment of the “One Village One Product” (Ovop) Projects In Kenya NYAMU, George Kimu Most of the world‘s poor who are not economically active but economically dependent live in rural areas. Whilst poverty in the world‘s growing cities is a major problem, a large proportion of the urban poor are migrants from rural areas.Differential advantage approach has beenappliedto unlockrural under development based on premises of making rural poor economically active by delivering valuable products or services for the markethence faster income growing. Rural firms‘ needs adjustment and upgrading differentiating factorsto achieve rural development. Lack of attention to product competitiveness, human resource development,marketing and cluster productive process differentiating factorsmay declinelevel of success for the approach on rural development.This study thereforesought to investigate the differential advantage approach as arural development strategy. The study sought to; analyse the relationship between product competitiveness and rural development in the One Village One Product (OVOP) projects; find out the relationship between human resource development and rural development in the OVOP projects;determine the relationship of market accessibility contributeonrural development in the OVOP projects and establish the relationship between cluster productive process and rural development in the OVOP projects.The study adopted descriptive case design in assessing the four pioneer projects as unit of study. The selection of four OVOP projects (Jitunze, Watuka, Rumuruti and Kionyweni) was by use of pre-qualification characteristicsanddesired degree of accuracydetermined bySlovin‘s formula. Questionnaires, interview guides, FGDs and observations were methods used to collect qualitative data. Means and standard deviation were calculated, hypothesis was test and significant value was done by use of bivariate Pearson correlation and linear regression.The regression result indicated statistically significant of product competitiveness at 0.782;human resource development at 0.770; market accessibility at 0.788 and cluster productive processat 0.751 on rural development. The study concluded that differential advantage approach was a strategy of rural development through human resource development, product competitiveness, market accessibility and cluster productive process factors. The study recommended for:upgradingof village polytechnics; promotion of product development in the village cottage industries; develop bulking centers and joint village cooperatives; develop and promote industrial clusters; collective economic movement and strengthen consultative mechanisms policy for village land use.It was expected that the lesson provided by this study provides deep understandingthe factors of differential advantage approach as a rural development strategy. Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4005 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/3802 The Effect of Changes in Land Use Characteristics on Accessibility in the Suburbs of Kisumu City, Kenya. KOLA, Moses Otieno Globally, studies on the influence of density, transport costs and modal splits in the suburbs have yielded conflicting results indicating the need for more studies. Studies have also shown that the extent to which residential location relates to modal split in the suburbs has not been fully established. There has also been varying conclusions on transport costs between the residential areas and employment zones in them. Most African city suburbs are charaterised by high population densities with uncontrolled land use mix but little is known on influence of density on accessibility in them. The suburbs in Kisumu city experiences high population densities and continued land use mix creating complex movement patterns. However, little is still known on how these changes influences time to destinations and the relationships between residential location and modal split and cost of transport to work. The objectives of this study were to: assess the influence of density on travel time; determine the relationship between residential location and modal split and; examine the relationship between work place location and transport cost in Kisumu city suburbs. This study adopted tringulation mixed method design and covered three suburbs namely: Otonglo, Mamboleo and Nyamasaria within Kisumu City. Thestudy population comprised 9604 households out of which a sample of 370 was drawn and interviewed. The survey instruments used included questionnaires, focus group discussions guides, interviews schedules, land use maps and photography. Secondary data was collected from published and unpublished reports. Data was analysed using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The study revealed that increasing density increases travel time to destinations while residential locations do not depend on modal split but house ownership and rents in the suburbs. There is also no positive relationship between workplace location and transport costs. It was concluded that density inhibits accessibility and modal split do not influence accessibility to residential location while transport cost is minimal but in the form of discomfort and fare charges. The study recommends the need for control of density and adoption of balanced mixed use through zoning and promotion of the use of single occupancy means of transport. The existing policies guiding land use and transport relationships should be implemented while minimizing dependency on particular means of transport. Designate employment zones in the most accessible manner. Further studies should be conducted on place accessibility while applying other accessibility measures as network analysis and automated GIS land use modeling systems. Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.maseno.ac.ke/handle/123456789/3802 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z