http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/7 2026-07-16T20:08:07Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10355 Perception of teachers towards the social studies curriculum in public primary schools in Kakamega Municipality, Kakamega County, Kenya Rotich, Joan Chelangat; Yungungu, Alice M. The Social Studies Curriculum helps learners to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an independent world. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of teachers towards the Social Studies Curriculum in Public Primary Schools in Kakamega Municipality in Kakamega County, Kenya. To achieve this purpose, five objectives were addressed and these are; to find out the teachers towards the teaching methods in Social Studies curriculum, to find out the attitudes of teachers towards the scope of Social Studies Curriculum, the availability and use of teaching and learning resources, the time allocation for teaching of Social Studies and the evaluation techniques used in Social Studies curriculum in Kakamega Municipality, Kakamega County. The study was guided by the theory of perception by Burns (1982). The theory explains how an individual put personal meanings to a psychological environment. The research design was descriptive survey. Stratified sampling and simple sampling method were used to obtain the study sample. The research method that was adopted was mixed method s teaching Social Studies Curriculum and head teachers in Kakamega Public Primary Schools in Kakamega Municipality. The data collection instruments were questionnaires for teachers and interview schedules for head s in Vihiga District to help the researcher in identifying any deficiencies in the data collection instruments. Validity of data collection instruments was ascertained by use of research experts at the department of curriculum, retest method was employed to ascertain reliability of data collection instruments. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentage and frequencies with the help of Statistical Package for Social nces (SPSS) Computer Programme. The study established that teachers of Social Studies in public primary schools in Kakamega municipality use more than one teaching method. The perception of teachers towards the Social Studies Curriculum was that they prefer using more than one teaching method and that most of the teachers had positive perception. It was also found that the scope of Social Studies curriculum was wide. Further the study found that akamega municipality were few and that some schools with a few resources did not put them into use. The findings indicated that teachers are not comfortable with the time allocated to the Social Studies curriculum for he content. Most of the teachers use question and answer method, continuous assessment and diagnostic evaluation in assessing learners’ retention. A rising from the study, the study recommend that teachers should attend in-service education appropriate teaching methods to be used, teachers should take part in Social Studies Curriculum planning, they should be updated on the new approaches, be involved in time allocation for various taught subjects, curriculum planners should either reduce the content or increase the time allocation and teachers be consulted in Social Studies curriculum evaluation. The findings are useful to policy makers, curriculum developers and curriculum implementers for improvement of the perception of teachers towards the Social Studies curriculum. The study revealed other areas that might require further studieS 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10354 The voices of elders on the past indigenous foodways and futures in Kenya Kwapong, Nana Afranaa; Kipkoech, Brian; Korir, Lilian; Hannaford, Matthew J.; Mathewson, Abbie; Kokwon, Costa; Too, Prisca Tanui; Chelanga, James; Chesire, Michael Indigenous crops have historically supported resilient food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet their potential remains underutilised and neglected within African food systems. Drawing on oral historical accounts from 79 elders and participatory futures workshops in Bomet and Baringo counties, this paper explores the meanings and values attached to indigenous underutilised crops and how these narratives can inform efforts to revitalise indigenous crops within Kenya’s food systems. Findings reveal that indigenous crops were central to precolonial food systems, contributing to food production, healthy diets, medicinal practices, and cultural ceremonies. However, colonial agricultural restructuring, particularly the promotion of maize and commercial crops, gradually marginalised indigenous crops and transformed local foodways. Despite this, elders’ narratives revealed that indigenous crops persisted, sustained mostly through women’s continued cultivation and elders’ consumption, reflecting resilience and resistance. Their narratives express a strong desire to revive these crops, driven by concerns over nutrition, climate resilience, health, and cultural heritage. Yet, barriers remain, including younger generations’ lack of knowledge and interest, limited market access, and policy neglect. Revitalising indigenous crops requires a decolonial approach that raises awareness of their value while addressing structural barriers to their production. This study contributes to a growing body of literature that seeks to learn from the past to inform sustainable food futures, reimagining indigenous crops in future food systems 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10353 Techno-economic analysis of local manufacturing of perovskite photovoltaic modules for electricity generation in Ethiopia Meheretu, Getnet; Worku, Ababay Ketema; Yihunie, Moges T.; Koech, Richard K; Wubetu, Getasew A Perovskite solar cells can be potential contenders for future photovoltaic technologies due to their high efficiency, affordability, and simple manufacturing process. This study focuses on the techno-economic analysis of local manufacturing of perovskite solar panels in Ethiopia. The total manufacturing costs were found to be $0.29 /wp or $/69.6/m2. The Minimum Sustainable Price was calculated to be $0.38 /wp or $91.2/m2. Using a Monte Carlo simulation, the techno-economic metrics such as Net Present Value, Pay Back Period, Rate of Return, Profitability Index, and Levelized Cost of Energy were evaluated to determine project viability. The analysis showed a positive Net Present Value, a Payback Period of 7 to 8 years, an Internal Rate of Return of about 12 % with its average rate of return greater than the weighted average cost of capital, and a profitability index of 1.22, indicating project viability. The levelized cost of energy was estimated to be $0.019/kWh, which is lower than the selling price of electricity by the Ethiopian electric power authority, suggesting economic viability. 2025-10-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10352 Editorial: Advancements in HPV research: integrating diagnostics, vaccination, and women’s health Nkwinika, Varsetile Varster; Ismail, Zeenat; Onywera, Harris; Adamu, Abdu Abdullahi; Malande, Oliver Ombeva Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection leading to cervical cancer remains one of the most urgent public health challenges worldwide. In 2022 alone, there were an estimated 662,301 new cervical cancer cases and 348,874 deaths globally, with the burden heavily affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where access to prevention, screening, and treatment remains limited (1, 2). Persistent infection with high-risk HPV genotypes, especially types 16 and 18, underpins nearly all cases of cervical cancer, causing over 300,000 deaths each year (3). Despite significant scientific advances in HPV diagnostics and vaccine development over the past two decades, translating these innovations into equitable healthcare practices remains a major global challenge (4). A clearer understanding of how best to deliver evidence-based interventions in real-world settings is crucial to bridging the gap between research and actual health outcomes, especially in low-resource settings where vaccination uptake, screening coverage, sociocultural barriers, and health system limitations continue to pose challenges. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z