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This study explores the influence of modern teaching and learning equipment on improving vocational education quality and employment rates and its long-term effect on Kenya's journey to achieve industrialisation by the year 2030. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. Stratified random sampling was used to sample 172 students. Data was collected using questionnaires and analysed through the theoretical lenses of globalisation and vocationalism. The results show that the provision of modern equipment has improved Kenyan TVET classrooms to meet industrial standards and allowed the development of essential skills. Also, there has been improved collaboration between TVET institutions and local industries, exposing TVET students to the real labour market while still in college. The TVET students had also improved confidence in themselves and they had acquired employability skills. The findings of this study further revealed that the government of Kenya has increased its efforts in revitalizing the TVET institutions with modern teaching and learning equipment to improve the quality of training in those institutions.

This paper examines three interrelated factors outside of formal provision of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in sub-Saharan Africa that have undermined TVET systems. The first is the process, pace, and levels of industrialisation, which has had a direct effect on TVET provision: low numbers of well-paying jobs requiring technical expertise. This has an indirect effect, which is the second crucial factor: lack of economic development and change in labour markets. There are very few jobs that would be considered 'middle class' or 'mid-level' in wealthy countries. Most people are in survivalist work. An international consensus since the 2000s on palliative approaches to development which address the effects but not the causes of the lack of economic development in Africa has resulted in mass poor quality provision of education--the third factor. Education systems are rapidly expanding and achievement levels rising, in the context of very little possibility of labour market rewards for most people, and substantial labour market rewards confined mainly to graduates. This reinforces deeply embedded cultural preferences for general education, which originate in the type of education systems established by colonial powers, as well as the relationships between educational credentials and elite jobs.

Fishing industries around the world are currently undergoing a process of industrialization and commercialization. A similar story is unfolding in many fishing communities: large-scale industrial fishers who possess enormous capital and advanced technologies are threatening the lives of small-scale fisherfolk. The fishing industry in Lake Victoria exemplifies the detrimental impacts of economic globalization and evaluation of the role and status in this scenario is crucial for the future of Lake Victoria and its communities. According to the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project, approximately one third of the combined populations of the three countries are supported by the lake's catchments; much of this livelihood is based on the fishery sector. Development of such a valuable natural resources carries grave implications for millions of lives. Women represent 70 to 80 percent of those involved in the fishing industry of Lake Victoria. Over the last twenty years, Lake Victoria's fishery sector has witnessed a rapid transformation from non-commercial, local-level fishing to a commercial, export-oriented fishing industry. Trade liberalization and industrialization have "left the local community entrenched in poverty." The aim of this study is to examine how local women fish traders have responded to global forces of development, specifically focusing on how their roles and statuses have shifted as a result of commercialization, industrialization, and trade liberalization.

Developing countries' industrialization and urbanization attempts have been linked to psychological distress and alcohol abuse. We used Hobfoll's COR theory to examine the relationship between gender, perceived resource loss (an indicator of industrialization stress), and alcohol abuse and dependence in a sample of Kenyan rural village men and women (N = 186). Regression analyses indicated that both gender and COR loss predicted alcohol abuse and dependence. Additionally, results suggested that gender moderated the relationship between COR loss and alcohol dependence; such that higher COR loss scores predicted higher alcohol dependence for men, but COR loss scores did not predict alcohol dependence for women. Thus, we suggest that gender differences in substance abuse may be due less to actual differences in resource loss, but rather to gender differences in the response to resource loss. Limitations and opportunities for future research are discussed.

The main hypothesis here is that the notion of economic and social development has been misconceived by most stakeholders in matters of development. This misconception is the main cause of underdevelopment in Kenya, which leads to all the reasons most authors and commentators have given to explain Kenya's situation. Therefore, it is only possible to characterise the role of human development in Kenyan economic development after understanding what the notion of economic and social development means and whether in the Kenyan context human development should actually precede economic development or vice versa. This approach to development has created the phenomenon of Africans living "parallel lives" as recently reported in "The East African" on June 25, 2007. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that there is a native African way of life concurrently competing, though unfavourably, with the imported dominant Western culture. The main argument in this article, therefore, is that the institutional changes through social policy targeting the modernisation of the Kenyan traditional way of life ought to be the driver of economic growth and curriculum reforms, instead of expecting economic growth and curriculum reforms to generate development. (Contains 4 notes.)

As industrialization grows, the need to address climate change concerns also seems to grow. Manufacturers are now forced to pay more attention to their environmental responsibilities. Nevertheless, these companies also need to balance both operational and environmental performance. The debate on whether Design for Environment (DfE) practices contribute to operational performance is ongoing. This study sought to examine the extent to which food manufacturers in Kenya have adopted DfE practices and investigate the impact of DfE practices on the operational performance of these companies. The study employed a cross-sectional survey strategy. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire from a sample of 50 food manufacturing companies in Nairobi. Data analysis was done using frequency, percentages, means, and multiple regression. The findings show that DfE practices are not optimally adopted and implemented by food manufacturers in Kenya. Moreover, the findings show that, generally, DfE practices have a significant positive impact on operational performance, except for end-of-life management. The findings can help managers of operations, production, research, and design in the food manufacturing sector to make relevant environmentally friendly choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A functional and efficient financial sector is essential for the industrial advancement of a nation. In the context of Ethiopia's rapidly growing economy, this study examines the limitations imposed by its underdeveloped financial sector on the country's economic advancement and explores viable policy interventions. Characterized by state-owned bank dominance, a scarcity of non-bank financial institutions, and deficient infrastructure, Ethiopia's financial system perpetuates widespread financial exclusion. This exclusion hinders industrial transformation, stifles local business growth, and narrows financing avenues for foreign entities. Insights from China's shift toward market-oriented financial reforms and Kenya's fintech innovations suggest a path for Ethiopia involving clear, gradual reforms. Strategic steps could include diversifying financial institutions, improving financial infrastructure, advancing mobile payment solutions, and adopting more versatile financing methods to address the financial challenges of industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Almost simultaneously, two developing countries – Kenya and Vietnam – set out to promote industrial development through FDI. Vietnam embarked on a targeted strategy aimed at selecting FDI that could specifically aid the country's strategic export sectors through linkages to local industry. In contrast, Kenya embarked on a cross-the-board FDI attraction policy with no specific sector orientation and with few specific linkage policies. This paper asks how FDI has contributed to local industry development in the two countries. Based on an analysis of firm level data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey, the paper compares the two countries' ability to generate spillovers from FDI spillovers and discusses what explains differences and similarities. The paper finds that in spite of the obvious differences between the two countries in terms of local industrial development and policy, firm and industry factors appeared to be better predictors of variations in spillovers than country level factors. Among the policy implications drawn are that developing countries should focus their FDI policies on firms and industries that have high linkage and hence spillover potential rather than adopting cross-the-board policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kenya is one of the leading SHC importers in Africa. The aborted import substitution industrialisation, the liberalisation of the economy, and the failure of the domestic textile industry led to the SHC trade surge, which is the direct product of the global (ultra)fast fashion linear business model. SHC industry is beneficial for the economy and the people of Kenya due to job creation, income and revenue generation, and the provision of affordable clothing. However, it has detrimental impact on the environment and the local textile/fashion industry. To maintain the benefits and reduce the negative effects, it is important not to completely eliminate it. In the short run, quantity should be decreased, and the quality should be improved to reduce waste. In the long run, there should be a gradual decrease and eventually elimination of second-hand clothing imports, depending on the revitalization of domestic garment industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological capabilities that are necessary for industrial development are often learned from others. But where does technology come from and through which channels? This article identifies a change in the source of pharmaceutical know-how in East Africa, from the global north to the global south. This shift in the countries from which know-how arrived coincided with a shift in the channels through which know-how was transferred, from channels that enhance individual capabilities to channels that enhance firm capabilities. What impact do such changes have on local production? I show that these changes not only led to increased inclusion— it became possible for nascent entrepreneurs with lesser resources to enter the sector—but also to increased internal differentiation. I also suggest that foreign direct investment functions as a countervailing force that reverses locally owned industrialization. Understanding sources and channels of technology transfer, and their impact, is an important contribution to the study of technology transfer and of industrial development more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agro-biotechnology deployment has been very slow in Africa, yet it has potential for enhancing sustainable development and industrialization. This paper attempts to understand the underlying factors that characterize the new technologies' deployment process. It takes buildup of innovation capabilities as the point of interrogation considering that very few products have received regulatory approval for large-scale commercialization in Africa. It uses Kenya's agro-biotech innovation system as a case study. The study finds that creating and accumulating innovation capabilities is much broader than research and development (R & D) capability and entails institutional capabilities that are needed to enhance biotech innovation that may lead to a sustainable industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: While many studies have discussed the regulatory constraints that hinder industrial development in sub-Saharan Africa, little attention has been paid to the behavior of those firms that succeed despite a challenging business environment. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by focusing on specific strategies of a subset of successful industrial firms in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach: The paper draws on two data sets. First, a quantitative data set based on a survey of food processing firms provides an overall profile of the sub-sector and the strategies employed by successful Kenyan firms. Second, qualitative in-depth case studies unpack the concept of strategy from the perspective of the firm, with the aim of showing the links between vision and strategy and the adaptive nature of firm strategy. Findings: The quantitative data set reveals that the most important strategies used by agri-processing firms are differentiation strategies (selling at a premium), cost reduction strategies and niche strategies. A second major finding, based on the case study interviews, is that Kenyan firms adopt a combination of strategies to cope with the volatile business environment and grow their market. Furthermore, the qualitative interviews reveal that the vision of the leader is linked to firm strategy and firms follow an adaptive approach to strategy development. Originality/value: The paper's original contribution is the conclusion that while the existing typologies of strategy were acknowledged by respondents, their actual strategies were composites resulting from adaptive strategy development. This conclusion was made possible by the paper's mixed methods approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East Africa is home to a rich array of stone-tool traditions that span human prehistory. It is unsurprising, therefore, that the region attracted pioneer prehistorians in the early twentieth century, including L. S. B. Leakey, E. J. Wayland and T. P. O'Brien, who created the first cultural framework for East African prehistory during the 1930s. Although aspects of this framework remain relevant today, others have become misunderstood relics of an old classification system that hinders current research. This is particularly evident in the classification of a Later Stone Age (LSA) culture - the Kenya (East African) Aurignacian, later known as Kenya (East African) Capsian. Although this cultural entity was redressed during the 1970s and 1980s and redefined as the Eburran industry, there is still mystique surrounding the current status of the Kenya Capsian, its original scope and definition, the relationship with the Eburran and its position within a modern understanding of the East African LSA. This is largely due to paradigmatic shifts in researcher attitudes, leading to the use of the Eburran as a false proxy. It is necessary now to completely remove the term Kenya Capsian as an indication of similarity among the different LSA technologies. However, there also needs to be less emphasis on the importance of the Eburran and recognition that it is just one example of a multitude of diverse localised LSA industries. This will open the way for future research into the LSA and facilitate our greater understanding of recent prehistory in East Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines in a comparative context the determinants of foreign direct investment in Kenya and Malaysia as well as its impact on economic growth in order to inform policy debates. Kenya in the recent past has committed itself to emulating the development experiences of Malaysia in order to inform its industrialization efforts. The study uses time series data for the period 1960–2009, which is analyzed in a vector autoregressive model. The results do provide support for the role of FDI in Malaysia's industrial success but not for growth in Kenya. From a policy view point, Malaysia's success in attracting huge FDI inflows compared to Kenya during this period is due to differences in macroeconomic stabilization, and trade policies as well as infrastructure and institutional factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined responses to questions oriented toward revealing the development of perspective taking. The sample comprised 180 three- to nine-year-old children in four traditional communities (in Belize, Kenya, Nepal, and American Samoa). Ten scenarios that asked the children about knowledge of handedness and also what was visible from their own and from another person’s perspective were used. In all groups, the proportion of correct answers improved with age. Degree of industrialization—which had predicted better cognitive performance in other testing with these same children—was also a predictor of perspective taking on some of the items. Discussion includes possible interpretation of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing countries' industrialization and urbanization attempts have been linked to psychological distress and alcohol abuse. We used Hobfoll's COR theory to examine the relationship between gender, perceived resource loss (an indicator of industrialization stress), and alcohol abuse and dependence in a sample of Kenyan rural village men and women ( N = 186). Regression analyses indicated that both gender and COR loss predicted alcohol abuse and dependence. Additionally, results suggested that gender moderated the relationship between COR loss and alcohol dependence; such that higher COR loss scores predicted higher alcohol dependence for men, but COR loss scores did not predict alcohol dependence for women. Thus, we suggest that gender differences in substance abuse may be due less to actual differences in resource loss, but rather to gender differences in the response to resource loss. Limitations and opportunities for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main hypothesis here is that the notion of economic and social development has been misconceived by most stakeholders in matters of development. This misconception is the main cause of underdevelopment in Kenya, which leads to all the reasons most authors and commentators have given to explain Kenya's situation. Therefore, it is only possible to characterise the role of human development in Kenyan economic development after understanding what the notion of economic and social development means and whether in the Kenyan context human development should actually precede economic development or vice versa. This approach to development has created the phenomenon of Africans living 'parallel lives' as recently reported in The East African on June 25, 2007. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that there is a native African way of life concurrently competing, though unfavourably, with the imported dominant Western culture. The main argument in this article, therefore, is that the institutional changes through social policy targeting the modernisation of the Kenyan traditional way of life ought to be the driver of economic growth and curriculum reforms, instead of expecting economic growth and curriculum reforms to generate development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-colonial period in Africa saw nationalist aspirations for development entangled with the quest for industrialisation. However, the national experiences of industrial and economic development in this era have been marked by varying degrees of disappointment. Kenya, like much of Africa, has failed to engender the levels of industrial growth and subsequent levels of development to which it aspired. Much of the explanations for Africa's disappointing record of industrial development have focused on two central factors: the structural constraints on industrial development and the policies that were pursued. In many ways, these factors are inherently linked to a colonial legacy. Africa's disappointing record of industrial and economic development cannot be divorced from its historical context. It is thus necessary to consider the extent to which the structures that were in place at the end of colonialism predetermined the pattern of development that would emerge in the post-independence era. When evaluating the post-independence experience of industrial development, two specific colonial legacies stand out as decisive: ‘colonial under-development’ and the ‘policy inheritance’. This article argues that although these legacies were profound, it was ultimately the dynamics of post-independence realities that determined the path of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the implications of the Kenya debate to take a closer examination of the role of ethnic business community in the country's industrial development. Calculations of the extent of African involvement in manufacturing; Differences in the country's business communities; Application of an institutional and socio-economic analysis.

This article discusses the bilingual education policy in Kenya. The country's language policy responds mainly to the socio-political ideology adopted at independence, which emphasizes free enterprise, individual achievement and foreign investment. It puts a great deal of premium on the English language as a facilitator of internationalism and a catalyst of technical and industrial development. It also promises to ensure the protection of local cultural heritage, including languages, and preservation of national independence and cultural distinctiveness. The rationale of the Kenyan language policy was to preserve local ethnic identities, develop a national identity and foster international communications and econotechnical development.

The article discusses the discovery of commercial quantities of coal deposits in eastern Kenya in 2008. It assesses that its industrialization dreams could soon become a reality. The deposits, which could be extracted for exports, has been explored for the past 10 years with the Ministry of Energy unable to confirm whether there are adequate coal deposits in the Mui basin in Mwingi district. It mentions that the ministry would expedite the extraction of the mineral.

The article presents information on the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes. A Workshop on Industrialization, Organization, Innovation and Institutions in the South' jointly organized by the EADI Working Group on Industrialization Strategies and the Vienna Institute for Development Co-operation (VIDC) will be held in Vienna, during the period of November 1994. The WVIth World Conference of World Futures Studies Federation organized locally by the Philosophical Association of Kenya and the Kenya National Academy of Sciences will be held in Nairobi, Kenya from July 25-30, 1995 on the theme "Futures Beyond Poverty."