National Research Repository

The National Research Fund facilitates research for the advancement of Science, Technology and Innovation. One of our core functions is to compile and maintain a national database of research and innovation projects funded by the Fund and other agencies as per the STI Act of 2013.

 

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Registry of Repositories in Kenya (RoRiK)

NRF is developing a Registry of Research Repositories in Kenya (RoRiK) in an effort to promote access to research data in the country.

Recent Submissions

Publication
Risk Factors Associated with Livestock Feeding and Disease Control Practices in the Peri-Urban Slums of Kisumu City, Kenya
(2020-07) Charles Muleke Inyagwa, Wekesa Sabesia, Kenneth Orengo, Price Amanya, and Raymond Mdachi
Livestock feeding practices present food safety concerns to consumers who are aware of food safety and their linkage to feeding practices. Domesticated animals kept in the peri-urban territories often feed on waste dump feeds and polluted waters. Consequently, animal feeds could be contaminated with potentially toxic metals and diseases which may lead to death and economic losses in lost trade opportunities. Objective of this study was to determine the risk factors associated with livestock feeding and disease control practices in the peri-urban slums of Kisumu City, Kenya. This was achieved through identifying, characterizing and disseminating peri-urban livestock feeding practices and constraints, and their effects on food safety as well as general well-being of livestock. Primary data was collected from 291 randomly selected smallholder livestock farmers in the peri-urban slums of the City by use of semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics inform of cross tabulations, means and frequencies were used to characterize peri-urban livestock feeding and disease control practices. The results revealed that 58% of the county residents were male while 42 % were female. Their ages ranged between 18 and 90years with a mean age of 55. Majority (74%) practiced both livestock and crop production while 26% kept livestock only. The farmers mainly kept indigenous cattle (97%) as opposed to exotic (3%). The prevalent livestock farming system was free range (93%) where most farmers grazed their livestock on open unutilized spaces and dump sites. Animals were kept for consumption (62%) and for income generation (32%). The main production constraints identified by farmers were diseases (65%) and lack of feed (20%). The diseases varied with region and animal species which included tick-borne diseases (53%) and foot and mouth (15%). Farmers obtained information on management and treatment of livestock largely from private veterinarians (64%). There is need to create policies on peri-urban slum livestock keeping practices, and waste management to reduce the risks associated with livestock feeding and diseases in Kisumu city. Keywords: Food safety risks, peri-urban, livestock feeding, Kisumu County
Publication
Levels of heavy metals in the straightfin barb Enteromius paludinosus (Peters 1852) from River Malewa, Naivasha, Kenya
(Environ Monit Assess, 2018-11-12) Elizabeth A. Ngesa & Elick O. Otachi, Nzula K. Kitaka
There have been several studies on heavy metals in Lake Naivasha. However, none of them has reported the levels of mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), and chromium (Cr). Moreover, there are no studies on the heavy metals’ concentrations in the straightfin barb (Enteromius paludinosus, Peters 1852), a fish species that hosts a parasite (Ligula intestinalis), the latter hav ing been reported to have a high ability to absorb heavy metals from its host. This paper therefore addresses the accumulation of heavy metals, namely arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) in the tissues of straightfin barb, Enteromius paludinosus (Pe ters 1852) from the mouth of River Malewa in Lake Naivasha, Kenya. A total of 1307 fish were collected during the month of November 2017. Water samples, sediment samples, 25 fish muscle tissues, and its endo parasite, the cestode Ligula intestinalis,wereisolated, and heavy metal concentrations were determined using the thermal-electron atomic absorption spectrophotom eter at the Lake Nakuru Water Quality Testing Labora tory. The concentrations of heavy metals in the sediment werebelowthelowesteffectlevel insediment, threshold effect concentration in sediment, severe effect concen tration in sediment, and the shale values of sedimentary rocks thus showing no sign of pollution. In the muscle tissues of the fish, As, Cr, Pb, and Hg showed high levels with mean concentrations of 5.0696, 22.0854, Bioconcentration factors further supported the observa tion that trace element accumulation was higher in fish compared with sediment and water. The target hazard quotients of As, Cr, Pb, and Hg obtained for both the female and male were >1 indicating a possible health risk associated with the consumption of E. paludinosus. The bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) for L. intestinalis were 2.4093, 2.1873, 5.8601, and 5.1395 for As, Cr, Pb, and Hg, respectively, indicating the potential of the cestode in the accumulation of heavy metals from the host; hence, it can be used as an accumulation bioindicator.
Publication
Natural Infection of Sandfly Vector and Reservoir Hosts Species with Leishmania Parasites in Mt. Elgon Cave Habitats in Kenya
(International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health, 2023-02-15) Kennedy Ombula Ombaka, Moses M. Ngeiywa and Judith Makwali
Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem caused by a parasite of the genus Leishmania which is transmitted through the bite of an infected female phlebotomine sandfly. However, the disease epidemiology on interactions of causative agents, reservoir hosts, and vectors in areas where there is a high prevalence of the disease needs to be properly understood to inform effective control. The present study was conducted to determine natural infection by Leishmania parasites in phlebotomine sandfly vectors and suspected reservoir hosts found in caves in Mount Elgon in Kenya. Sandflies, bats and rock hyraxes were found inhabiting the assessed caves in the study area. A total of 5688 sandflies collected from caves were morphologically identified and analyzed for infectivity with Leishmania parasites by molecular characterization sequencing using Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). Giemsa-stained blood smears and spleen and liver impression smears prepared from bats, and hyraxes collected from the same caves were examined microscopically for Leishmania amastigotes. The sandflies, bats, and hyraxes were identified morphologically using taxonomic keys. The results showed that randomly selected COI sequences (n = 5) of three different morphologically identified Phlebotomus species were positive for Leishmania based on their molecular characteristics. Five species of bats were identified, and they were significantly more abundant compared to hyraxes (χ2 = 16.7845, df = 7, P = 0.0002). The bats’ species had a higher prevalence of Leishmania parasites compared to hyraxes (F = 7.342, P = 0.0043). Cardioderma cor, Chaerephon pumilus and Rhinolophus clivosus bat species had more than 5% Leishmania parasite prevalence rate. Leishmania amastigote density was significantly higher in the liver (F = 39.232, P < 0.001) compared to the density in the blood (F = 75.1124, P < 0.001) of bats and hyraxes. This study has shown that transmission of Leishmania parasites in Mt. Elgon caves involves vertebrate reservoir hosts (bats and hyraxes) and the insect vector species (sandfly). Therefore, disruption of the life cycle of the Leishmania parasites should be done by targeting these reservoir animals and the sandfly vector.
Publication
Antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of selected medicinal plants found in Nandi County, Kenya
(A KeSoBAP Publication, 2015-08) Nicholas Kimutai a, Elizabeth W. Njenga, Pascaline Jeruto, Janet Kosgey, Jonah N. Kipkorir, Charles Mutai, Lillian Ng’eny, and Richard Korir
Background: Medicinal plants are widely used by the local people to treat various human diseases cause by drug resistant microorganisms. For instance, Kigelia Africana fruits and barks are boiled in water and taken orally as a laxative in treating stomach ailments, Ekebergia capensis bark is boiled in water and use for the control of gonorrhea and tuberculosis while Fagaropsis angolensis stem bark is used to treat pneumonia, back ache and joins. The efficacy and safety of most of these plants has not been determined. Objective: The present study seeks to determine antimicrobial activities and cytotoxicity of the selected medicinal plants indicated above, that are commonly used to treat infectious diseases. Materials and Methods: Fresh plants were collected from the field; air dried ground and extracted using acetone and water. The extracts were screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities using Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella dysentriae, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Microsporum gypseum and Trychophyton mentagrophytes. The methods were disc diffusion and broth dilution methods while in vitro cytotoxicity test was carried out following a modified rapid calorimetric assay, using actively dividing sub-confluent Vero E6 cells. Results: In disc diffusion assay, water extracts of E. capensis were the most active (14.7 mm) while those of Fagaropsis angolensis were the least (6.0 mm) against S. aureus. Acetone extracts of E. capensis and K. Africana had a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of 3.125 mg/ml and 6.25 mg/ml respectively and were bactericidal. Cytotoxicity showed that K. africana was not cytotoxic against Vero cell lines while acetone extracts of E. capensis was moderately toxic with a CC 50(µg/ml) of 12.5. Conclusion: These results support the use of the plants in the traditional medicine as antimicrobials and they can be exploited for novel drugs. Key words: Antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity, Kigelia africana, Ekebergia capensis, Fagaropsis angolensis,
Publication
ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS FROM NANDI COUNTY, KENYA
(© Global Science Publications, 2020-08-13) NICHOLAS KIMUTAI K., PHILIP A. OGUTU AND CHARLES MUTAI
Medicinal plants are used by the local people to treat different human diseases since time immemorial. The efficacy of most of these plants has not been determined. The present study was therefore conducted at Nandi County to determine antimicrobial activities of seventeen selected medicinal plants that are commonly used to treat infectious diseases caused by bacteria. The plants were collected from the field and dried in a room at 25 oC. The samples were ground into powder and the components extracted using methanol. Plant extracts were tested against ten standard and clinical isolates of human pathogenic bacteria, using disc diffusion and broth dilution methods. The solvents used for extraction were used as negative control while Gentamycin was used as positive controls. In vitro antimicrobial assays indicated that four plant extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity in which the highest activity was observed from root bark extracts of Albicia coriaria, Acacia lahai, Olinia rochetiana, Leucas calostachys and stem bark of Sygium cordatum against S. aureus among others. This study demonstrated support for the claimed antimicrobial uses of the plants in the traditional medicine probably due to the phytochemicals present. Isolation and purification of bioactive chemical constituents from the active crude plant extracts can be obtained to supplement conventional drugs