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Gendered Pathways to Participation: Barriers and Enablers of Girls’ Education in Refugee and Internally Displaced Contexts in Kenya
(Eastern African Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2026-02-22) Dennis Otwori; Lilian Odundo; Beatrice Adhiambo; Denis Nono
This paper discusses how gendered norms, poverty, and displacement interact to influence the educational participation of girls in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and refugee settings in Kenya. The study used a feminist capability framework to analyse the structural, socio-cultural, and psychosocial barriers to female education. A sample of 341 participants across four schools, namely, Runyu Primary School, Hagadera Central Primary, Malakal Primary, and Somalia Bantu Mixed Secondary School, was utilised. The study collected data from ten different stakeholder groups, including School Governance and Management, school children-boys, school children-girls, teachers, parents, Parent-Teacher associations (PTA), para-social workers, Camp leaders, and governance and national and local government officials. Data was analysed using Dedoose software version 10.0.59 through inductive and deductive thematic coding. The study findings are presented in verbatim quotes to ensure the originality of the voices of participants. The findings revealed that the major challenges to regular school attendance for the girls included menstrual insecurity, early pregnancy, and household labour. These were enhanced by patriarchal norms that place greater value on boys’ schooling. However, parents, teachers, and community leaders observed that there is a gradual shift in recognising girls’ education as an asset for household welfare and social advancement. The study concludes that gender transformative pedagogies, including Tuseme ("Let Us Speak Out"), can enhance girls’ confidence, leadership, and participation, especially when supported with inclusive school environments and active community engagement. These insights contribute to ongoing global conversations on gender, displacement, and educational justice in the context of the crisis.
Afforestation as a Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategy in Isiolo County, Kenya: Challenges and Opportunities
(International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 2025-10) Abdullahi Hassan Osman; Israel Nyadera; Stephen Mailu
The aim of this study was to examine afforestation as a climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy in Isiolo County, focusing on its evolution, the challenges limiting its implementation, and the opportunities that can be harnessed to improve its effectiveness. The study also sought to demonstrate how afforestation contributes to building resilience in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), where recurrent droughts, land degradation, and dependence on natural resources increase vulnerability to climate change. Over the past few years, afforestation programmes have been launched to curb climate impacts in ASALs. The study was guided by three objectives: to investigate the evolution of afforestation as a climate change mitigation strategy in Kenya; to assess challenges facing its implementation in ASALs; and to establish opportunities for enhancing its effectiveness. Anchored on Ecosystem Restoration Theory, a mixed-method research design was applied with a sample size of 80 participants. Data was collected through questionnaires, analyzed descriptively, and presented in tables. Findings show afforestation programmes have improved in ASALs; however, their main challenge is the frequency and intensity of natural hazards. Opportunities lie in proactive governance through climate-sensitive policies and legislation. The study concludes that afforestation has evolved as a key climate change response, but its impact is limited by environmental and institutional barriers. It recommends policies linking afforestation to economic outcomes for local communities and stresses the need for regular maintenance practices such as weeding, thinning, pruning, and fire prevention to strengthen sustainability.
The Role of Military Quick Impact Projects in the Enhancement of Human Security: A Case Study of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in North-Eastern Nigeria
(A Journal of the National Defence University-Kenya, 2025-12) Rufai Umar Mairiga; Mwasi Mwanyika; Caroline Gatobu
In post-war or conflict-ridden areas, the distinction between a military approach and a humanitarian approach is becoming increasingly ambiguous. This paper examines how Military Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) used in the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) have helped to improve human security in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria, which is devastated by the insurgency of the Boko Haram. Although QIPs are advocated as a winning of hearts and minds approach in counterinsurgency (COIN) doctrine, their effectiveness in providing sustainable human security results is controversial. Based on a mixed-methods approach, with a survey of 422 stakeholders and in-depth interviews, this study evaluates QIPs in a seven-dimensional human security framework. Results show that QIPs have already attained significant short-term returns on rebuilding critical infrastructure, delivering first-line services and building initial trust. Their long-term effectiveness is, however, severely compromised by structural flaws, such as a lack of community ownership, poor interagency coordination, poor monitoring and evaluation and a short-term mismatch with the long-term development planning. Theoretically, the paper uses the Public Goods Theory (PGT) to reveal that although QIPs are expected to deliver public goods such as infrastructure, the lack of inclusivity and interagency rivalry makes it highly vulnerable in the real world due to politicized implementation and sustainability issues. The research concludes that in order to enable the QIPs to go beyond the level of utility within a tactical approach and to make a significant contribution to human security, a paradigm shift to a more collaborative, community-based and strategically patient approach is necessary. Suggestions are provided regarding including QIPs in a more civilian-based framework of stabilization.
Interface Between Glacial Lake Outburst Floods and National Security in Nepal
(A Journal of the National Defence University-Kenya, 2025-06) Pushpa Raj Bhandari; Bernard Adero
This study investigates the implications of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) on national security in Nepal, with a particular focus on their cascading effects on human security. The central research question guiding this inquiry is: How do GLOFs impact human security, and what are their cascading effects on national security in Nepal? A mixed-methods research approach was employed, utilizing an explanatory sequential design. The quantitative component involved statistical analysis of secondary data and survey responses, focusing on the frequency and intensity of GLOFs and their impacts on infrastructure, livelihoods, and socio economic stability. The qualitative component consisted of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders, including disaster management officials, climate experts, and community representatives, to contextualize and enrich the quantitative findings. The study was conducted across eight high-risk Himalayan districts. A sample of 450 respondents was determined using Cochran’s formula. In addition, three focus group discussions were conducted to gain deeper qualitative insights. The findings underscore the exacerbating influence of climate change and accelerated glacial melting in the Himalayas, which heighten the risks associated with glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs). These events have profound consequences for human security, thereby contributing to broader national security vulnerabilities. The study identifies significant gaps in Nepal’s disaster risk management framework and calls for a paradigm shift in preparedness strategies. Recommendations include implementing comprehensive risk assessments, establishing robust early warning systems, developing climate-resilient infrastructure, and implementing community-based adaptation measures to enhance resilience.
Effect of Kenya’s External Debt Sustainability on Militarisation and Crime Rate in Kenya (1993-2023): A Time Series Analysis
(A Journal of the National Defence University-Kenya, 2025-12) Mwende Mwendwa; Stephen Handa; Paul M. Gachanja
In this paper, the complex relationship between external debt sustainability and national security outcomes in Kenya is addressed through an analysis of indicators of militarisation and crime rates. The study examines the direct and indirect effects of debt sustainability on security outcomes from 1993 to 2023, focusing on militarisation and from 2004 to 2023, on crime rates, using Vector Autoregressive (VAR) models with time series data. Diagnostic tests, such as the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test, KPSS test, Johansen cointegration analysis and multiple lag selection criteria, were used to pre-estimate the absence of long-term relationships among the variables, thereby justifying the use of the VAR method over alternative models. The findings indicate complicated interactions: although the external debt sustainability does not have a direct impact of any importance on existing military spending or the crime rate, there are crucial feedbacks via socio-economic mediators. Historical military expenditure has a positive impact on external debt (14.79, p < 0.10), indicating that security investments are counterintuitive to fiscal sustainability. Urbanisation negatively impacts debt sustainability (-594.36, p < 0.05), indicating demographic pressures on fiscal resources. Research indicates that important debt-to-GDP levels are between 55% and 60%, at which security effects become increasingly evident in a non-linear manner. Combined with the results, the sustainability of debt in the area is the primary factor affecting security through indirect channels (including unemployment, urbanisation and budgeting restrictions), rather than having direct budget implications. Policy recommendations, such as the institution of integrated debt-security monitoring tools, targeted intervention in high-risk cities and flexible military budget preparation that takes into account fiscal sustainability levels, can be suggested. The study can help maximise the knowledge of the impacts of fiscal constraints spilling over to security lapses in developing economies.