Defence Forces Technical College

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    Bridging the Gender Divide in Digital Technology Courses and Careers in Kenya
    (2023) Luvanda, Anthony
    Kenya’s digital technology advancements—chief among them the mobile money transfer application referred to as Mpesa—has led to the country’s status as an emerging digital economy. However, the long strides in the move toward a fully-fledged digital economy are not reflected in the digital technology workforce with regard to gender balance. While digital technology careers are highly touted as the jobs of the future, women occupy less than 30 percent of digital technology positions in Kenya. The root cause of the problem can be traced to disadvantages that girls and young women accumulate throughout their years in education. This study takes a qualitative approach in trying to identify the root causes for the exclusion of girls and young women from digital technology courses at all levels of education—namely lower primary, upper primary, junior high school, senior high school, and the tertiary level in both rural and urban communities. The study identifies various cumulative factors that contribute to fewer women taking up digital technology courses, such as: inadequate infrastructure; insufficient staffing and training of digital technology personnel at learning institutions; the negative impact of gendered social norms; poor advocacy of digital technology careers and the absence of vocational counseling; and the lack of women role models. To increase the number of women in digital technology careers, we must improve institutional digital technology infrastructure at all levels of education, enhance the training of digital technology personnel within all levels of education, build girls’ interest in digital technology-related courses from the earliest years, increase digital technology advocacy and awareness among girls, and enhance vocational counseling on digital technology career.
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    Effective approaches for enhancing data management and semantic interoperability within the healthcare sector
    (2023) Harriet, Loice Tsinale; Mbugua, Samuel; Luvanda, Anthony
    In a variety of contexts, Big Data is widely used. In healthcare Big Data has its own characteristics, including heterogeneity, incompleteness, timeliness and durability, privacy, and ownership. To enhance health-related science, these features present a number of challenges for data storage, mining, and sharing. Big Data helps to understand electronic health records, gather demographic and medical data such as clinical data, medical conditions, and diagnosis, allow doctors to provide a wide variety of patients with quality health care and also to make informative decisions. The large volume of data also provides researchers in the fields of medicine and healthcare with the ability to use tools and techniques to unlock hidden solutions. This study sought to investigate the effects that the existing approaches have on enhancing data management and semantic interoperability in healthcare sector. 180 respondents who took part of the survey were chosen from the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital. It was discovered that implementing health standards and tools can help healthcare companies in a number of ways by eliminating compatibility concerns and assuring accurate data representation. Consequently, encouraging successful adoption boosts decision-making processes, encourages sustainability, improves data quality, allows for interoperability, and makes it easier to comply with regulations. These implications help improve patient care, healthcare systems, and overall health outcomes.
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    Enhancing Cooperation to Counter Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Kenya
    (2024) Col Maurice B, Wasomi,; Col (Dr) John R, Kisilu; Col (Dr) Charles Imbiakha
    The threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Kenya necessitates robust and coordinated countermeasures. This study investigates collaborative approaches to countering IEDs, focusing on opportunities for enhanced cooperation among stakeholders. The primary objective is to assess the impact of multi-agency collaboration on improving the effectiveness of IED countermeasures and to provide policy recommendations for strengthening these efforts. The study is grounded in the theory of collaborative governance, which emphasizes the importance of interconnectedness and cooperative strategies among various agencies to address complex security challenges. Data were collected from a target population comprising security professionals, government officials, and international partners through a mixed-methods approach. This included a survey with 95 respondents and semi-structured interviews with 15 key informants. Findings from the study indicate a high level of engagement in collaborative efforts to counter IEDs. Survey results reveal that 69.8% of respondents agree or strongly agree that multi-agency collaboration is crucial for addressing IED threats, with a mean rating of 3.59. Similarly, 66.8% acknowledge the significant contributions of international partnerships, with a mean rating of 3.73. Despite these positive perceptions, challenges such as poor coordination and transparency issues in international collaborations were frequently cited. Interviews corroborated these findings, highlighting the need for improved communication channels and trust-building measures. Data analysis involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to summarize the level of agreement on various aspects of collaboration, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and insights. Key recommendations include the establishment of structured frameworks for information sharing, enhancing leadership capacities, and prioritizing transparency in international partnerships. Continuous engagement and knowledge-sharing initiatives are also vital for fostering innovation and effectively refining strategies to counter IED threats. In conclusion, this study underscores the critical importance of enhanced cooperation among stakeholders in mitigating the impact of IEDs in Kenya. By addressing identified challenges and leveraging collaborative opportunities, policymakers and practitioners can develop more effective strategies to improve security outcomes and protect public safety.
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    Evaluating Strategies to Enhance Existing Policies and Mitigate the Impact of Climate Change on Security in Zambia.
    (2024) Col Innocent Jere; Col (Dr) John R Kisilu; ‘Col (Dr) Charles Imbiakha
    The problem in Zambia is that the nation is susceptible to the detrimental effects of climate change, of which the agricultural sector is most affected. Changes in weather systems while frequent and prolonged dry seasons are among the greatest threats that, as a nation which, greatly depends on agriculture as the leading economic activity that the country’s economy relies on. Climate change disruption is not a standalone issue but the aggravating factor of other societal factors, including food security, livelihoods, and socioeconomic vulnerability. Due to the fact that agroecology has become the key pillar in Zambia’s economy, the vulnerability of this branch to climate change is viewed as the most serious threat to be solved. Resilience and sustainable development in the country will face a huge challenge if this issue is not carefully addressed. This study looks at the effectiveness of implementing existing policies and strategies to address security concerns highlighted by climate change in Zambia. The qualitative research design calls for collecting data through interviews and open-ended questions involving the security actors and the related agencies. The analysis revealed a mixed view of the policy’s effectiveness, which was accompanied by barriers such as socioeconomic and implementation difficulties and challenges that were seen to stop the full manifestation of the policies. Policy recommendations include, but are not limited to, increased partnership with the local authorities to ensure policy implementation mainly, public education and mobilization, objectives in which efforts to achieve sustainable practices are recognized. Another prospect for future research is to monitor the evolving patterns with critical assessments, eventually define the policy impacts, compare them with previous conclusions, and specify measures in times of peak crisis. Through its efforts to address these inadequacies, Zambia may be able to improve upon its climate change resilience, establish a trajectory of sustainable development, and actively contribute to global climate change efforts whose goal is to minimize impacts.