http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/22 Sun, 28 Jun 2026 05:30:16 GMT 2026-06-28T05:30:16Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10234 The legacy of colonial agricultural policy on the socio- economic transformation of Ndalat settlement scheme in Nandi County, Kenya, 1954 - 1992 Basiliano, Samoei There is evidence of many ambitious Agricultural projects that were established by the colonial government that begun on a sound footing but ended without attaining the intended objectives. The Ndalat Settlement Scheme is one such project. Much as the colonial government had ambitious objectives of transforming agricultural production among the African farmers at its inception, years of political and economic disconnect between the post-independence government and the farmers led to its under performance and subsequent closure. The genesis of the Scheme can be traced back to the African Land Development (ALDEV) of 1947 which sought to tackle emerging issues on land usage crisis. It was followed by the Swynnerton Plan of 1954 which focused on land consolidation and land use intensification. Furthermore, the Land Development and Settlement Board (LDSB) schemes were later established with the aim of integrating Africans into the capitalist economy. As much as at the beginning the Scheme managed to attain a level of economic and social benefits on the people of Ndalat such as development of Cereals and Produce Board which marketed produce, introduction of exotic breeds of animals, construction of schools and health centres, the long-term attainment of the transformation that was intended was compromised by the colonial legacy of governmentality. As a result, the commercialization of smallholder farming systems failed to achieve the desired objectives as farmers went back to the production at subsistence levels. This was escalated during the period of SAPS as from 1980 through to 1992 where prices were compromised as a result of the introduction of free market economy that led to collapse of major agencies that supported the farming enterprise. Therefore, the study traced the historical trajectory of the scheme right from its establishment in the early years of independence to 1992 when it was wound up. The study was guided by four objectives namely: To trace the origins and roots of the Colonial Settlement policy, 1954-1962, Explore the establishment of the Ndalat Settlement scheme in the early years of independence, 1963-1970; discuss the social, political and economic influence of the Colonial Agricultural policy on Ndalat Settlement Scheme, 1970-1980 and to analyse the influence of Structural Adjustment Policies (SAPs) on the Ndalat Settlement Scheme, 1980-1992. The study was founded on interpretivist philosophy and was underpinned by the commercialization and articulation theories which was based on the interpretation of lived experiences of the people coupled with relating them with how the government attempted to commercialize and transform farming but with time failed to do so as intended. The study adopted a historical descriptive design with a sample size of 38 informants aged between 60 and 97 years who were conveniently sampled from among. Interview schedule was the main instrument complimented by documentary review of journal articles, books, archival and government policy documents. The data was transcribed before being subjected to content analysis and presented in thematic and narrative formats. The study traced the roots of the Ndalat Settlement Scheme to the Swinerton Plan of 1954 which was crafted with the intention of quelling rising tensions among Africans on land issues. The study also established that after independence, the ambitious program of the scheme was gradually a host of challenges which by 1992, after the inception of the SAPS (Structural Adjustment Programs), rendered the scheme defunct. Based on the findings, the study recommends that Agricultural policies crafted by the government should be sustainable and this can only be done through ensuring that the objectives that guide the formation of these programs are followed and the challenges arising are countered. At the same time, the study recommends that there should be a discernible nexus between the plans by the political class and the masses so that they are fully embraced and sustained. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10234 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10206 Magical realism as a narrative strategy for representing tyranny in selected fiction of Alain Mabanckou Keitany, Ambrose Rotich This study examines the deployment of magical realism as a trope of narrating political tyranny in Alain Mabanckou’s novels namely, Memoirs of a Porcupine, Broken Glass, Black Bazaar, Blue White Red and African Psycho. The study employs qualitative narrative research design where data is drawn from primary and secondary written texts. This entails a close reading and interpretation of the selected texts using Gennette Gerard’s narratology which provides a systematic approach to narrative enabling the reader appreciate how texts make meaning. Homi Bhabha’s postcolonial theory which examines the ways in which writers from colonised countries attempt to articulate and even celebrate their cultural identities and reclaim them from the colonisers has been engaged in the analysis of the texts as postcolonial literature. The findings of this study reveal that Mabanckou engages the opposing ontologies of magical and reality to satirise tyranny, to push and sustain narrative, to entertain readers through humorous fantasy, and to develop central themes of political and social concerns. Additionally, Mabanckou’s use of scatology presents filth as a symbol in the narrative of disillusionment in post-colonial Africa. The study highlights Mabanckou’s use of magical realism and scatology as literary tropes to interrogate deep-seated postcolonial issues, proving the literary landscape as a vibrant, effective and accessible space for humanistic studies. The research contributes to studies on Mabanckou’s fiction and to studies on magical realism in African novels. The study recommends that a comparative study on Mabanckou’s work be done vis-a -vis the writings of other emerging African writers so as to expose and extrapolate fully the significance of magical realism as a trope of writing. Postmodernist analyses could also be done in his other novels so as to determine influences in his writing. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10206 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10204 Narrating marginalisation: identity, violence, and trauma in selected texts from East Africa Kirui, Maryline Chepngetich The study examined the processes of othering in seven selected texts from East Africa: Ebrahim Hussein’s Kinjeketile (1969), Abdurazak Gurnah’s Afterlives (2020), Emmanuel Jal’s War Child (2009), Kinyanjui Kombani’s The Last Villains of Molo (2004), Gil Courtemanche’s A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali (2000), Gael Faye’s Small Country (2016), and John Ruganda’s Shreds of Tenderness (2001) to determine how violence is used not only as a tool to subjugate groups but also as a means through which the subjugated groups are traumatised and challenge marginalisation. The study also analysed violence-induced trauma and its impact on the characters as well as how authors give agency to the marginalised victims of violence and trauma in the texts. The texts were purposively selected based on their representation of marginalisation, violence, and trauma across the East African region. The study highlights the importance of literature in representing experience and its role in fostering dialogue on ‘otherness’ and marginalisation. It employed Edward Said’s post-colonial theory of ‘the Other’ and Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory in its discourse analysis. Said’s concept of ‘the Other’ as outlined in Orientalism is extended to examine how stereotypes and half-truths constructed by dominant groups foster a culture of violence through the marginalisation of other groups. Freud’s ‘Uncanny’ is instrumental in exploring trauma as a consequence of violence affecting the characters within the texts. The study utilised a qualitative approach, involving close textual analysis of the primary texts to investigate how violence, trauma, and notions of identity are constructed and represented. To achieve this, it examined narrative strategies used to portray marginalisation, violence, and trauma. The findings indicated that dominant groups assert their power by subjugating subordinate groups. This subjugation occurs through the degradation of the language of the “subordinates”, thereby ascribing inferiority to both their language and to themselves. While violence is used as a tool for marginalisation, marginalised groups can also utilise it to contest their oppression. The marginalisation and violence lead to trauma. The study concluded that literature does not merely aim to depict experience but also to evoke reflection. Therefore, while literary works depict real-life moments, they offer alternative perspectives for understanding these situations and provide a platform where both characters and readers can re-experience the events and confront the resulting trauma. Although the study established a direct link between marginalisation, violence, and trauma, it recommends further research on whether there is a possibility for the marginalised to negotiate for space without resorting to violence. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10204 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10197 Sarufi ya kinyankore na ujifunzaji wa kiswahili: mfano kutoka asasi teule jijini mbarara Kubakurungi, Kyangungu Abraham Wataalam waliohusika na utafiti wa lugha wanabaini kwamba lugha ya kwanza inaathiri ujifunzaji wa lugha ya pili, na hivyo kumletea mjifunzaji wa lugha ya pili changamoto mbalimbali. Huu utafiti ulichunguza namna sarufi ya lugha ya Kinyankore inavyoathiri ujifunzaji wa Kiswahili. Aidha, ulilenga kubaini changamoto zinazowakabili wanafunzi wa Kinyankore wanapojifunza Kiswahili kama lugha ya pili, na mwisho, kutoa mapendekezo ya jinsi ya kushughulikia changamoto hizo. Huu utafiti ulikuwa na malengo maalum matatu: Kwanza, kubaini athari za Kinyankore na vile zinavyojitokeza wakati wa kusoma somo la Kiswahili ikiwa ni lugha nyingine. Pili, kuchunguza kwa nini athari hizo zinajitokeza kwa wanafunzi hao wa Kinyankore wakati wanapojifunza lugha hiyo nyingine ya Kiswahili. Lengo la tatu lilikuwa kutambua mbinu mbalimbali zinazotumika kukabiliana na changamoto hizo na kusaidia wanafunzi waathiriwa wa Kinyankore katika mchakato wa kujifunza Kiswahili. Mahali ambapo utafiti huu ulifanyika ni jijini Mbarara katika asasi za elimu zilizochaguliwa, na mtafiti alilenga asasi teule za shule za sekondari na Vyuo vikuu. Takwimu za utafiti zilipatikana baada ya kuhusisha njia mbalimbali za ukusanyaji wa data, kama vile mahojiano, majadiliano, mazungumzo, hojaji, pamoja na dodoso. Njia ya usampulishaji maalum na nasibu zilitumika kuteua washiriki waliochaguliwa. Jumla ya washiriki katika utafiti huu ilikuwa mia mbili (200). Utafiti huu ulilenga kutumia idadi hii ya washiriki ili kupata maoni yanayowakilisha kundi kubwa zaidi mkoani. Utafiti huu ulichochewa na nadharia mseto, ambayo inajumuisha nadharia kadhaa hasa ile ya Uchanganuzi Makosa, Nadharia ya Uchanganuzi-Linganuzi, pamoja na ile ya Mawasiliano. Aidha, utafiti ulifanikiwa kubainisha mbinu zinazotumika kuwasaidia wanafunzi wanaokabiliwa na taathira za sarufi ya Kinyankore wakijifunza Kiswahili. Utafiti ulibainisha kwamba wanafunzi wa Kinyankore wanakabiliwa na changamoto za kisarufi katika ujifunzaji wao wa Kiswahili katika nyanja za kimsamiati, kifonolojia, kimofolojia, kisemantiki na kimuundo. Utafiti ulionyesha kwamba wanafunzi wanakabiliwa na matatizo kadhaa ya kiisimu, mkiwemo matatizo ya kisarufi, kimaandishi, kuchanganya ndimi pamoja na changamoto katika kutafsiri vipengele vya Kiswahili kulingana na lugha ya Kinyankore. Kuhusu lengo la pili, utafiti ulitambua sababu za sarufi ya kinyankore kuathiri namna Kiswahili kinavyosomwa kwa kuzingatia vigezo vyote vya sarufi ya lugha ya kwanza, matumizi ya ala za sauti za kaa kaa, kukosekana kwa baadhi ya fonimu katika kinyankore, kufundisha vibaya kwa somo la Swahili, mazingira yasiyofaa kujifunzia somo la Kiswahili, nakadhalika. Kulingana na lengo la tatu, utafiti ulionyesha mbinu zinazotumika kukabiliana na changamoto za wanafunzi wenye asili ya Kinyankore wanapokuwa katika mafunzo ya Kiswahili. Na hizo mbinu ni pamoja na; kufundisha Kiswahili tangu utotoni, wanafunzi wa kinyankore wapewe nafasi za matumizi na mazungumzo ya Kiswahili, kuhamasisha wazazi, walimu na wanafunzi kuhusu umuhimu wa Kiswahili, kuongeza vipindi na muda wa kufundisha Kiswahili kwenye ratiba za shule, kuweka mazingira rafiki ya kujifunzia Kiswahili na kadhalika. Utafiti ulihitimisha kwamba, ijapo Kinyankore kinaathiri kujifunza somo la Kiswahili kwenye ngazi zote za kisarufi kisarufi kama vile kimatamshi, kisemantiki, kimsamiati, kimuundo na kimofolojia, athari hizo haziwezi kuzuia mafunzo ya somo la Kiswahili kuendelea. Kwa maana, Kinyankore jinsi inavyotambulika kuwa Kibantu huenda ikasaidia wanafunzi kutumia uwezo wao kuelewa jinsi matumizi na uundaji wa maneno ya lugha ya Kiswahili yanavyojitokeza. Utafiti ulihitimisha kwa kupendekeza kwa tafiti zijazo kutumia nadharia nyingine kuchunguza athari zinazojitokeza katika ujifunzaji wa lugha ya pili, pamoja na kutumia muda mwingi zaidi kuzibainisha sababu na suluhisho za kila moja. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10197 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z