School of Communication
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Browsing School of Communication by Author "Aswani, Daniel Robert"
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Item Communication for Mangrove Forest Conservation among the Coastal Communities in Kenya(International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2015-06) Wekesa, Allan Siangu; Aswani, Daniel RobertRural communities in coastal areas depend on mangroves as their primary source of income generation, fuel, medicine and other basic necessities such as timber for housing. The wanton depletion of mangroves is a cause of serious environmental and economic concern. Wise management of these resource is therefore essential for the sustainable use and for the cultural and socio-economic welfare of the coastal inhabitants. In this connection, awareness raising through information to all relevant stakeholders is decisive in order to save the mangrove forests. The aim of this paper is to analyze the contribution of the different forms of communication in the dissemination of information. The findings of this study indicate the use of face to face communication through village meetings and seminars were found to be more effective communication channels as opposed to mass media tools like radio and TV due to the high levels of interaction and feedback opportunities.Item Exploring Terror Victims’ Expectations of Government Communication(International Journal of Media, Journalism and Mass Communications, 2020) Aswani, Daniel Robert; Mbutu, Paul; Mwithia, KinyaAt the time of a terror attack, victims yearn for messages from the government so that they can make decisions on their safety and security. When the government communicates, the victims form perceptions towards such communication. The perceptions that victims of terror hold are partly attributed to the expectations that the victims have of government communication. This study explored terror victims’ expectations of government communication. The study adopted a qualitative methodology and used hermeneutic phenomenological design. The findings showed that victims of terror have expectations of government communication ranging from the desire for personalized communication; agility in communication; transparent and prompt communication; well-coordinated messaging; and communicate power and authority. Different studies, both conceptual and speculative, point to the same expectations of the different audiences that consume government communication.Item Perceptions towards Government Communication Strategies on COVID-19 Vaccination in Kenya(Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies (, 2021-10) Aswani, Daniel RobertKenya, like most countries in the world, continues to battle with the effects of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) popularly known as COVID-19. The rise in infections cannot be compared with a paltry 3% of the population that is fully vaccinated – a concern that puts the blame squarely on the way government has communicated on vaccine uptake. While there is an appreciation of constraining factors such as vaccine nationality ‘wars’, it is disturbing that where vaccines are availed, there remains anecdotal evidence on what spurs the hesitancy to take up vaccine in Kenya. This study sought to establish what drives the hesitancy in vaccine uptake by exploring the perceptions of COVID-19 survivors towards the communication strategies utilized by government to urge Kenyans to get vaccinated. The social influence theory provided a lens for understanding this phenomenon. Government communication strategies are competing with many voices that either deny the form of existence of the virus and hence refute the place of vaccines, or speak of the inefficiency of the vaccine, or create conspiracies around the use of vaccines. Good communication strategies seem to be the missing link in spurring the take up of COVID-19 vaccines and pushing the population to herd immunity. Only then, can the country encourage socio-economic development. This study answered research questions that explore problems, prospects, and perspectives that COVID-19 survivors (n=10) had towards the government communication strategies. The study took a phenomenological approach utilizing lived experiences of the survivors (5 now fully vaccinated and 5 are yet vaccinated). Explicated data was presented in themes. Participants noted use of different government communication strategies such as publicized vaccination of senior government officials; use of influencers; and use of media briefings. Based on findings and personal reflections, government communication strategies used by the government were reactive, pompous (or ignorant), and/or contradictory.Item Torture and the Ticking Bomb, by Bob Brecher: A Review(Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 2017-10) Aswani, Daniel RobertA number of terror attacks have furthered the notoriety of terrorists. Such attacks include the ones in Bali, London, Nairobi, Kikambala, Dar-el-salaam, Kampala, New York, the fortune spent to bring down Osama bin Laden and more recently the sporadic terror attacks in different towns in Kenya culminating in the Westgate attack. Immediately after the 9/11 bombings, the then US President, George W. Bush declared that — in the war against terror — countries were either with the USA or with the terrorists. This declaration created an equal and opposite assumption that ‘those’ fighting terror were thereby justified in the manner they terror suspects. As a result, dangerous escapades have been reported in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. Simultaneously, tales of torture have surrounded the debate on the rationale of holding suspects at Guantanamo Bay. In a nutshell, the role of interrogators has come under sharp focus particularly in the inhumane manner that terrorism suspects have been handled. Complaints have ranged from rendition to torture. The role of the investigator in torturing a suspect, or what has been called interrogational torture, has been a topic of discussion in many civil society engagements around the globe.Item Victims Understanding Of Government through Actions and Communication: The Case of Garissa University College Terror Attack(International Journal of International Relations, Media and Mass Communication Studies, 2020-12) Aswani, Daniel Robert; Mbutu, Paul; Kinya, MwithiaThis study falls within the government communication field. In the study, we aim at exploring what citizens make of government from its actions and communication. The study was contextualized in the government actions and communication during the 2015 Garissa University College terror attack. Terrorism is violent communication aimed at discrediting the position that governments protect citizens’ lives and property. How government deals with the attackers and how it communicates to citizens who eagerly await government communication reveals something about the nature of government. Although government communicates to the citizens, studies have been silent on citizen feedback based on the messages and actions of the government. This study adopted a qualitative approach and took a hermeneutic phenomenological design where terror victims’ lived experiences were interrogated to elucidate some perceptions towards government and government communication. Three methods were used to generate data, namely: interviews, observation and document analysis. The study findings revealed that terror victims interacted with government — an interaction that revealed a government that send mixed signals on its capacity to handle the situation