Daystar University Repository

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Conference/ Workshop/ Seminar/ Proceedings/ Lecture Series
A collection of conference, workshop, seminar, proceedings, and lecture series showcasing diverse topics and cutting-edge research from faculty and staff of Daystar University.
Daystar Archives
An archival collection chronicling the institutional history, academic achievements, and diverse heritage of Daystar University.
Daystar University Publications
A collection of Publications by faculty and staff showcasing research, academic achievements, and institutional insights of Daystar University.
Lectures and Speeches
A collection of Lectures and Speeches from distinguished speakers across various disciplines of Daystar University.
Policies
A collection Policies and Operational Manuals from different departments of Daystar University.

Recent Submissions

The Infrastructural Supply and Demand of the 26333 System of Education: A Cursory Look on the “Junior” and “Senior” Secondary School in Keiyo South
(World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2023) Wainaina, Isabellah; Nassiuma, David Maboko
The junior and senior secondary schools represent one important facet in the 26333 curriculum. They will expose the learner to a broad based curriculum to enable them to explore their own abilities, personality and potential as a basis for choosing subjects according to career paths of interest. Of key interest in this paper is the core subject; Sports and Physical Education and optional subjects; Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Home Science, Computer Science and Foreign Languages in which learners are provided with an opportunity to choose according to abilities, interests and career choices. Hitherto the new curriculum, various challenges pose a profound threat to the 26333 education system. Key among them is the infrastructure of schools that is not well established in the secondary schools that will be essential in identification of talent among learners through the subjects mentioned. This implies that some students will miss out on their career progression due to low quality services unless necessary interventions are made. This paper therefore set out to examine whether the school infrastructural system supports development of students varied abilities and to make recommendations on appropriate ways of developing various students’ abilities. Survey research design was used. The stratified and proportionate sampling was used to select 14 schools. Respondents included 14 head teachers. Interview schedules, library methods and observation schedules were used to get information. The findings established that the schools had inadequate infrastructure. It is recommended that, school administration should strive to partner with different stakeholders to develop infrastructure to enhance students’ participation.
The role of Vernacular Radio Journalists in Demystifying Climate Change Concepts to Targeted Communities in Central Kenya
(School of Communication, 2025) Mwangi, Rose
The role of vernacular radio journalists in demystifying climate change concepts to targeted communities in Central Kenya Abstract Many local communities who speak vernacular languages are often marginalized from prevailing climate change dialogues, despite their daily interactions with the land and other natural resources. Vernacular journalists play a crucial role in agenda setting by translating information into local languages understood by their communities, thereby emancipating them from previous marginalization. Climate change, a global concept, is being communicated by vernacular journalists to their targeted audiences. Often perceived as intangible, complex, and opaque, climate change information can lead to feelings of hopelessness and fatigue, causing many to avoid or distance themselves from it. To make climate journalism more relatable, it needs to connect with the daily experiences of its audiences, which require reporting of local issues, showing their relationship to national and global aspects of climate change. The Media Council of Kenya has trained journalists on covering climate change, but it remains unclear how vernacular journalists are making this concept relevant and comprehensible to their audiences while maintaining focus on the broader scales of the problem. This paper aims to investigate how vernacular radio demystifies climate change. The study will employ a descriptive design, interviewing selected journalists from Kikuyu radio stations. Results will demonstrate how journalists frame climate change to make it relevant to their audiences, particularly in ways that reflect the local communities lived experiences and socio-cultural lives. Findings will enhance the promotion of climate change awareness among local communities and assist the Media Council in evaluating the outcomes of their training
Talking to Trees: A Discourse Analysis of Media Reports on Indigenous Practices Among the Ogiek and Kuria of Kenya to Mitigate Climate Change
(School of Communication, 2025) Radoli, Lydia Ouma
They talk to trees and give them ancestral names, revering them as sacred treasures that sustain their generations and are intertwined in their cultural practices. The Ogiek and Kuria are among Kenya’s cultural communities that have sustained their indigenous practices to mitigate climate change. Although these practices are recognized as significant sources of local knowledge and as an alternative community climate change mitigation, they are slowly diminishing or overtaken by privileged discourses. This paper investigates the place of indigenous environmental practices, their articulation and ranking within media discourses on climate change. The objective is to unravel the framing of indigenous knowledge systems, their legitimization or suppression in climate reportage. The paper uses a discourse analysis of textual sources, such as grey literature, media depictions, and community narratives. The findings expose variant levels of indigenous ecological knowledge as well as challenges in integrating the practices into media discourses on climate change. Narrative patterns suggest an inclusion and exclusion of certain voices thus suggesting epistemological conflicts, hegemonic relations, and dominance in environmental governance. This study emphasizes the significance of indigenous practices as key to climate change. It highlights the need for the media to articulate indigenous voices in climate change policy framework.
Presidential Crisis Communication on Climate Change: A Comparative Study of Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto
(School of Communication, 2025) Onyinge, Tabitha; Metet, Chepkorir Olive
In Kenya, where rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and catastrophic occurrences like droughts and floods endanger food security and economic stability, climate change poses a serious leadership challenge. Using qualitative research design, this study analyses the content of four speeches given by Kenya's two most recent presidents, William Ruto (2022 to present) and Uhuru Kenyatta (2013 to 2022). Two of the speeches were delivered at local functions and two at international climate change forums. The study looks at the public messaging, international diplomacy, policy actions, and popular reception of the two presidents in their efforts to combat climate change. The study is anchored in a multi- disciplinary theoretical framework which includes Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), Speech Act Theory and Postcolonial Theory. SCCT steers the evaluation of how the executives’ communication strategies handled reputational risks and crisis narratives associated with climate change. Speech Act Theory guides the analysis of the performative language employed in the speeches of the two presidents, evaluating the statements in terms of promises, cautions or instructions / directives. From its critical foundations, Postcolonial Theory offers a critical viewpoint on how historical inequalities and global power imbalances influence Kenya's climate change rhetoric. Postcolonial Theory provides a critical lens through which the influence of historical injustices, global power dynamics, and the positioning of Kenya and Africa within international climate discourse is interrogated. The study findings will advance knowledge on how national leaders in the global south can use governance and communication as a tool to address climate change problems.
Framing Climate-Smart Agriculture in Digital Media: A Content Analysis of Kenyan Web Platforms and WhatsApp Groups
(School of Communication, 2025) Kowour, Rosemary Nyaole
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is central to enhancing food security, increasing resilience to climate variability, and promoting sustainable farming in Kenya. While traditional media have long played a role in agricultural communication, digital platforms-particularly websites and WhatsApp groups - are increasingly shaping how farmers, extension officers, and the public engage with CSA knowledge. This study examines how CSA is framed and disseminated through selected Kenyan web platforms and WhatsApp groups used for agricultural communication. Employing content analysis, the research reviews a sample of digital content published between 2022 and 2024 from popular web-based platforms: Farmers’ Trend and Shamba Shape Up Online. Additionally, purposively selected WhatsApp groups comprising smallholder farmers, agro-entrepreneurs, and extension officers are analyzed to identify recurring themes, framing patterns, source attribution, and the types of CSA practices promoted (e.g., organic inputs, irrigation technique, climate-resilient crops).The study explores how digital content incorporates indigenous knowledge, gender perspectives, and localized adaptation practices, and whether it encourages dialogue or behavior change. Preliminary analysis indicates that while web platforms offer structured and evidence-based CSA content, WhatsApp groups serve as dynamic spaces for peer-to- peer learning, real-time problem-solving, and local innovation exchange - though they also present risks of misinformation.This research highlights the evolving role of digital media in Kenya’s agricultural communication ecosystem and offers recommendations for strengthening the quality, reach, and inclusivity of CSA messaging. It also calls for strategic media-literacy interventions and collaborative frameworks that link digital media practitioners, agricultural experts, and rural communities.