http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/6403 2026-04-05T23:40:51Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/19046 EFFECT OF HEALTHCARE SERVICE QUALITY ON PATIENT SATISFACTION IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN KENYA: A CASE OF NAROK COUNTY REFERRAL HOSPITAL JANE ONCHWARI Despite the provision of high-quality healthcare services is crucial for ensuring patient satisfaction, public hospitals in Kenya continue to experience substantial discrepancies between patient expectations and the care they actually receive. Public healthcare delivery is guided by numerous policies and regulations aimed at enhancing service quality, safeguarding patients, and improving overall health outcomes. However, despite the existence of these frameworks, public hospitals frequently face challenges such as limited resources, insufficient staff training, and inadequate technological integration, which hinder consistent adherence to healthcare standards. These factors negatively impact the delivery of sustainable, patient-centered care, yet there remains a paucity of research examining how these issues affect service quality and patient satisfaction. Against this backdrop, the present study aimed to assess the effects of healthcare service quality on patient satisfaction. Specifically, the study examined the influence of tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy on patient satisfaction. The research was grounded in the Resource-Based View, Theory of Constraints, and Customer Service Theory. A descriptive research design was employed, and data were collected using structured questionnaires. A pilot study with 25 respondents at Longisa County Referral Hospital was conducted to ensure the validity and reliability of the instruments. Data analysis was performed using Ordinal Logistic Regression, incorporating both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicated that all five service quality dimensions were statistically significant predictors of patient satisfaction, with responsiveness demonstrating the strongest positive relationship. Overall, the study provided robust evidence that all dimensions of service quality positively and significantly influence patient satisfaction in public hospitals, with particular reference to Narok County Referral Hospital. Based on these results, the study recommends enhancing several aspects of service quality to improve patient satisfaction, including modern equipment, staff appearance and competencies, effective communication, comfortable facilities, empathetic engagement, 24/7 service availability, and efficient queue management. Additionally, the study suggests that future research should explore each service quality dimension in greater depth, potentially using alternative metrics and measurement indicators to build on the current finding. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/18868 EFFECT OFDIGITALFINANCIALSERVICESONFINANCIAL INCLUSIONOFWOMENOWNEDENTERPRISESINNAROKCOUNTY, KENYA KATHINIKITAVI Digital financial services (DFS) have rapidly transformed financial landscapes worldwide, yet their role in advancing financial inclusion for women owned enterprises remains insufficiently explored. In regions such as Narok County, where women face unique economic challenges, understanding how DFS can empower marginalized entrepreneurs is critical for sustainable growth and social equity. This study investigated the effects of DFS on enhancing financial inclusion among women owned enterprises by evaluating the effects of digital payments, digital lending, digital savings, and digital insurance. The study was anchored on the Technology Acceptance Model. The research employed a cross sectional research design targeting 482 women owned enterprises in Narok County, Kenya. Stratified sampling was first used to group similar enterprises then simple random sampling was used to select a sample of 214 respondents. Data was collected via structured questionnaires, analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Reliability was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha, and the regression model was validated using a series of diagnostic tests. Data was analyzed with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26, where both descriptive and inferential statistics were computed to assess the relationship between the variables. Results showed that digital payment, digital lending, digital savings, and digital insurance affected the financial inclusion of women owned enterprises in Narok County to a great extent. The findings revealed that all four DFS components significantly affected financial inclusion. Digital payments (β = 0.354) and digital savings (β = 0.447) had the strongest positive effects, while digital lending (β =-0.152) showed a significant but negative relationship. Digital insurance (β = 0.311) also demonstrated a positive impact on inclusion. These results emphasize the importance of aligning DFS solutions with the needs of women entrepreneurs to improve access, affordability, and trust. The study concludes that all four variables had a significant effect on the financial inclusion of women owned enterprises. It recommends that policymakers and financial service providers strengthen digital savings platforms, reform digital lending systems to be more inclusive, and enhance awareness of digital insurance to promote financial empowerment and growth among women entrepreneurs in Narok County. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/18866 AN ANALYSIS OF FACTORS AFFECTING SUGARCANE PRODUCTIVITY IN URIRI SUB-COUNTY OF MIGORI COUNTY, KENYA NYAKITO EDWARD ALOLO The purpose of the study was to analyze the factors affecting sugarcane productivity in Uriri Sub-County of Migori County. The study seeks to investigate how quantities of fertilizer applied, labor input spent, and farmers’ education level and access to credit affect sugarcane productivity. The study used Cobb-Douglas production theory and a cross-sectional research design. The study used a multistage sampling technique to select 297 respondents and employed semi-structured questionnaires to gather primary data. The study adopted both descriptive and inferential statistics to examine the relationship between sugarcane productivity and the quantities of fertilizer applied, labor input spent, and the farmers’ education level & access to credit. The findings of the study revealed a strong direct relationship between the quantity of fertilizer applied at different stages and sugarcane productivity. Labor input at different stages of sugarcane production had varying effects on productivity; it enhanced productivity during planting, weeding, and harvesting, while excessive labor during fertilizer application reduced productivity. In addition, access to credit significantly enhanced sugarcane productivity, while education levels showed no significant impact. To enhance the productivity of sugarcane in the country, the study recommends ensuring farmers’ consistent access to affordable and quality fertilizers, coupled with guidance on proper application rates to maximize returns. Efficient labor management practices should be promoted during planting, weeding, and harvesting, while discouraging excessive labor during fertilizer application. Expanding access to farmer friendly credit schemes and strengthening practical agricultural training through agricultural extension programs, farmer field schools, and demonstration plots involves collaboration among county agricultural officers, research institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. This would equip farmers with the skills and resources necessary to adopt productivity-enhancing practices. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/18865 EFFECT OF TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES ON RETIREMENT PREPAREDNESS: A CASE OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ IN NAROK COUNTY, KENYA FAITH POTISHOI MAKALLAH Public primary school teachers’ in Narok County, Kenya, face severe financial unpreparedness for retirement due to entrenched economic, behavioral, and institutional barriers that are particularly acute in this marginalized, largely rural and pastoralist region. The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of teachers’, attitude on retirement preparedness in public primary school teachers’ in Narok county. The study focused on four variables: teachers’ materialism attitude; teachers’ attitudes towards the future; teachers’ attitudes towards planning teachers’ saving attitude. The study was guided by behavioural and economic theory of planned behaviour. The research methodology comprised of an explanatory research design, a target population of 375 public primary school teachers’ and a sample of 148 teachers. The study adopted a simple random sampling technique and questionnaires for data collection. The study analysed research data using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Attitude towards Materialism revealed a significant positive effect on retirement preparedness (β=.122, p=.026); Attitude towards the Future showed a significant positive contribution to retirement preparedness (β=.148, p=.016); Attitude to planning showed a positive influence on retirement preparedness (β=.128, p=.020) and saving attitude was confirmed as the most influential predictor of retirement preparedness (β=.354, p<.001). Findings provide teachers with insights into how their mind-set toward savings, investment, and pension reliance can affect their future financial security. Lastly, findings offer a psychological and sociological perspective that can inspire further research on how personal beliefs shape financial decision-making. The study findings provide valuable insights into how attitudes affect retirement outcomes and highlight the need for targeted interventions. The study provides new insights by demonstrating that teachers’ retirement preparedness in Narok County is driven more by behavioural attitudes than by demographic or economic factors alone. It reveals that saving attitude, previously underexamined in rural contexts, is the most powerful predictor of retirement readiness, highlighting a critical behavioural gap. The findings also introduce fresh knowledge by showing that future orientation, planning behaviour, and materialism attitudes significantly shape long-term financial decisions among teachers. These results extend behavioural economic theories by confirming that psychological factors are central to retirement outcomes in marginalized and pastoralist regions. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z