Auriel Alubiri and Dr. Marion Nekesa

This study examined the moderating role of interest rates on the relationship between tax incentives and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in Kenya’s Athi River Export Processing Zone (EPZ). Using secondary data from 2014–2023 sourced from EPZA, the Central Bank of Kenya, and international databases, the study applied hierarchical multiple regression to test both direct and interaction effects. Diagnostic tests confirmed that assumptions of ordinary least squares regression were satisfied (Durbin–Watson = 1.83; VIF < 2.5; Breusch–Pagan p = .218). Descriptive statistics revealed that tax holidays averaged KES 2.13 billion annually, making them the most utilized incentive, while investment allowances averaged KES 832.6 million. Correlation analysis indicated that FDI inflows were positively associated with duty exemptions (r = .612, p < .01) but negatively correlated with tax holidays (r = –.482, p < .05) and interest rates (r = –.539, p < .05). Regression results confirmed that duty exemptions significantly increased FDI (B = 9.12m, p = .014), while tax holidays significantly reduced inflows (B = –19.92m, p = .018). Introducing interaction terms improved explanatory power markedly (ΔR² = .367), with interest rates significantly moderating the effects of both duty exemptions and tax holidays (p < .05). Findings underscore that fiscal incentives alone are insufficient to attract sustainable FDI; their effectiveness is conditional on supportive monetary policy and stable interest rates.

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Fatouma Youssouf Omar and Lu Daokun

This research investigates phonemic awareness and phonics instruction and their impacts on reading outcomes in early reading development in Ali-Sabieh. Using a quasi-experimental research design, the study tests the proposed intervention on a control and experiment group of Kindergarteners in Ali-Sabieh. The data collected enabled post-test scores to determine the effect of participating in phonics and/or phonemic awareness instruction in isolation and compare these average score gains with similar students not participating in any supplementary instruction (according to students with similar pre-test scores and similar baseline test scores). Data were collected from 3 schools and a total of 120 students, 40 from each school.  The teachers played the role of administering the tests and implementing the proposed intervention. The results suggest that through phonemic awareness and phonics instructions interventions, reading outcomes can significantly be improved in children whose first language is not English in Ali-Sabieh, Djibouti. This instructional strategy also showed the potential of guaranteeing early reading development success.

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Ambrose Simiyu

I explore the feasibility of printing money as an alternative to excessive taxation in Kenya, especially at a time when the tax burden is increasing and the political environment is destabilizing. I introduce the Money-Expenditure-Output Framework, grounded in Keynesian economics, Modern Monetary Theory, and the Quantity Theory of Money, where I attempt to demonstrate how controlled money printing can stimulate GDP growth, create jobs, and reduce unemployment without triggering excessive inflation. By investing printed monies into productive sectors like housing (the ongoing affordable housing project)  and infrastructure, the framework argues that Kenya can achieve sustainable economic expansion and social welfare improvement. However, I emphasize on the importance of proper fund allocation and governance to mitigate inflationary risks and corruption.

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Dennis Ngari Njue

Local and international cooperation has in the recent past gained significance to most of the organizations. Fostering strategic affiliations becomes fundamental for organizations aspiring to expand their interdependence with established organizations. Recently, forming strategic alliances has become a key objective for numerous firms and in general, these firms seem to lean towards such a direction and as a result, ought to be included in the current conversation where the corporate future is determined by such alliances. The research aimed to establish the strategic alliances and performance of commercial banks in Mombasa County, Kenya with the specific objectives determining the effects of marketing alliances, technological alliances and service innovation alliances on performance of the same. The theories underpinning the study by the Resource Dependence Theory, Agency and Dynamic Theories. Descriptive research was adopted targeting a population of 1170 employees working for the banks within Mombasa county, Kenya. The sample size was determined using Random sampling where a population sample of 93 employees were sampled. Questionnaires was used for data collection and analysis done by descriptive statistics, regression analysis and presented using graphs and tables. Conclusions were derived from the study that marketing, technological and service innovation alliances all impacted performance of commercial banks. Therefore, recommendations were meant to have banks adopt and enhance on the strategic alliances which would in turn improve the performance in terms of profitability, customer satisfaction and gain of market share. Further studies were recommended to be done for other counties and Kenya at large in the future.

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Vujičić Sladjana, Nikitović Zorana, Gavrilović Milan and Radović Marković Mirjana

Satisfying the needs of users is the basic task of every organization that strives for long-term and sustainable business. Research by many authors has shown that the level of quality of delivered services is directly related to the satisfaction of the users of those services. As with all services, the quality of tourist services requires good and careful planning. Tourism, as an economic activity, is very important, which is indicated by the fact that in the most economically developed countries in the world, an average of 65% of the total number of employees is employed in the tourism sector. This paper gives the results of empirical research aimed at measuring the quality of services in tourist facilities of the Zlatibor district using the SERVQUAL model.

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Fatouma Youssouf Omar and Lu Daokun

The aim of this study is to investigate the role that has been played by the teachers’ level of training, their perception of the CBA curriculum, and institutional preparedness in the successful implementation of CBA. The study carries out a survey on primary school teachers in Djibouti. The survey targeted primary school teachers in Dibouti aged above 22 years.  A sample of 300 teachers participated in this study. Through quantitative approaches, study establishes that the current level of teacher training in primary schools contributes to the effective implementation of the CBA approach in Djibouti. It was also established that perceptions of primary school teachers towards the CBA approach influence their willingness to implement it in Djibouti, and that institutional preparedness influences the accommodation and implementation of the CBA approach in Djibouti. The analysis has further demonstrated that teacher training accounts for 54.6% of the effective implementation of the CBA approach, while perceptions of primary school teachers towards the CBA approach accounts for 64.5%. Most importantly, institutional preparedness explains 49.5% of the effective implementation of the CBA approach. Djibouti has been in the process of implementing the competency-based curriculum to move away from the teacher-centered, exam-oriented approach, and this study sought to determine factors that affect successful implementation. This study is first of its kind in Djibouti.

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