In the recent past, cell phones have emerged to be among the leading outlawed contemporary contrabands in correctional facilities around the globe. Although official statistics on the number of contraband cell phones globally remains elusive, searches by prison officials project a worrisome trend. At Naivasha Maximum Prison, it is estimated that 30% of the inmates possess one cell phone. Existing studies are more inclined to how phones are smuggled, who smuggle them and their impact on rehabilitation of offenders. Limited studies have been carried out to examine the security threats posed by smuggling and use of cell phones into the prisons. One school of thought argues that cell phones are smuggled into prisons and used by inmates for a good course including communicating with their significant others and for leisure. The other school of thought argues that they are used to commit crimes and thus a source of insecurity to officers, inmates and the members of public. This paper is guided by three specific objectives; to examine security threats prison officers are prone to due to smuggling and use of cell phones at the prison; to examine security threats inmates are prone to due to smuggling and use of cell phones at the prison and finally to examine security threats members of public are prone to due to smuggling and use of cell phones at the prison. The study employed descriptive research design. The unit of analysis was an individual prison officer. A sample size of 182 respondents was drawn from a population of 507 junior prison officers using simple random sampling technique. Primary data was collected through questionnaires. The results of this study indicated that prison officers are prone to physical injuries (38.92%), ambushes during escorts (29.94%) and espionage (20.35%). Inmates were prone to physical attacks (46.78%), electronic fraud (26.28%) and exploitation (21.79%). Members of public were prone to electronic fraud (74.40%) and kidnappings (40.47%). This current study concluded that cell phones in prison facilities pose significant security threats to prison officers, inmates and the members of public. These security threats are therefore of national concern. This study will add to existing body of knowledge on prisons and address policy gaps that exists in controlling cell phones in prison facilities.

The paper examined barriers of criminal information sharing between law enforcement agencies and their effect in crimes management in Nairobi County, Kenya, using data from an MA Thesis. This study was guided by four objectives; to examine the types of criminal information that is shared among law enforcement agencies; to assess the individual, organizational and technological barriers that hinders sharing of criminal information among law enforcement agencies in Nairobi County, Kenya. This study was guided by Social Exchange Theory as propounded by Homans in (1958). This study adopted a qualitative study design and non-probabilistic sample design paradigms. The main method of data collection was the interview. Interview schedule and key informants guide were used to collect data. A sample comprised of 47 law enforcement officers purposively selected from Directorate of criminal Investigation (DCI) Operation wing and the Kenya Police Service Headquarters operation wing. In addition, 10 Key informants were also purposively selected and interviewed to inform the study. Both individual barriers, organizational and technological barriers affected criminal information sharing among law enforcement agencies. Major individual barrier was competition for credit between the agencies in achieving positive outcomes which was perceived to have a backlash on security operations. Other individual barriers included the deeply entrenched culture of secrecy and the need-to-know rather than the need to share policy. Major organizational barriers include Mistrust of other organizations (89.1%), Organizational culture such as culture of secrecy (83.2%). Major technological barriers included both intra and inter-information technological gaps exacerbated by wanting levels of information technology skills. The barriers were perceived to cause 'linkage blindness,' where the information available in one agency is not available with other law enforcement agencies affecting remarkable achievement of outcomes. As a policy measure, the study recommended speedy removal of criminal information barriers at all levels and fast mitigation on both intra and inter-organizational information technological skill gaps. The deeply entrenched culture of secrecy and the need-to-know rather than the need to share information policy should further be re-visited and dealt with. Finally, there is an urgent need for National-wide Criminal Information Management System with certain rights for all law enforcement agencies. The use of a database will reduce the technological barrier since criminal information will be made accessible to all the agencies

Strain at work in any profession negatively affects the people working and overall performance of employees. This in turn has a negative impact on production or quality of services being offered. This applies to police officers especially those working in major towns in Kenya where crime rate is too high and cost of living is unimaginably high. According to GOK crime report of 2014, Murang'a town being one of the Kenyan major towns has been rated as having highest crime levels culminated by illegal groupings like Mungiki and Gaza boys. Among the major crimes recorded in Murang'a include violent robberies, theft of motor vehicles, house breakings and burglary, kidnapping, bank robberies, homicides and gender violence among others. Reasons behind high crime rate in Murang'a town have not been clearly established so far. Many scholars have tried to establish causes of crime in Murang'a town and among the listed causes include poverty levels, population growth and proximity to Kenyan capital Nairobi among others but none has considered effects of occupational strain among police officers in the course of performance of their duties. Occupational strain among police officers could be having adverse effects on performance by police officers and in turn negatively affect services they render to the public and this may lead to high crime rate and general insecurity. Failure to address causes of occupational strain among police undermines effort to curb insecurity in our major towns in Kenya. Strained officers are poorly motivated and generally demoralized hence poor service delivery. The focus of this paper, therefore, is to build greater understanding of the causes of occupational strain among police officers in Murang'a town, effects of such strain to general security of Murang'a town and possible measures that can be undertaken to address the problem of occupational strain among police officers working in Murang'a town. The paper briefly presents findings of research conducted in Murang'a town over the same topic and recommendations thereto, in order to address the problem of occupational strain among police officers and improve their welfare and wellbeing. All this is aimed at motivating them to provide good services and to make them more effective which in turn will improve security of Murang'a town.

This paper examined the implications of gender stereotypes on community development initiatives in Dadaab region of Garissa County in Kenya using data collected for an MA Thesis. The paper has been motivated by increased perceptions that gender stereotyping has continued to bar development especially in developing countries such as Kenya. The Specific objectives of this study were; to examine how socially-constructed gender norms influence community development in Dadaab Sub County, to explore how religious beliefs on gender influence community development, and to assess the influence of cultural beliefs on gender in community development in Dadaab Sub County. The study adopted correlational design which engaged 293 men and women respondents selected through Convenience sampling. Social role and gender schema theories were used to explain behavior of men and women based on societal expectations and the process of gender construction and maintenance through cognitive organization and interpretation. Data was collected using focus groups and interview schedule. The study found out that men and women had divided roles where responsibilities for men in the families included; protecting the families from danger, decision making, fending for the family as a bread winner, transportation of animals from one place to another, disciplining the children, fencing, digging wells and boreholes and ensuring the woman does not struggle to work in order to feed a family. Additional findings show that the community in Dadaab believes that gender equality is demeaning to men by affecting their roles in the family. The inequality has also deprived women of opportunity for employment hence, reduces the household income in the long run. The study found out that the cultural belief in the Somali community in Dadaab adopts a patriarchal framework, where the man is expected to be the breadwinner and head of the household with an obligation of providing the family with steady and reliable income. The study recommends deconstruction of the patriarchal nature of the Somali community that downplays the role of women in society by way of policy to manage stereotyping of women and advocate for gender equality and social inclusion and participation of both for sustainable development.