Theses and Dissertations
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Item Auditor characteristics and financial sustainability of county governments in Kenya(KCA University, 2025) Kiarie, Anthony N.Auditors play a central role in advancing financial sustainability within public sector institutions, particularly county governments. Their characteristics, including professional experience, independence, ethical orientation, and risk disposition, significantly shape the quality of financial reporting, accountability, and transparency, which are essential for sustainable fiscal management. This study investigated the effect of auditor characteristics on the financial sustainability of county governments in Kenya. Guided by legitimacy theory, stewardship theory, and inspired confidence theory, the research focused on four specific objectives: to assess the influence of auditors’ professional experience, independence, ethical orientation, and risk attitude on financial sustainability. A descriptive research design was employed, targeting all 47 counties in Kenya. A sample of 123 respondents was selected, and data were obtained through structured questionnaires utilizing a five-point Likert scale. Instrument reliability was verified through a pilot test, yielding a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.7. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS, applying both descriptive and inferential statistics, including multivariate regression and structural equation modeling. The findings established that auditors’ professional experience, independence, and ethical orientation exert a positive and statistically significant effect on financial sustainability, while auditors’ risk attitude demonstrated a negative but statistically insignificant effect. The study emphasizes the importance of strengthening auditors’ technical competencies, safeguarding their independence from political interference, and promoting high ethical standards as key strategies for enhancing accountability and fiscal discipline. It concludes that sustained investment in auditor capacity-building, coupled with institutional reforms to support professional autonomy and integrity, is vital for improving governance and ensuring long-term financial sustainability within devolved government units.Item Institutional governance and financial sustainability of water resources authority basin areas in Kenya(KCA University, 2025) Nyaoro, Rodgers O.Public sector’s financial sustainability is crucial for ensuring that government institutions can meet current and future obligations without jeopardizing their ability to provide essential public services. Notwithstanding the fundamental significance of financial sustainability, the Water Resources Authority basin areas highlight an ongoing deficiency in this regard. A primary challenge for WRA basin areas in Kenya financial sustainability is not limited to inconsistent funding. Although empirical literature consistently underscored institutional governance as one of the most critical strategies for driving financial sustainability, positioning it at the core of organizational success and long-term viability, most of these studies had contextual gaps, conceptual gaps and methodological gaps. This study sought to assess institutional governance as it related to financial sustainability in the institution. The specific objectives were to find out the effect of accountability, transparency, stakeholder participation, and decentralization on the financial sustainability of WRA basin areas in Kenya. The theories that anchored the study were the Institutional Theory, Stakeholder Theory, and the Priority Theory of Sustainable Finance. In the research, a descriptive research design was adopted, targeting the six Water Resources Authority basin areas in Kenya. The study used a census approach with a sample size of 160 respondents, from whom primary data was gathered through a carefully crafted questionnaire, administered using a drop-and-pick approach. Secondary data was collected using a research designed data collection tool. The questionnaire was tested for validity through content validity testing, and for reliability using Cronbach’s alpha. Quantitative data was analyzed to yield descriptive statistics. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling was used to construct and validate a conceptual model focused on assessing the financial sustainability of WRA basin areas in Kenya. The study concluded that each of; accountability (β=0.2377; p<0.01), transparency (β=0.2677; p= 0.004), stakeholder participation (β=0.1567; p=0.002) and decentralization ((β=0.5114, p<0.01), has significant and positive effect on financial sustainability of WRA basin areas in Kenya. The study recommends that WRA basin areas in Kenya should strengthen accountability and improve transparency mechanisms and communication so as to build greater stakeholder trust and clarity. They should improve stakeholder participation by fostering inclusiveness, trust, and better-informed decision-making. They should review internal governance and empower lower-level sub basins to make them more meaningfully so as to enhance operational flexibility.Item Influence Of Corporate Governance On Performance Of Commercial Banks In Kenya(Kca University, 2020) Gitau, Emmah W.Corporate governance comprises of policies, practices and rules that guide decisions and operations in an organization to ensure that the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders are served responsibly and effectively. Emerging issues in corporate governance continue to fuel new debate on its effect on firm performance. The general objective of this study was to establish the influence of corporate governance on performance of commercial banks in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to establish the effect of board competence, board accountability, compensation decision-making and risk management on the performance of commercial banks in Kenya. This study was anchored on agency theory, stewardship theory and performance theory. The study adopted descriptive research design and the target population was 40 commercial banks that were licensed by central bank of Kenya by December 2019. The study will used structured questionnaire to collect primary data. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis with the aid of statistical package for social sciences. The study established that board competence had a statistically and significant positive effect on performance of the commercial banks (β = 0.264, t = 2.308, p = 0.027). Board accountability did not have a significant effect on performance of commercial banks (β = -0.128, t = -1.105, p = 0.277) while compensation decision-making had a significant positive influence on performance of commercial banks in Kenya (β = 0.454, t = 4.778, p < 0.05). Besides, risk management had a statistically significant and positive effect on performance of commercial banks in Kenya (β = 0.404, t = 3.211, p = 0.003). Based on the conclusions from the study, the following recommendations are made. First, shareholders of commercial banks should ensure that the board members they elect to oversee running of the commercial banks are competent. The critical factors that these shareholders should consider when electing board members include professional and education qualifications, technical capabilities and experience in the banking industry. On board accountability, regulatory authorities such as NSE and CMA should ensure that boards of commercial banks adhere to honest, clear and open reporting on issues touching on the banks. The study recommends to shareholders to ensure that the elected board put in place effective compensation philosophy that is performance and risk based. Lastly, the study recommends to regulatory authorities to ensure that boards play oversight roles towards operational, market and financial risks that the commercial banks face.