Theses and Dissertations
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Item Financial management practices and financial performance of technical and vocational education and training institutions in Kenya(KCA University, 2025) Joseph, Patrick M.This study examined the relationship between financial management practices and the financial performance of technical and vocational education and training institutions in Kenya. The TVET sector plays a key role in equipping learners with the technical, vocational, and entrepreneurial skills necessary to support Kenya’s socio-economic transformation and the realization of Vision 2030. Despite increased government funding, many public TVET institutions continue to face significant financial and sustainability challenges due to weak fiscal oversight and resource mismanagement. This study aimed at examining the influence of financial planning, budgeting, internal controls, financial reporting and evaluated the moderating role of governance on the financial performance of these institutions. A descriptive, mixed-method research design was used to collect data from principals and finance officers across the 42 sampled public TVET institutions. Descriptive and regression analyses showed that financial reporting had the strongest positive effect on financial performance, followed by internal controls, financial planning, and budgeting. The results also indicated that effective governance significantly enhanced the relationship between these financial practices and overall institutional performance. The study concluded that effective financial management practices while reinforced by good governance practices are essential for accountability, transparency, and sustainability in TVET institutions. The study recommends continuous capacity building for principals and finance officers, participatory budgeting and automation of financial systems to strengthen institutional performance. These measures are critical to strengthening institutional performance and ensuring that public resources are utilized efficiently to meet the nation's human capital development goals.Item Digital finance, financial management, and performance of small and medium-sized enterprises in Nairobi county, Kenya(KCA University, 2025) Onchangwa, Angeline M.Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) contribute approximately 40 percent of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employ over 80 percent of the workforce. Despite their crucial role, many SMEs continue to face limited access to finance, weak financial management, and inconsistent tax compliance. This study examined the effect of digital finance on the financial performance of SMEs in Nairobi County, Kenya, with financial management practices assessed as a mediating variable. The study focused on four dimensions of digital finance: digital payment systems, digital lending services, digital financial record-keeping, and digital taxation and compliance, and their impact on profitability, liquidity, growth, and operational efficiency. A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted, targeting 400 SMEs across various sectors, from which 371 valid responses were analysed using SPSS Version 29. Descriptive and inferential analyses, including correlation and multiple regression, were employed to determine both direct and mediated effects. The findings indicated that digital payment systems had a strong positive correlation with financial performance (r = 0.712, p < 0.001), while digital lending (r = 0.648, p < 0.01), digital record-keeping (r = 0.681, p < 0.01), and digital taxation (r = 0.623, p < 0.01) also showed significant relationships. Regression results revealed that digital finance collectively explained 63.4% of the variance in financial performance (R² = 0.634, F (4,366) = 74.82, p < 0.001). SMEs adopting integrated digital systems recorded a 22% reduction in transaction costs, a 17% increase in sales turnover, and a 20% improvement in decision-making efficiency. Financial management practices significantly mediated this relationship (β = 0.287, p < 0.01), amplifying the benefits of digital adoption. The study concludes that the integration of digital financial technologies with effective financial management practices enhances SME profitability, liquidity, and sustainability. It recommends strengthening digital literacy, promoting affordable fintech access, and reinforcing supportive policy frameworks to accelerate Kenya’s transition to a technology-driven SME economy.Item Determinants Of Effectiveness Of Public Sector Audit In Kenya(KCA University, 2023) Kanini, Joyce M.The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of effectiveness of public sector audit (PSA) in Kenya with a key focus on the national government and its entities. The dependent variable of the study was the effectiveness of public sector audits (EPSA). Four independent variables were identified including institutional corporate governance (ICG), professional and technical competence (PC), resources availability (R), and internal control process (ICP). The research used a descriptive research design and adopted a content analysis methodology to analyze secondary data obtained from annual audit reports of the Office of the Auditor General (OAG). The study used one-year cross-sectional data for the financial year 2021/2022. The population of the study comprised of 109 financial statements of the national government and 326 accounts of MDAs, donor funds, revenue statements, and other three funds of the national government. The sampling technique used was 15% of the population which amounted to a review of 43 statements. The non-disclosures or disclosures for the variables and their indicators were coded as a "0" or "1" based on the specificity of the detail. The disclosed details were recorded in a coding sheet. STATA version 16 software was used to analyze the significance of the determinants of EPSA. The study findings showed that all independent variables had positive coefficients and were statistically significant to EPSA. Professional and technical competence was found to have the highest coefficient (PC), followed by institutional corporate governance (ICG), Internal control process (ICP), and Resource availability (R) which had a negative correlation. The major findings of the regression were that ICP can be improved by ensuring sufficient training of the staff, to further improve competence levels and help employees identify system weaknesses. Further research can be conducted by adding a fifth variable of independence of the OAG which was found by other researchers to be influenced by political matters. The research adopted qualitative methodology: further research can be conducted using similar variables but use primary data.