School of Computing and Informatics
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Item THE IMPACT OF TEACHING PYTHON AS A FIRST PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE ON STUDENT LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT: CASE OF PEPONI HOUSE PREPARATORY SCHOOL(Gretsa University, 2025-11) HAMISI, JAMES ZACHARIAIn this study, we investigate the impact of using Python as a first programming language on learning and engagement. It explores the influence of the first programming Language on learning and interest. The study analyses the effect of teaching Python on students' mastery of fundamental programming concepts, as well as their motivation and resumes while learning. This study intends to investigate the impact of teaching strategies on students' learning. It consists of elements of content-specific engagement (e.g., interest, self-concept) and attributional scaling for differences in performance observed between students learning Python and those who opt for alternative languages as their beginner language. The study was conducted at Peponi House Preparatory School, with students from year 5 to year 12 selected using the Simple random sampling technique from a target population of 400 to form a representative sample of 200. Data analysis used descriptive statistics. From the data analysed, the results showed that Python students performed better academically and were more likely to continue in the program. These results imply that Python’s easy-to-understand syntax and ‘light’ (relatively to other programming languages) structure allow learners to understand, engage with, and remain interested in coding. The results of our study show that Python is well-suited as a first language and is motivating for the students, who express high satisfaction with their understanding of subject matter and long-term retention.Item ENHANCING STRATEGIES TO COMBAT PHISHING ATTACKS(Gretsa University, 2025-10) NJUGUNA, SAMUEL NJOROGEPhishing attacks have evolved from simple email scams to sophisticated multi-vector campaigns exploiting technological vulnerabilities and human psychology, with the digital transformation accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic expanding the attack surface as cybercriminals generated approximately one million phishing reports between November 2023 and January 2024. Contemporary threats include spear phishing, whaling, smishing, and vishing, enhanced by artificial intelligence that enables automated personalized content creation, with consequences extending beyond financial losses to include data breaches, regulatory violations, and reputational damage, pushing average annual incident costs 10% higher to $4.88 million. Despite machine learning models achieving up to 99.98% accuracy in controlled environments, current anti-phishing solutions face critical weaknesses in real world applications including performance degradation over time due to evolving attack techniques, lack of integration within broader security ecosystems, substantial computing requirements creating implementation barriers, and persistent human vulnerabilities, with analysis of 53 academic and 16 grey studies identifying 20 distinct challenges in phishing education and revealing that even well-trained individuals fall victim during stress or distraction. Current prevention approaches remain fragmented with limited consensus on optimal strategies for combining technological, educational, and organizational elements into cohesive frameworks, creating a significant research gap in comprehensive, integrated approaches for complex organizational environments. This research aims to critically evaluate the evolving phishing landscape and examine the combined effectiveness of technological measures, user education, organizational policies, and regulatory frameworks in mitigating threats, with specific objectives including identifying prevalent attack types and their evolution, assessing current technological solutions' effectiveness, gauging user education impact on vulnerability reduction, and evaluating organizational and regulatory influences on prevention. The study employs a mixed-methods approach combining systematic literature review, quantitative analysis of detection system performance metrics, and qualitative assessment of organizational implementation challenges, utilizing comparative effectiveness analysis, thematic analysis of implementation barriers, and framework synthesis methodology to develop an adaptive, integrated prevention framework addressing sophisticated threats while remaining practical for diverse organizational contexts.Item AN EVALUATION OF 5G WIRELESS NETWORK DEPLOYMENT IN TELECOMMUNICATION FIRMS: A CASE OF SAFARICOM(Gretsa University, 2025-10) KIRURI, EMMANUEL KINYANJUIModern technology has become an indispensable aspect of most enterprises globally. For the past few decades, telecommunication firms, fintech companies, and other industries have relied heavily on advanced technology. Fast internet speed is the need of the hour, and every major telecommunication company is pushing to make it even faster. To keep up with the constantly changing world, we require more and more technology. The fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology has arrived, with the primary aim of increasing capacity, higher data throughput, lower latency, and quality service. Many studies have been conducted on the adoption and implementation of 5G wireless technology in different industries. For instance, researchers have explored the factors that affect adopting 5G technology in healthcare, agriculture, and other sectors. Few studies have examined Kenyan telecom firms' 5G wireless adoption. Telecommunication businesses in Kenya have yet to fully implement 5G wireless technology, thus variables that may affect its adoption must be examined. To leverage 5G's benefits, you must understand its problems and opportunities. This study examines Kenyan telecommunication firms' wireless technology adoption variables to close this gap. This study examines individual traits, technological and organizational factors, and cybersecurity issues that may affect Kenyan telecommunication companies' 5G wireless network adoption. Telecommunications companies select middle- to senior-management employees using stratified sampling. Questionnaires, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis were used. The results showed that age, education, and experience favorably affect 5G wireless technology adoption. Perceived utility and ease of usage strongly influence 5G adoption. Top management support, culture, and training boost 5G adoption. Finally, cybersecurity worries hinder 5G adoption. Thus, Kenyan telecommunication companies should link developing technology with sufficient infrastructure to enable its adoption and educate and train their staff on the value of new technology to stay competitive in the dynamic and competitive market.Item A QUANTITATIVE STUDY ON ADOPTION OF EDGE COMPUTING FOR REAL-TIME DATA ANALYSIS IN INTERNET OF THINGS NETWORKS: A CASE OF KENYATTA NATIONAL HOSPITAL(Gretsa University, 2025-10) WANJIKU, ROSEMARY MIGWIThe increasing adoption of IoT technologies in healthcare led to the generation of large volumes of real-time data that required fast and efficient processing. Traditional cloud computing approaches often faced latency and bandwidth limitations, which made it difficult to support critical healthcare operations. This study analyzed the role of edge computing in enhancing real-time data analysis within IoT networks, focusing on Kenyatta National Hospital as the case study. A quantitative research design was employed, and data was collected through structured questionnaires and system performance records from ICT personnel, biomedical engineers, and healthcare practitioners. The study examined variables such as system response time, reliability, data security, and operational efficiency. To analyze data, descriptive and inferential statistics methods were used. The findings indicated that adoption of edge computing improved data processing speed, reduced latency, and enhanced network reliability in IoT-based healthcare systems. The study concluded that the integration of edge computing into hospital infrastructure strengthen real-time decision-making and patient care. It was recommended that healthcare institutions adopt edge computing technologies to complement existing cloud systems to improve service delivery.Item ASSESSMENT OF THE ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF AI ADOPTION ON PATIENTS IN NAIROBI WEST HOSPITAL, KENYA.(Gretsa University, 2025-10) KIMANI, IANThe adoption of Artificial Intelligence in medicine has largely transformed the sector. The integration of more advanced machines and algorithms has facilitated more accurate and early diagnosis of illnesses and also smoothened the treatment process. The adoption of AI has had some impacts on patients. This study addresses some of the issues such as patient privacy, and data security, and also discusses the potential and future of AI concerning issues like healthcare availability and equality in underprivileged areas. This research aims to engage patients to present the impacts of the application of AI within the healthcare system in Nairobi West Hospital in Kenya since they are the ones who are affected directly by the adoption of AI systems and make further recommendations for the ethical use of AI in the health sector. Some of the important objectives are to evaluate how the adoption of AI has affected patients in terms of patient privacy, data security, and healthcare equity and accessibility. Three hypotheses were formulated to support the study’s objectives, with each hypothesis tested through statistical analysis. The study employed a systematic random sampling method, drawing a sample of 110 patients who have interacted with AI systems in the hospital. A descriptive research design was used, and structured questionnaires were administered to ensure comprehensive and valid responses from all participants.Item A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF BCRYPT HASHING TECHNIQUE IN SECURING SENSITIVE INFORMATION IN BANKING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS(Gretsa University, 2025-10) NJOROGE, PETER CHEGEAs Kenya's banking industry expands rapidly, the security of confidential data has become a critical concern. This study provides a quantitative analysis of the role of the bcrypt hashing algorithm in securing sensitive information within banking management systems. A structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of 42 IT and security professionals at a leading bank, achieving an 84% response rate. Statistical analysis revealed that a strong majority of respondents (76.2%) agreed on bcrypt's significant positive impact on data security. Furthermore, the implementation of salting techniques demonstrated a very strong positive correlation with enhanced security outcomes, with an average Spearman’s correlation coefficient of 0.95. Regression analysis confirmed that robust system integration practices are a critical predictor of bcrypt's effectiveness. The study concludes that the adoption of the bcrypt algorithm, when reinforced with systematic salting and secure integration protocols, provides a statistically significant enhancement to the security of sensitive banking information. These findings offer empirically supported recommendations for policymakers and financial institutions seeking to develop more secure and resilient banking systemsItem THE IMPACT OF ADOPTION OF CHATGPT ON PROGRAMMERS DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF SOFTWARE SYSTEMS.CASE STUDY:MUVA TECHNOLOGIES LTD IN THIKA TOWN, KENYA(Gretsa University, 2025-10) OCHANDA, JOSEPHIn the few recent years that AI has been made accessible to the public, various AI tools have their adoption into various industries and made a great impact. One such tool is ChatGPT as it is one of the most easy to access and most commonly used AI tool online. Ever since it was first released to the public in November 30, 2022, it has been very useful as it has very many applications in many various fields such as programming. Its accuracy when it comes to writing and debugging code as well as its ability to understand many programming languages have made it impactful in the programming industry and it’s adoption is inevitable. However, its use in the industry raises some concerns on issues such as ; The reliability, consistency and quality of software being developed using AI and the possible replacement of Programmers by AI systems. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of the adoption of ChatGPT on the field of programming in order to analyze how ChatGPT has influenced the programming industry. A survey based approach was used for data collection and census sampling was employed questionnaires were employed as a research instrument to gather data from number of programmers. The research found that ChatGPT adoption had a generally positive impact on the competence of programmers in terms of development and deployment of systemsItem EXPLORING HOW YOUTHS IN KENYA ARE USING CHATBOTS IN THEIR DAILY LIFE ROUTINE ’S TO SOLVE UNEMPLOYMENT: A CASE OF CHAT-GPT(Gretsa University, 2025-11) GUCHU, WILSON WANJAThis This research investigates how Kenyan youth are applying ChatGPT—an advanced AI chatbot—to address unemployment and improve their financial wellbeing. The study begins by outlining the expanding role of artificial intelligence across various sectors and its potential to reduce youth joblessness in Kenya. It identifies key economic challenges such as high unemployment and limited access to job opportunities. The study’s objectives include assessing AI awareness among youth, evaluating ChatGPT’s impact on job readiness and entrepreneurship, and identifying barriers to its daily use. The central hypothesis posits that ChatGPT enhances job search efficiency and supports skill development. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with participants aged 18–35 from diverse backgrounds. Quantitative data were analyzed statistically, while qualitative responses were examined thematically. Results indicate that ChatGPT contributes positively to employment efforts, though its impact could be expanded through improved digital literacy and broader internet access. The study recommends targeted training programs and infrastructure investment to support wider AI adoption. Future research should explore long-term and comparative studies to better understand ChatGPT’s sustained influence on employment and skill-building among Kenyan youthItem ASSESSMENT OF THE SECURITY ISSUES ARISING FROM ADOPTION OF CLOUD COMPUTING: A CASE OF KENYA REVENUE AUTHORITY, THIKA BRANCH, KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA(Gretsa University, 2025-10) GATHONI, MERCY KINYUNYECloud computing is playing a major role in transforming Kenya’s public sector, helping institutions like the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) improve efficiency and deliver better services. But with this shift comes serious security concerns such as data breaches, insider threats, and challenges around regulatory compliance. This study explores these issues at KRA’s Thika branch, focusing on three key areas: how well the organization complies with industry security standards, how it handles insider threats, and how effective its employee training and awareness programs are. Using a descriptive research design, data was gathered from 97 respondents through structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS and regression models. The results showed strong positive links between all three factors and how cloud security risks are perceived—compliance (R² = 0.888), insider threats (R² = 0.920), and training awareness (R² = 0.912) all had a significant impact. Spearman’s correlation and Chi-Square tests backed up these findings, leading to the rejection of all null hypotheses. The study concludes that strong compliance practices, proactive strategies to manage internal threats, and continuous employee training and awareness are essential for secure cloud adoption. It recommends regular audits, automated monitoring tools, and collaboration across departments to help protect sensitive data and build a more resilient organization.Item CHALLENGES OF COMPUTERIZING AND SECURING COUNTY GOVERNMENTS RECORDS A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF KERICHO COUNTY(Gretsa University, 2025-10) KIPNGENO, RONYThis study examined the challenges faced by Kericho County in computerizing and securing its records. The research aimed to identify the specific obstacles, constraints, and complexities encountered during the transition from paper-based record-keeping systems to digital platforms within the county government context. The study adopted a qualitative research approach to gain in-depth insights into the challenges and provided recommendations for improvement. The study was guided by the following objectives: (1) to identify the specific challenges faced by Kericho County in the computerization of its records, (2) to explore the challenges related to the security of county governments’ records in the digital environment, (3) to investigate the impact of these challenges on county government operations and service delivery, and (4) to provide recommendations and insights for improving the computerization and security of records in county governments. The literature review revealed gaps in the existing literature, particularly in understanding the challenges specific to county governments and the security aspects of digital record management. The study addressed these gaps by conducting interviews and focus groups with relevant stakeholders in Kericho County. The data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify common themes and patterns related to the challenges faced by the county government. The findings of this study contributed to the existing body of knowledge on record management in county governments. It provided valuable insights into the practical difficulties, resource constraints, technological limitations, and organizational barriers encountered during the computerization process. Additionally, the study shed light on the security challenges, vulnerabilities, and potential cyber threats faced by county governments in the digital environment. By addressing the identified gaps and providing actionable recommendations, this study aimed to improve governance, service delivery, and data security in county governments. The findings were of value to policymakers, county officials, and other stakeholders involved in the computerization and secure management of records.