Abstract:
The recent food shortage in Kenya has been associated with harsh environment
and changing climatic patterns. According to Titus Masika (2016), the problem
could be deeper than just climate change and environmental harshness and may
also be abehaviour issue. Masika asserts that many people lack the wisdom to use
the limited available resources, the necessary work ethic to entrench conservation
and the personal integrity to refrain from unsustainable entrepreneurship. Thus,
although all education reforms since 1976 emphasized the need for education to
inculcate good morals among the learners, many teachers do not take up the role
of mentorship and behaviour seriously. Thus education has been the weak link
in matters of management, and is conspicuously absent or silent in
promptingbehaviour change. This explorative study sought to investigate the
roles played by education institutions in Kirinyaga County to inculcate good
morals and behaviour change, related to environmental management, together
with motivations for the noted roles played, whether positive, neutral, or
negative. This was both an explorative and descriptive study, employing both
qualitative and quantitate methods. Data was collected using questionnaires,
interview schedules, and observation guides. Leading and key participants were
accessed using snow ball technique. Data was analysed and findings presented
using narration, graphs, and charts. Results showed that education institutions in
Kirinyaga County have not considered environmental management as one of
their mandates. It is recommended that environmental management behaviour
be adopted by the ministry of education as one of the key emerging issue to be
included in the curriculum at primary, secondary, through tertiary and
University education.
