Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of records management practices on
service delivery at Egerton and Kabarak Universities in Nakuru County, Kenya. The study
sought to determine the nature of records available in support of records management
practices on service delivery; to investigate if record management policies adhered to in the
universities; to examine the challenges facing record management practices and to investigate
the benefits of records management practices on service delivery. The study adopted a
descriptive research design. The total population of the study was 26,620. The study adopted
formula by Kothari (2004) of the margin of error to determine an appropriate sample for
student respondents, which resulted in 150. Kothari (2004) rule of 30% of the population was
also used to determine the sample size for employees, thus the sample population of
employees was 100. Total sample size for the study was 250 respondents (the 150 students
and 100 employees). The study was guided by the Records Life cycle, the Records
Continuum Model (RCM) and Records Management theories. A Questionnaire was used as
data collection too for the study. Collected data were cleaned, coded and entered into the
computer package Statistical Packege for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 for analyses.
The findings were presented using tables and figures in terms of frequencies and
percentages.. The study established that, both universities had over the years generated and
managed different types of records such as admission information and learning materials like
books and journal papers. The study noted that the universities had record management
policies which affected service delivery and records inventory system in place. Records
management challenges included inadequate financing, inadequate records management
equipment and materials, inadequate manpower, poor infrastructure and no sustainable
preservation techniques. The study concluded that, record management practices affected
service delivery due to the nature of records generated and challenges experienced in their
management. The study suggests that the universities should embrace automated systems.
Universities should design and implement effective record management policies, provide
adequate funding and favourable operating environment for staff. The employees should
continually be trained on relevant records management practices.
