Latest News & Announcements

The increasing need to sustainably manage Frankincense trees in Somaliland led to a collaborative research between World vision Somalia, the University of Nairobi and IGAD Sheikh Technical Veterinary School (ISTVS). This partnership seeks to develop and implement propagation of frankincense through tissue culture technology. The initial plan started with the process being curried out at the University of Nairobi tissue culture laboratory in the initial phase.

The University of Nairobi Council in the company of College Principal Professor Rose Nyikal, Ag. Dean of Student Professor John Mburu and Chairman Department of LARMAT Professor Kirochi visited the Kibwezi Irrigation Project(KIP) on 21st of November 2019 and Witnessed Horticultural Crops and Cassava being produced for local markets in Emali and Kiboko Makueni county. The council emphasized  the need for expanding production and proper maintainance of equipments in the project.

 Members  of staff from Microsoft Kenya Office  paid a courtesy call to the Dean Faculty of Agriculture.

They held lengthy discussion  on how the organization can sponsor some students and staff to enhance skills on how to embrace use of digital technology in agriculture.

The MSc Applied Human Nutrition year one have a unit called Community Nutrition Problem Diagnosis, each year they go for a field trip to different parts of the country.This year's outreach was in Kibwezi, Makueni County, precisely Kikumbulyu location from 16-20th September 2019.The group visited 3 out of seven sub locations; Kathyaka, Ndetani and Ngandani.  They did a household assessment survey on nutritional status of under five year old children, food safety, food security and feeding practices of children.

Three members of staff from the Dept of LARMAT, the University of Nairobi on 9th September 2019 participated in INMS FGD meeting. It was held at ICIPE Duduville Campus - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) conference room. These were Dr S.M.Murethi, Mr Joseph Ndutu and Mr Stephen K Tirop. Aim of the meeting was to strategize “towards the establishment of international nitrogen management”

Ecosystems exist as complex socio-ecological systems. There is constant intervention by society through management, resource use and pollution. Due to this, ecosystem management and conservation is key to Biodiversity conservation.

As the world’s most important group of pollinators, bees are a crucial part of agricultural production and natural ecosystem function. They contribute immensely to food security through pollination services; provide mankind with hive products of many economic benefits.

The Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection successfully hosted the Melia Project workshop.  The workshop is one of the programmes under the VLIR Team initiative “Synergy for mass propagation of elite Melia volkensii clones and exploiting its derived bio-pesticides”.

Gender research and training is vital because sex, love, care, and reproduction are basic dimensions in life, and yet, the meaning of gender is contested.

Owing to that, lecturers from the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences (CAVS) conducted gender analysis trainng to the postgraduate students and some of their supervisors.

Students from the Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology had the opportunity to conduct extensive practical experiments in Toxicity studies on Paragon Insecticidal spray formulation.

Toxicity studies in the animal models are done to determine the dose level recommended for the treatment of disease. Toxicity testing is paramount in the screening of newly developed drugs before it can be used on animals.

Pastoralists rely on livestock for their livelihood and pastoralist communities are widespread in the arid- and semiarid regions of Africa. In fact, 70 % of East Africa’s livestock population resides in Kenya. The harsh conditions of the drylands with severe droughts, erratic rainfall and land degradation make it difficult to sustain on conventional agriculture or other activities. As a consequence, food security in the drylands record the lowest indices compared to other areas in Eastern Africa.