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The National Research Fund facilitates research for the advancement of Science, Technology and Innovation. One of our core functions is to compile and maintain a national database of research and innovation projects funded by the Fund and other agencies as per the STI Act of 2013.
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Recent Submissions
Effects of Land Use on the Riparian Vegetation along the Njoro and Kamweti Rivers, Kenya
(Scientific Research Publishing, 2021-11-15) Judith C. Koskey, Charles M. M’Erimba, George M. Ogendi,
Riparian zones are valuable ecosystems. They act as the ecological engineers
that improve river health by delivering a range of ecosystem functions. They
play a significant role in river health and provide various ecosystem goods
and services for human well-being. Currently, riparian areas are under threat
due to intensive human activities such as agriculture and urbanization, which
alter riparian ecosystem structure and composition. The main objective of
this study was to determine the effect of adjacent land use on the structure
and diversity of the riparian vegetation in the Njoro and Kamweti Rivers.
Along each river, three sampling sites were selected within the major land use
categories which were; forest, agricultural and built-up areas. At each site,
three 70 m long transects were established perpendicular to the river. The
three plots were systematically established, separated by a 5 m distance along
each transect. Forest canopy cover was estimated in percentage. Njoro River
riparian vegetation recorded a total of 145 plant species from 40 families
where trees and shrubs were dominant in the forest area, and herbs domi
nated the agricultural and built-up areas. In Kamweti River riparian area, a
total of 110 species from 45 families were encountered, in which trees domi
nated the forest area. A similar trend to the Njoro River was observed, in
which herbs were dominant in the agricultural and built-up areas. In Njoro
River, the Shannon diversity (H’) values ranged between 2.73 and 3.08 whe
reas Kamweti River riparian area values ranged from 2.59 to 3.40. At the level
of P ≤ 0.05, T-Test revealed that there was no significant difference in plant
abundance and diversity between the two rivers, with F = 0.53; P = 0.51 and F
= 2.71; P = 0.17. Human-centered disturbances along the Njoro and Kamweti
River riparian areas have affected the riparian vegetation as shown by the de
crease in plant species diversities, and the change in vegetation composition
and distribution across the land uses. Due to the present and probable future
scenarios of the changes in riparian vegetation observed, there is a pressing
need for an integrated approach for the management of riparian zones based
on various components such as riparian condition assessment, policy frame
work, stakeholder’s participation, management practices, legislation, and
awareness.
University based Community Action Research for increasing viability of cereal-legume value chains towards improved nutrition and livelihood in Sub- Sahara Africa (UniCARSSA) Project
(2023) Dr. Abigael Otinga
The University based Community Action Research for increasing viability of cereal
legume value chains towards improved nutrition and livelihood in Sub- Sahara Africa
(UniCARSSA) project links smallholders and Rural entrepreneurs directly with
universities in platforms for action to share currently available technologies as it tries
to adapt farmers to local conditions and encouraging them to utilize new technologies
in their farming activities.
Here at University of Eldoret, the UniCARSSA Project Principal Investigator is Dr
Abigael Otinga. The project is funded within the framework of ‘1LEAP-Agri’ which is
a partnership of 19 European and African countries and the EU. The partnership is
aimed at research and innovation for food and nutrition security as well as sustainable
agriculture, including aquaculture and was endorsed by the EU-Africa Summit 2014.
The instrument is an ERA-NET co-fund, a partnership financed by Ministries from
these countries (Kenya, included under NRF) and co-funded by the European
Commission supporting the implementation of the EU-Africa High Level Policy
Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
UniCARSSA is implemented under four work packages (WP) viz; WP 1-Increased
and diversified food production; WP 2- Exploring diversity in cereal-legume product
consumption and utilization; WP 3- Strengthening of local nutrition-sensitive value
chains through research and capacity building of rural entrepreneurs (individuals and
SMEs) and WP 4- Engagement of universities with local stakeholders through
platforms for action research. The project works to enhance food and nutrition
security that is severely elusive on the African continent. Crops grown on nutrient
deficient soils are of low quality with low yields and food produced from such soils
cannot meet the everyday dietary requirements of both adults and children. In Kenya,
the high consumption of cereals such as maize, sorghum and millet grown on nutrient
deficient soils and specifically micronutrients inadvertently leads to hidden hunger
and malnutrition in the population. Zn deficiency is one such example. Therefore, to
produce crops with adequate minerals for consumption, low fertility soils have to be
adequately replenished to ensure that crops have increased mineral nutrient content.
This research work was conceptualized on the premise that ‘we are what we eat’ and
crops grown on deficient soils will ultimately be of poor quality with paucity of
nutrients. Under WP 1, soil scientists Dr. Abigael Otinga and Dr. Ruth Njoroge
worked on replenishing soil fertility in the poor soils of western Kenya and narrowed
the focus to the micronutrient Zn following it from the soil to the table. Soils were
2
supplied with Zn at 0, 1.5 and 3 t ha-1 of ZnO fertilizer and planted with maize and
sorghum and soybeans. Grains from crops planted on soils that received Zn at the two
rates had increased Zn content. These grains were used to prepare composite flours
and nutrient analyses revealed an enhanced Zn content. WP 2 led by Dr. Charlotte
Serrem and Dr. Gertrude Were then developed a nutrient dense and sensory enhanced
sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) based stiff porridge (Ugali) for young children
through an MSc. student Emily Kimaiyo, using the Zn enhanced flours from WP 1.
The product line with three variations- pure maize, pure sorghum and maize
sorghum- enhanced with nutrients from the indigenous vegetable black night shade
is dubbed SONLIK and is currently under evaluation for patenting.
The project being a collaboration between European and African Countries is
domiciled under the National Research Fund (NRF); a State Corporation established
under the Science Technology and Innovation (ST&I) Act No. 28, Section 32 of 2013
participated in the Council of Governors devolution Conference. During this year’s
Council of Governors (CoG) in Kenya 8th Devolution Conference 2023 held between
the 15th and 19th of August 2023 in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County themed ‘10 Years of
devolution: The Present and the Future’ and the sub-theme: Driving Transformation from
the local level: County Governments as the Centre of economic development, NRF invited
and facilitated the participation of members of the UniCARSSA Project to display
SONLIK. The three variations of SONLIK were displayed at the NRF stand through
Dr Charlotte Serrem and Emily Kimaiyo who attended the conference held at Eldoret
Sports Club. SONLIK elicited great interest among the general public who wished to
buy it. The product was also of great interest to Non-Governmental Humanitarian
Organizations such as the Action against Hunger Programme. The University of
Eldoret was advised to consider commercializing the product once issues of
intellectual property rights had been sorted out.
Effect of thermal treatment on the pozzolanic activity of natural clay from selected Kenyan wetlands
(Journal of Sustainable Research in Engineering, 2023) Kyungu W. N. Yannick, James W. Kaluli, Benson M. Mwangi, and Hosea M. Mwangi
The use of cement in construction is costly and degrades the environment. Therefore, affordable and easily available
alternatives are needed. This study evaluated the effect of thermal treatment on the pozzolanic activity of clay soils. Three wetland
clays collected from three sub-counties of Murang’a County, Kenya (Kahuro, Kiharu and Maragua Sub-Counties) were studied
after thermal activation. Thermal treatment (calcination) was carried out in an electronic muffle furnace (Advantec KL-420) at
600, 700, and 800°C for a duration of 2 hours. The chemical oxide composition was evaluated using X-ray fluorescence (XRF).
Three methods (electrical conductivity, Frattini test, and compressive strength test method) were used to assess the pozzolanic
activity of clay. A decrease in the electrical conductivity of the lime-clay solution was observed over a 24 hour period. Results of
the Frattini test showed that clay calcined at 600°C and 700°C reacted with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) - CEM-I and reduced
CaO and OH- concentrations to levels below the solubility curve of Ca(OH)2. Calcination of clay from Kahuro and Maragua sub
counties, at 600°C and 800°C, respectively, increased the strength activity index of cement blocks from less than 0.75 to about 1
after 28 days of curing. Therefore, a temperature range of 600-800°C was considered effective for calcination. We conclude that
thermal treatment increases the pozzolanic activity of natural clay for use as a replacement for cement. Therefore use of blended
cement may be a sustainable alternative to the use of cement alone.
Seasonal Habitat Shifts and Wetland Dependence of Grey Crowned Crane in Urbanising Kenya
(John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2025-06-26) Carolyne M. Wachu, Benson M. Mwangi, James Jumbe, Wanyoike Wamiti, Joseph Mwangi
The Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) has experienced major global population declines, leading to its uplisting
to Endangered status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In Kenya, the Nairobi metropolitan area supports one of
the country's substantial remaining populations of this species, yet data on temporal and spatial variation in population and
habitat associations remain limited. This study conducted systematic censuses at 130 sites across five counties between June
2023 and February 2024 to assess patterns in population and habitat use across wet and dry seasons. The observed crane
population was estimated at 1116 individuals, based on the average of wet and dry season counts, with seasonal crude den
sities of 0.127 individuals/km2 in the wet season and 0.14 in the dry season. Adults comprised 93.6% and young individuals
6.4%, with Kiambu County recording the highest proportion of young cranes (44.4%). Crane abundance varied substantially
among counties and was positively associated with the availability of suitable wetland habitats. Habitat use shifted seasonally,
with greater wetland occupancy during the wet season and increased use of grasslands during the dry season. These patterns
highlight the species' strong dependence on wetlands and its flexible foraging behaviour in modified landscapes. Our findings
emphasise the ecological value of even small or degraded wetlands and call for their integration into urban conservation and
land use planning frameworks.
Modeling the Niche Suitability of Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum) to Inform Conservation Strategies in Kenya
(British Ecological Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2026-03-26) Carolyne M. Wachu, Benson M. Mwangi, James Jumbe, Wanyoike Wamiti, Denis Kiptoo
The Grey Crowned Crane is listed globally as Endangered, primarily due to threats such as habitat loss, degradation, and frag
mentation, as well as human encroachment, electrocution, and illegal capture. Effective conservation requires knowledge of
the species' current and future spatial distribution under changing climatic conditions. This study addresses these knowledge
gaps by assessing the climate suitability and spatial distribution of the species in Kenya under current and future climate sce
narios. Using occurrence data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and climatic variables from WorldClim, species
distribution models were developed to evaluate the species' suitable habitats. The influence of climatic predictors on species
distribution was assessed under two climate change scenarios (SSP2- 4.5 and SSP5- 8.5) for the period 2020–2040. An ensemble
modeling approach combining Generalized Linear Models, Generalized Additive Models, and Random Forest algorithms was
used to predict suitable crane habitats. The distribution map was overlaid with protected area boundaries to assess the coverage
of habitat protection. Results indicate that suitable habitats are largely concentrated in western and southwestern Kenya, with
distribution strongly influenced by temperature and precipitation. The predicted reduction in suitable area, about 49.5% under
SSP2- 4.5 and 47.5% under SSP5- 8.5, highlights the vulnerability of the species to changing climatic conditions. Projections under
the two climate change scenarios revealed a potential contraction in the suitable range, indicating possible adverse impacts of
climate change. These findings provide insights into the climatic drivers of Grey Crowned Crane distribution and offer a basis for
informing conservation planning and habitat management under future climate change
