Margaret Kamar: Professor of Soil Science

Professor Margaret Kamar is a well-known household name in Kenya, mainly because of her political career. She is the current Member of Parliament for Eldoret East constituency, following her election in 2007 on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket. She also served as a nominated member of the East African Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2006.

Politics aside, Prof Kamar is an achiever too in the area of academia, in her chosen field of soil science. She earned her PhD in soil and water conservation from the University of Toronto in 1992.

Her university teaching career has been entirely in Moi University, Eldoret. After her Masters in Agriculture from McGill University in 1986, she joined Moi University as a tutorial fellow, and from 1989 to 1999, rose up the ranks of assistant lecturer, lecturer and senior lecturer. In December 1999, Prof Kamar was appointed associate professor of soil science.

From 1997 to 2002, Prof Kamar was the principal of Moi University's Chepkoilel Campus after which she was appointed the University's Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Research and Extension, a position she held between 2002 and 2006.

Info & photo courtesy of Kenya Parliament website
http://www.parliament.go.ke/parliament/MPs/tenth_parl/kamar_mj.php