Prof Wangari Maathai dies in Nairobi, aged 71

Listening to the BBC Network Africa radio program this morning, I heard the sad news of the death of Kenyan Nobel Peace laureate Prof Wangari Maathai after an illness.

Prof Maathai's life story was the inspiration for this blog and I know she has inspired many people around the world through her indefatigable work on grassroots environmental conservation and national development.

Through her life's work as a university lecturer, environmental conservationist, politician and human rights activist, Prof Wangari Maathai has left behind a rich legacy. We will miss her.

Rest In Peace, Wangari Maathai.

Mary Abukutsa-Onyango: Professor of Horticulture

Prof Mary Abukutsa-Onyango
(Photo: AWARD News and Views blog)

The mention of research on African indigenous vegetables immediately calls to mind the work of an indefatigable Kenyan woman professor, Prof Mary Abukutsa-Onyango, who is well known in Kenya for her long-standing research on conservation of African indigenous vegetables and food crops.

Prof Abukutsa-Onyango is a full professor of horticulture at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) specialized in agronomy and plant physiology and with over 20 years of university teaching and research.

She holds a PhD in Horticultural Physiology and Nutrition from the University of London (1995) and an MSc in Agronomy from the University of Nairobi (1988). She was previously an Associate Professor at Maseno University in western Kenya.

She is widely published with some 100 peer-reviewed publications to her name. She has also received several national and international awards in recognition of her research work, the more recent of which include the presidential award of Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear and the top prize in the African Union Regional Woman Scientist in Earth and Life Sciences, both of which were awarded in 2010.

In addition to her work on African indigenous vegetables, Prof Abukutsa-Onyango is involved in conservation of medicinal plants and research on New Rice for Africa (NERICA), a rice cultivar that was developed by the Africa Rice Center to improve the yield of African rice varieties.

An astute leader, she has held five senior leadership positions within the university system including Director of the School of Graduate Studies at Maseno University and Coordinator of the Resource Mobilization team at JKUAT. She is also actively involved in developing university curricula, serves as an external examiner for universities and acts as a reviewer for several high profile scientific journals.

Linked to her teaching and research career, Prof Abukutsa-Onyango is playing an active role in nurturing the next generation of African women scientists by serving as a mentor with the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD).

AWARD is a project of the Gender & Diversity program of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) that offers two-year fellowships designed to fast-track the careers of African women scientists and professionals delivering pro-poor research and development that benefits rural communities, especially women. AWARD is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Source: http://ke.linkedin.com/pub/mary-abukutsa-o-o-ph-d-ebs/19/b44/40

Prof Agnes Mwang'ombe new board member of consortium of international agriculture research centres

Prof Agnes Mwang'ombe

The CGIAR Consortium has appointed Prof Agnes Mwang'ombe to its Board of Trustees.

The Consortium works to "reduce poverty and hunger, improve human health and nutrition, and enhance ecosystem resilience through high-quality international agricultural research, partnership and leadership."

It was set up in April 2010, as part of a major reform of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), this year celebrating its 40th year.

Prof Mwang'ombe is currently the Principal of the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences of the University of Nairobi and has been previously profiled on this blog. Below is a more recent bio from the Consortium website:

Prof. Agnes W. Mwang’ombe joined the Consortium board in February 2011. She is a full professor of Plant Pathology and currently a Principal, at the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. In 2009, Prof. Mwang'ombe was awarded by the Africa Crop Science Society the Certificate for Outstanding Contribution to Crop Production in Africa as the Best Woman Researcher. The foci of her research work are: plant pathology, sustainable agriculture as influenced by climate change and economic empowerment/mentorship of women farmers. She is a professional mentor to women scientists and has been actively involved in the activities under the AWARD Initiative lead by the Gender and Diversity Programme (CGIAR). Prof. Mwang’ombe served on a number of national and international committees and boards in various capacities, such as President of African Crop Science Society, Advisory Board Member and Scientific Advisory Committee Member at the CTA (Ede, Netherlands), Technical Advisory Committee Member for BASIC (ICRAF), Technical Advisory Committee Member at the RUFORUM (Kampala, Uganda), Advisory Panel Committee Member at Farm Africa (Nairobi, Kenya), Chairperson at the Kenyan Institute for Public Policy, Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), etc. 

Congratulations, Prof Mwang'ombe!

Maria Nzomo: Professor of Political Science

Professor Maria Nzomo holds the distinction of being the first Kenyan woman to attain a PhD in political science, which she earned in 1981 from Dalhousie University in Canada.

She has over 30 years of teaching experience at the University of Nairobi, starting out as a Tutorial Fellow in 1979 and rising up the ranks to become an associate professor of political economy and international studies in 1995.

Well known locally and abroad as an astute professor of political science and international studies, Prof Nzomo has also established herself as a national ambassador of repute.

Between October 2003 and January 2009, she held a number of ambassadorial posts in southern Africa (Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe) and at the United Nations.

In 2006, she was appointed the Kenyan ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, a position she holds to date.

Maria Nzomo is also well known as an ardent promoter of gender and human rights and has published several articles on these subjects in peer-reviewed journals as well as newspapers and magazines.

Last week's Sunday on Standard profiled Prof Maria Nzomo in an article titled, "I'm a committed believer in equality and justice" by Hellen Miseda. Read the article here.

Prof Judi Wakhungu nominated to global climate change advisory body

Congratulations to Prof Judi Wakhungu on her nomination to the global Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change.

Below is an excerpt from an article on Page 6 of the Business Daily of Monday 14 March 2011.

A Kenyan scientist, Judi Wakhungu, has been nominated to advise world leaders on how to tackle global climate change and food scarcity.

Prof Wakhungu is the current executive director of the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), an international inter-governmental science, technology and environmental policy think-tank based in Nairobi.

She will sit on the global Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change.

Prof Wakhungu's research interests include agriculture and food security, biodiversity and natural resources, and gender issues in science and technology.

She serves on several national and international boards, task forces, and committees including the African Conservation Centre, the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), the GoDown Arts Centre, the Institute for Security Studies, the Lemelson Foundation, the Legatum Centre at MIT, the WorldFish Centre and the World Bioenergy Association.

She holds a PhD in energy resources management from Penn State University.

The United Kingdom's Chief Scientific Advisor, Prof Sir John Beddington will chair the Commission.

Source: "Kenyan picked as climate change adviser" by Steve Mbogo. Business Daily, 14 March 2011. 

Happy International Women's Day 2011

Happy International Women's Day! This year marks the centenary celebration since the day was established in 1911 and the United Nation's global theme for this year is: 'Equal access to education, training and science and technology: A pathway to decent work for women'.

As this blog pays tribute to Kenyan women who have made great achievements in various academic fields, today should be a reminder that the work is not yet complete and we need to continue to ensure that girls and boys, women and men, have access to equal opportunities to fully exploit their academic and intellectual potential.

Wanawake hoyee!

University of Nairobi appoints Prof Lucy Irungu Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Congratulations are in order to Prof Lucy Irungu who has been appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Production and Extension) of the University of Nairobi. Her appointment takes effect from 1 March 2011.

Prof Irungu's new appointment was announced in a press release from the University of Nairobi which appeared on page 21 of The Standard of Friday 21 January 2011.

According to the press release, Prof Irungu's duties as DVC in charge of Research, Production and Extension include: planning, organizing and managing research infrastructure development and appropriate policy planning; coordinating administrative and logistical support for research at all levels; coordinating the sourcing of libraries and archives. Other duties include research branding, quality control and capacity building.

Prof Irungu is the current principal of the College of Biological and Physical Sciences at Chiromo Campus. With her new appointment, she now becomes the second female professor in the history of the University of Nairobi to hold the position of Deputy Vice Chancellor after Prof Florida Karani who was the DVC in charge of Academic Affairs for 10 years.

Check out Prof Irungu's profile here.

Kudos, Prof Irungu! More grease to your elbow!

Mary Omosa: Professor of Development Studies

Kenyan Women Professors is grateful for the opportunity to honour the memory of a great Kenyan woman professor, the late Professor Mary Omosa, who achieved notable professional and academic exploits in the field of Development Studies.

Reproduced below, with the kind permission of her sister Eileen, is a beautiful tribute to Professor Omosa. She has gone ahead of us, but leaves behind a rich and inspiring legacy of a devoted academician who worked for the betterment of her community and country at large. May she rest in eternal peace.

Our Gem of Hope

The great and humble lady, Professor Mary Bonareri Omosa-Orina: a beloved daughter, sister, mother and wife; who lived a short span of years here on earth but whose deeds seem to have been performed for over 100 years.

Our beloved Professor Mary Bonareri Omosa was born on August 5^th 1961 to Rufina Kerubo Omosa and Peter Omosa Simba, at the Kisii General Hospital, Kisii district, Kenya. Though she was the second born child, she has been the first born living child of Mr. Peter Omosa Simba and Rufina Kerubo Omosa.

Mary is the wonderful sister to: Dr. Florence Omosa, Dr. Gloria-Susan Omosa-Manyonyi, Eileen Kwamboka, Josephine Moraa, Oliver Morangi, Julius Morara, and Dionysius Nyamweya Omosa. Claire Omosa, Lillian Omosa-Makori, Tom Omosa (the late), George, Gloria and Maurice Omosa.

The Loving Home Maker

Mary is an all rounder in her undertakings, and she demonstrated her love of life as a mother and wife: In 1991, she got married to Orina Momanyi Joseph and they have been blessed with two children: Biko Konrad Orina and Abi Gorretti Orina. The children demonstrate the greatness of their mother through the following words, drawn from their written tributes (www.maryomosa.org): “My Mum is great, she would pick me from school stinking after a football game and she would never complain – she would drive me home without a hint that she had smelled anything. My mother supported my sprouting football career throughout. A day before she went in for a major surgery in November 2008, she still came to watch me play football. Mum supported my rugby even though she didn’t believe in it. She supported me in what I liked”. Biko continues to write “For a long time I never understood why we had to stop along the roadside gardens and why I got squashed in the car with plants. It is now when people admire trees at our home that I appreciate. Mum taught me about practical conservation of the environment – that I have to be the change I talk about, and not be like those people who have never planted a tree but shout the most about the environment”. On being given the saddest news of the death of her Mother, Abi cried like any child would, she then asked “Auntie Sue, can we now kneel down and pray for my Mum, now in heaven, to become a saint”. That was Mary, the loving and practical mother.

The Touch Bearer Admired by many Parents

Mary, as the first born child, lived a life that many parents long for. She is the family’s torch bearer, holding it high without hesitation and with full commitment. Through sheer hard work and parental support, Mary managed to take advantage of available opportunities, while embracing life’s challenges on her way. Her enthusiasm and positive outlook to life saw her complete all levels of education, to become the first girl child from her home area to achieve a university education, and to become the first female PhD holder and Professor. Her welcoming, kind, patient, humble, open heart, admirable leadership qualities and achievements made her a darling of many. Mary was always sought after to give public talks as a way to encourage young people from rural areas, especially girls, to embrace education as the gateway to the many avenues in life.

Mary started schooling at St. Patricks Mosocho which was then situated in the current location of Cardinal Otunga High School. She later joined St. Mary’s Primary Boarding School, Nyabururu, in Standard IV, from where she sat for her KCPE in 1974. She joined the then prestigious Nyabururu Girls Secondary School where she sat for “O” levels in 1978, and joined Ngandu Girls High School (now Bishop Gatimu High School) for her “A” levels in 1979-80. Subsequently Mary joined the University of Nairobi from where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (1985), Honours, from the Department of Sociology. Her dissertation was on People’s Perception of Development in West Kitutu Location of Kisii District. Mary proceeded on to study for a Master of Arts (1988), from the same department. Her Thesis was on The Causes and Effects of the Fuel Wood Crisis in Rural Kenya: A Socio-Economic Analysis of the Fuel Wood Scarcity in Bura Irrigation Settlement Scheme, Tana River District. Upon graduation, Mary was hired by the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) of the University of Nairobi (UoN), as a Project Assistant. While working with IDS, she took study leave and pursued her PhD studies at the Department of Rural Development Sociology, Wageningen Agricultural University, in The Netherlands. Mary obtained her doctorate in 1998. Her thesis was titled: Re-Conceptualising Food Security: Interlocking Strategies, Unfolding Choices and Rural Livelihoods in Kisii District, Kenya.

A Professional in Word and Deed

Since graduating at the Masters level, Mary worked as a researcher and lecturer at the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi. In 2006, Mary merited and got promoted to the position of Associate Professor of Development Studies. As a researcher, lecturer and professor, Mary has worked on and participated in the formulation of programs and policies on development issues, provided a necessary interface between development theory and practice, especially on how it impacts on our understanding of development and change in Africa.

Mary has carried out more than 65 collaborative researches and commissioned studies, some of which she has been the team leader. In 2006 the University of Nairobi listed Mary as one of the top 3 dons/researchers who sourced the most research funds (her contribution being over Kshs. 100 Million) for the University of Nairobi. Mary’s research and studies have been by institutions such as the British Department for International Development (DFID-Kenya) and TROCAIRE; the International Development Research Agency (IDRC); the Volkswagen Foundation, Germany; Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO); The Ford Foundation; European Union; Bremen University, Germany; UNESCO; and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Professor Mary Omosa regularly participated in local and international conferences and published widely. Mary has over 40 publications: She has several peer-reviewed journal articles; discussion papers; books and edited volumes; book chapters; working papers; policy briefs; research reports; and seminar and conference papers. Her most recent areas of research centred on food security, rural poverty, and popular participation. She has reviewed many research proposals and publication articles, and been a selection panellist for several national and international organizations. Mary has also served as a resource person in various committees, and from time to time carried out administrative duties both at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) and at the Centre for International Programmes and Links (CIPL). She held the UNESCO/UNITWIN Chair at the University of Nairobi, and actively engaged in the post-graduate teaching and training program at the IDS.

The Silent Change Agent

Professor Mary Omosa taught innumerable students and people. She has been an external examiner for universities in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa, and, supervised and examined more than 20 post-graduate students. Currently, she was supervising three masters’ projects (including one who graduated on December 4, 2009) and two doctoral research theses. Mary held membership in a number of boards of directors and management, of which she held position of board chair in four of them, namely: Consortium for National Health Research (CNHR), K-REP, New Opportunities Network, and Tropical Promoters. Additionally, Mary has been involved in the change process in Kenya, as the University of Nairobi Staff Union (UASU) Chair, an advisor to some national political parties and candidates, and a change agent in many other forums. Her driving force in the change endeavours emanated from her desire for dignified living for each and every Kenyan.

Mary carried dignity and freedom blood in her (like Bonareri, the great grandmother she is named after who was a freedom fighter during Kenya struggle for independence), together with a deep sense of the need for fairness and dignified living by all. This is what she pursued in whatever she did in all aspects of her life - family, work and in the larger community. Mary believed and worked towards guiding her children and siblings to better livelihoods, she always cautioned that we had to always remember we are part of a larger community,  a community that also needs to live in a dignified way.

She made it clear that we have to help others and bring them along. She lived this gospel herself as demonstrated by the many “siblings” she made along the way, mentored and assisted (them) towards achieving their dreams. Mary did this with angelic commitment. Many of you know how once she took up an assignment, be it at work, or to help a child choose a career at the University, or help somebody go for further studies, she utterly devoted herself to the assignment to its conclusion. And if it got to a point where the assignment was difficult to complete, Mary would declare so. Mary was never a person that gave stories to buy time or to make the other party give up – she was forthright and honest.

Her Quest for Good Education

Mary’s position was that good education was the key to dignified livelihoods. To achieve this, she got involved in UASU where she argued that the academic environment, learning and lecturing materials, research, staff welfare, management and development, academic systems and structures and the general academic support environment had to be good if the university products were to be competitive in the job market. The people (both academic and non-academic staff) who nurtured these products had also to live dignified lives. For this reason, Mary spent valuable time carrying out research and consulting in order to put the UASU case on the map of Kenya. And she achieved this with a lot of satisfaction.

Mary believed that for things to fundamentally change, Kenya had to change for the better. She thus plunged herself in the Kenyan national politics, doing voluntary work behind the scenes for some of the significant political figures in Kenya. As a result, she made a major contribution to the change process in Kenya. Mary’s most recent desire was to join the relevant review teams in the on-going Kenya Constitution Review process.

Our challenge now is to carry the touch of change to its conclusive end.

Micere Mugo: Professor of Literature

Micere Githae Mugo is a writer, activist, and academic. Born in Kenya, she received her BA from Makerere University, a teaching diploma from Nairobi University (PGDE), and an MA and PhD from the University of New Brunswick, Canada. In 1980 she was elected the first woman faculty dean in Kenya, possibly in all of Africa.

Her political activism against government human rights abuses, however, led to arrests, police harassment, and several remands for interrogation. In 1982, she was forced into exile with her two young daughters.

She is now a professor in the Department of African American Studies at Syracuse University. Mugo, a distinguished poet, is the author or editor of fifteen books and is frequently anthologized. Founder and President of the Pan African Community of Central New York, she initiated volunteer programs in two prisons, has been an official speaker for Amnesty International and a consultant for the "Africa on the Horizon" series by Blackside.

She consults for a number of foundations; is on the editorial board of many journals including Transition, African Commentary, Third World in Perspective, and African Women; and was until recently chairperson of the board of directors of SARIPS, the Southern Africa Regional Institute for Policy Studies in Harare.

Source:http://www.wworld.org/about/board/micere_githae_mugo.htm

Celebrating International Women's Day: Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities - Progress for All

Today, 8 March 2010, marks the International Women's Day and this year's global theme as set by the United Nations is Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All.

This year, Kenyan Women Professors is proud to be one of about 100 blogs that are taking part in the first-ever Blog for International Women's Day (Blog for IWD) initiative of Gender Across Borders. The idea is to get bloggers across the world to blog about what "equal rights for all" means to them and to describe a particular organization, person or moment in history that helped to mobilize a meaningful change in equal rights for all.

So, since this blog is about celebrating the accomplishments of Kenyan women who have excelled in academia, I'll consider "equal rights for all" within the context of the equal rights to education for both male and female learners, as well equal rights and opportunities for both men and women to advance their careers in academia, with specific reference to Kenya.

I believe that both the girl-child and the boy-child should be given equal rights to receive quality education that will put them in good stead to undertake a career of their own choosing. This means that no parent should deny their child a chance to enroll in school merely on account of their gender. Despite the Kenya government's Free Primary Education initiative, the sad reality remains that school enrolment of girls remains far below that of boys and this is in spite of the population statistics which show that there are more girls than boys.

Several factors are at play to give rise to low enrolment of girls in school, principal among which are out-dated customs and traditions that hold the girl-child hostage to traditional gender roles that bind her to household chores at the expense of her school work. This is particularly so in the rural areas where key household chores such as fetching water, cooking and cleaning are reserved for girls while they are busy carrying out these tasks, their brothers are busy reading and doing their homework.

This is not to say that children should not help around the house. Not at all. Indeed, children need to learn a sense of responsibility at home, and household chores are a good way of instilling discipline and responsibility. But the problem comes when girls are not given equal opportunity in the home to focus on their studies and end up faring worse than their male counterparts in the national examinations.

Equal rights to education also means that as Kenyans we should rise up and reject retrogressive cultural practices like female genital mutilation (FGM) which have contributed to gender inequality.

It is a sad testimony that in this day and age, and despite a presidential decree outlawing FGM, some Kenyan communities (e.g. Abagusii, Meru, Maasai and Somali) still carry out this outdated "rite of passage" which is used as a licence to marry off school-age girls to older men. Invariably, these girls end up quitting school as they are forced to look after their families and since they do not have much education, they are not empowered to develop themselves economically and thus begins a downward spiral of poverty and ignorance which leaves the girl-child worse off.

It is encouraging to note, however, that even among communities that practice FGM, some brave women have decided to fight this retrogressive tradition by working the local authorities and NGOs to stamp out FGM by instituting what they call "alternative rites of passage" that don't involve FGM but focus on empowering girls with life skills and, most importantly, keeping them in school.

Priscilla Nangurai, a Kenyan Maasai woman, comes to mind as one of the earliest fighters against FGM in her community. She has over the years helped rescue hundreds of girls from FGM and early marriages by giving them safe haven in her rescue centre in Kajiado which also doubles as a school where the girls can continue their education. Hats off to her and others with similar initiatives that are giving girls their due right to education.

When it comes to university education, the Kenyan sisters are just as competitive as their brothers in getting admission to both science-and arts-based courses at public and private universities. This is encouraging, though on the whole, for the public universities, enrolment of female students is still low relative to that of male students.

Nonetheless, opportunities like the Bill & Melinda Gates-funded AWARD (African Women in Agricultural Research and Development) initiative of the CGIAR's Gender and Diversity program are helping to bridge this gap by encouraging women to enhance their careers in research and academia in the agricultural sciences by offering post-bachelors, -masters and -PhD career development and networking opportunities. The AWARD program also has a mentorship aspect in which awardees are mentored by senior scientists/researchers and are themselves expected to mentor junior scientists.

As this blog highlights, there are several Kenyan women who have made a name for themselves through their academic accomplishments by rising through the ranks to attain the position of "associate professor" or "full professor", many of whom have done so from very humble beginnings.

However, Kenyan women are still under-represented at the higher echelons. So far, there have been only five Kenyan female Vice Chancellors (Prof Rosalind Mutua, Prof Monica Mweseli, Prof Leah Marangu, Prof Olive Mugenda and Prof Mabel Imbuga) and just one female Chancellor (Prof Florida Karani) in the seven public and eleven private universities currently existing in the country.

Nevertheless, Kenyan women lecturers are just as competitive as their male counterparts; I should know -- I was in the University of Nairobi for my undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses. And thanks to the struggles of Prof Wangari Maathai and Prof Vertistine Mbaya who were vocal against gender discrimination in the University of Nairobi in the 1970s that denied women benefits like pension and insurance, the terms of service of university teaching staff have improved for all -- both men and women.

So while there is cause to celebrate for the Kenyan woman in regard to advances in education, I believe that there is always room for growth and improvement. We need to continue to lobby for increased school enrolment for girls and fight against practices like FGM that put a halt to girls' education. To this end, Kenyan legislators should urgently table the draft anti-FGM bill in parliament and work towards its enactment. In addition, those Kenyan women who have climbed the academic ladder should actively seek opportunities to mentor, nurture and raise up the next generation of Kenyan women lecturers, researchers and professors.

As the saying goes: "Educate a man and you educate and individual. Educate a woman and you educate a nation". Equal rights and opportunities to education for the girl child will lead to progress for the society as a whole.

Happy International Women's Day. Wanawake hoyee!