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Members of academic staff following the proceedings of the research training.

Welcome to the Directorate of Research and Extension

The academic staff of the University of Embu are currently engaged in research activities in ten  thematic areas, namely; Agriculture and Food Security, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Ecology, Education, Organic and applied Chemistry, Energy, Business, Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Mathematics. Our members of staff continue to actively seek new funding opportunities so as to attract research grants in the university. The members of staff have also published widely with the high impact journals and top publishers in the world.
Dr. Julius Mugweru
Director, Research and Extension

Recent Publications

  1. Ongaga, C.O., Makkha, M., Obiero, K.,Kipkemoi, I., & Diang'a J. (2024). Urbanization and hydrological dynamics: A 22-year assessment of impervious surface changes and runoff in urban watershed. Water Resources management, Volume 6 Frontiers. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1455763
  2. Alsaif, B., Asweto, C. O., Hassan, S-u-N., Alzain, M. A., Saeed, M. E., Kassar, A., Ali, K. E. M., Ghorbel, M., Zrieq, R., & Wang, W. (2025). Undergraduates’ Lifestyle and Suboptimal Health Status (SHS): A cross-sectional study in the Ha’il region of Saudi Arabia. PLoS ONE 20(1): e0317127. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317127
  3. Rugano, P., Masingila, J. O., Kamau, L. M., Makumba, P., & Omoze, H. (2025). Using video case studies to provide prospective secondary teachers in Kenya opportunities to notice and reflect on pedagogical practices. Teaching Education, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2024.2446289
  4. Musyoka, J.K., Nyarindo, W.N., Alders, R., & Isaboke, H. N. (2025). Gender roles and constraints in enhancing hybrid chicken production for food security in lower Eastern Kenya. PLoS ONE 20(3): e0318594. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318594
  5. Kiplimo D, Mwirichia R., Wicaksono W., Berg G., Abdelfattah A. (2025). Intrinsic and Acquired Antimicrobial Resistomes in Plant Microbiomes: Implications for Agriculture and Public Health. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment. https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70049 

 

News

University of Embu celebrates Dr. Hezron Mogaka's prestigious grant award!

Dr. Hezron Mogaka, a lecturer and researcher at the University of Embu's School of Agriculture, secures a groundbreaking grant totaling KES 31,877,404 from the National Research Fund (NRF). The grant will fund the innovative project "Biochar & Insect-Composed Organic Fertilizers in Kenya (BIO Kenya)" for two years starting in May 2024, showcasing University of Embu's commitment to cutting-edge agricultural research. -Read More

 

Dr. Dominic Kitavi awarded a travel grant to Taiwan

Dr. Dominic Kitavi, a Senior Lecturer and Chairman of the Mathematics and Statistics Department at the School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Embu, has received a ten-week travel grant from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan and the National Taipei University. Dr. Kitavi's expertise in Science and Technology has caught the attention of the College of Business, National Taipei University, where he will engage in lectures and academic exchange activities from June to September 2024 as a foreign professional. -Read More

 

 

Hybrid Rice Research

The hybrid rice research project is established as a special project of the National Research Fund(NRF). The project has been running from July, 2020 and will run upto July, 2023. Our project is dedicated to advanced research and training in rice breeding and biotechnology and advancing knowledge, applying the latest techniques in the following aspects of rice breeding:

1.    Breeding to introgress wide compatibility, drought tolerant and dwarf (sd-1) genes into TGMS to produce a super parent rice for use as female parent in crosses with Basmati 370,
2.    Determining linkages of major genes controlling quality and yield in Basmati370,
3.    Production of super yielding Basmati370 hybrid rice seeds for farmers by crossing it with TGMS super parent varieties,
4.    Determining of compatibility of major TGMS rice varieties in Kenya with Basmati370,
5.    Optimization of Basmati rice anther culture conditions for doubled haploid plants production,

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