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About
I am a 42-year-old Kenyan citizen holding a PhD degree from the North-West University, South Africa (2015) with expertise in plant pathology and entomology, and a 3-year Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Friedrich Schiller Universität (FSU) Jena, Germany. Currently, I work as a Lecturer and researcher (equivalent to Assistant Professor in the USA) at the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology of Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya. At the Kenyatta University, I have taught several units to students, including Molecular Biology of Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes, Population and Evolutionary Genetics, Genetic Engineering, Genomics, Biotechnology and its Applications, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Bioethics, Biopolicy, and Intellectual Property Rights. I have also supervised and mentored several undergraduate, master and PhD students. I also serve as an Examination Coordinator at the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, an undergraduate Academic Advisor, and a School of Pure and Applied Science Curriculum Review Committee member.
I also carry out and lead my research team. For several years, my research has focused on the impacts of phytoplasma infection on Napier grass, which is used to control lepidopteran pests in the ‘push-pull’ technology, and the plant microbe and insect vector interactions. Currently, I screen and identify candidate semiochemicals from a broad spectrum of volatiles for use as traps against the phytoplasma vector, Maiestas banda, and to assess their attractiveness to natural enemies. The project seeks to exploit and formulate synthetic chemical blends from a series of attractive plant-derived volatiles as synthetic lures, vector traps or semiochemical baited devices for use in an integrated pest management by smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya, with the objective of building capacity in molecular biology and entomology for poverty reduction in Africa.
I also have experience in the predation interactions of stemborers and the invasive fall-armyworm (FAW) and their biocontrol through intercropping systems, use of parasitoids to control papaya mealybug and FAW, genetic diversity of papaya and ringspot viruses infecting the fruit tree in Kenya, insect vector transmission and bioprospecting for potential rhizobia in ‘push-pull’ intercrops as biofertilizers. I write well, with more than 17 refereed journal publications in Journal of Chemical Ecology, Cells, Front Microbiol, Plant Disease, Phytopathology, Insects and Crop Protection and others.
I have also won and managed competitive research grants from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Cambridge Africa ALBORADA research fund, the International Foundation for Science, the National Research Foundation of Kenya, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). I have also won a master's scholarship from Rattansi and a PhD scholarship from North-West University and Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD). I have also participated in several multimillion-dollar expressions of interest and proposals on the use of artificial intelligence in Agriculture and education to IDRC, and capacity building to JICA and for the establishment of the UNIDO ICGEB (UNIDO) regional research centre in Kenya, all of which have passed to the final stage of development. This shows my ability to source more research funds, given a better research environment.
Therefore, I would wish to apply for any opportunity as a writer, educator, Senior Lecturer, professor, researcher, research manager, laboratory manager, or any applicable opportunity to give me an enabling environment to further develop and strengthen myself and collaborative research and for capacity building of postgraduates. In my current position, I have already graduated 6 master's students and recruited 2 PhD students and over 10 master's students under my mentorship. I will also strive to excel by using the resources available at the institution of employment to access the most current grants that promote capacity building for poverty reduction worldwide. I would be able to diligently articulate scientific concepts effectively to technical experts and non-experts, creatively and innovatively generate new ideas, undertake research, strongly influence and network with researchers within and beyond and also analyse and do the write-ups of the data and information from site-level and laboratory research using the available resources.
I am a hardworking Kenyan researcher with a strong research background. I am a former ARPPIS scholar and a fellow of the famous DAAD and the Alexander von Humboldt. I am a conscientious worker with admirable interpersonal and analytical skills who carries out responsibilities with minimal supervision. I am motivated, organised and adaptable, with strong English and little Swahili and German communication skills and comfortable working both independently and as a collaborative team player.
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