FAR-LeaF II Research Fellow, Future Africa | Open University of Kenya | Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology
Core Conviction
"Africa's agricultural future will be shaped not only by the resources we possess, but by our ability to understand our crops at the molecular level, generate and use our own data, develop African scientific capacity, and translate discovery into impact."
About Me
Science with a Purpose
My journey has been shaped by a simple conviction: agricultural challenges require agricultural science that is both locally relevant and globally competitive.
I trained in biotechnology and crop science, completing my PhD in Crop Biotechnology at Anhui Agricultural University in China after earlier training in Biotechnology at Periyar University in India. My research has evolved from plant molecular biology and tea genomics toward the application of genomics and computational approaches to complex agricultural problems.
Today, my research focuses particularly on forage crop genomics, plant-pathogen interactions and disease resistance in complex polyploid crops. I currently lead a multi-institutional research programme investigating resistance to Napier grass head smut disease, directing germplasm sampling, high-throughput genotyping and computational analysis.
My Philosophy: Science. People. Impact.
Science Must Solve Real Problems
Research should ultimately improve the systems and communities it serves.
Africa Must Own Its Data
The continent cannot fully transform its agriculture without building strong indigenous datasets and computational capacity.
Technology Is a Means, Not the Destination
Genomics, AI and biotechnology matter because of what they allow society to achieve.
Young Scientists Are Africa's Greatest Infrastructure
Equipment can be purchased. Knowledge can be transferred. But scientific leadership must be deliberately developed.
Collaboration Beats Isolation
The agricultural challenges facing Africa are too complex for a single discipline or institution.
A Vision for African Agriculture
Africa has the land.
Africa has the biological diversity.
Africa has the people.
Now Africa must build the scientific capacity to understand, protect and improve its agricultural resources.
My work is dedicated to helping make that possible. Decoding Crops. Advancing Science. Transforming African Agriculture.