Keynote Speakers
Dr. Njoki Mitugo
Keynote Speaker & CEO
Dr. Njoki Mitugo is the brain behind African Indigenous Foods and Food Systems Initiative. This is after research work that was focused on identifying the underlying issues that hinder sustainable House-hold economic Development.
In partnership with Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) Dr Mitugo is organizing the 1st African Indigenous Foods Systems Expo which will be held from 21st November to 25th November 2023 at Food Crops Research Centre, Muguga. At Servers of Health and Environment and Skilloz company Limited, Dr Njoki Mitugo is the Executive Director and Director respectively.
Prof. Gituro Wainaina
Keynote Speaker & Associate
Professor Gituro Wainaina is PhD holder in Agricultural Economics, Master in Business Administration, Bachelor of Education and Associate Professor of Business Analytics in the Department of Management Science and Project Planning, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences – University of Nairobi.
I have extensive working experience with University of Nairobi where I am an Associate Professor; Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat where I was Acting Director General as well as Director for Social and Political Pillars; World Bank where I was a Senior Education Economist; CARE International in Kenya where I was Regional Coordinator; and University of Nairobi Enterprises and Services Limited, where I was Deputy Managing Director and Business Development Manager.
Besides, I have a long-standing resilient partnership and working relationship with governments in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Ghana, and Nigeria as well as with organizations such as UNDP, WFP, UNICEF, World Bank, African Development Bank, DfID, and Council of Governors.
Prof. Cecilia M. Onyango
Keynote Speaker
Professor Onyango is an Associate professor of Horticulture with over 20 years of experience in training, research and community outreach in the areas of crop production systems, postharvest handling of produce, crop production and market standards, quality and food safety. She is a leading expert in food systems science, specialising in food quality and safety including Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) controls and regulation in food supply chains. The main focus in her research work has been on Africa’s crops’ production physiology, conservation and use; stress physiology and temperature-based modulation of growth and development in crops as well and governance of food systems for improved food and nutritional security.
She embraces a system thinking approach to create sustainable food systems as a means of achieving food security and nutrition through the application of a multifaceted and a multi-sector effort to achieve the highest quality of life for all. I have experience in participatory farmer and end-user technology evaluation, selection and adoption in addition to systems intensification and market-led development. She is the Deputy Director, Agriculture for Food Security Post 2030 (AgriFoSe2030) program, Executive Committee Member of the ARUA Centre of Excellence in Sustainable food systems and leads the Africa’s Crops research focus area of the Centre. She is also a board member of Organic Consumers Alliance.
Prof. Kiringai Kamau
Keynote Speaker
Prof. Kiringai Kamau is the County Government Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in the County Government of Murang’a and combines as the Global Lead for the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN). GODAN’s operational base is at the University of Nairobi’s Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Technology, and a Technology and Incubation center at the Mukarara TechHub and FoodFarmacy, in Murang’a County.
Kiringai is an Agricultural Economist and Lecturer in Agribusiness and Agricultural Policy and the brainchild of the GODAN Programme on the Earth Observation Data Cube supporting GODAN Programmes with universities in Africa and the South-South to create Centers for Agriculture and Nutrition, Data Analytics, and Innovation (CANDAI) for Policy Impact.
Dr. Serah Kimaru-Muchai
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Serah Kimaru-Muchai holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Environmental Studies and Community Development (Kenyatta University), Master of Environmental Studies and Community Development (Kenyatta University) and Bachelor of Science in Horticulture (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology). She is currently a lecturer and Dean, School of Social Sciences in Mt. Kenya University.
She has more than 10 years in teaching and research at the University level. Serah has worked as a research assistant in funded projects and was a project coordinator in Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)–Kenyatta University project before joining Mount Kenya university as lecturer. She has experience in writing project reports and disseminating research findings through conference presentations and scientific publications in peer reviewed journals.
She has conducted research study on utilization of water harvesting technology and soil fertility amendments in sorghum production amidst unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate changes. Dr. Serah intonates that optimization of the rainfall management, through water harvesting can contribute to improving the small-scale farmers’ livelihood by upgrading the rainfed agricultural production of indigenous crops in Africa