Professor Catherine W. Lukhoba - Chair Department of Biology
The Department of Biology of the University of Nairobi and the former School of Biological Sciences, was formed in February 2006 with the merging of the former departments of Botany and Zoology in line with the university rationalization. The Department is committed to embracing good practice changes concomitant with the Millennium Development Goals especially in the areas of training, research, consultancies and community outreach programmes in biological sciences. In this connection, there is an elaborate five years Strategic Plan which guides the running of the Department. The use of performance appraisal practice for staff is streamlined and we engage in practical team building. These and other evolving changes have made the School a competitive learning and innovative research institution with a bias in biotechnology development in Kenya and we are working towards evolving the School into a competitive research and learning institution in the Africa region and the world.
The merging of the former departments of Botany and Zoology has indisputably strengthened the various fields of biology, yielding a complimentary in all directions, to make us the Biological institution of choice in the East and Central Africa region. The Department graduated the first candidates in the newly introduced programme, B.Sc. in Environmental and Natural Resources Management in September 2010 and . The Department produces a large number of postgraduate students who are well trained in the Biological Sciences and who are absorbed in the various relevant fields, locally and internationally. The Department launched a number of new programmes and courses in addition to the existing ones which were received with enthusiasm by the biological sciences fraternity and stakeholders. Our degree programmes are studied within the college, hybrid online/face to face or by distance learning.
Our academic staff members have continued to contribute immensely in the overall management of Universities in Kenya, for example Prof. Richard Mibey is the immediate former Vice Chancellor, Moi University and Prof. Lucy W. Irungu is the current Vice-Chancellor of Machakos University. The late Prof John Kokwaro was the Council Chairman for Great Lakes University, Kisumu (GLUK), Prof. Florence A. Oyieke is currently the Deputy Director, Student Welfare Authority (SWA) while the late Prof G.M Siboe was the initiator and first coordinator of the open and distance learning programmes in science (B.Sc and B.Ed).
Similarly, members of our staff also continue to contribute immensely to the development of Kenya by serving in various capacities within the public sector, for example, Prof. Japheth M. Ntiba is currently the Chief Administrative Officer (CAS) for State Law Office & Department of Justice; Dr. Dorcus Sigana is the National Coordinator for Pelagic Fisheries in the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP) and a member of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Committee which is under the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA); Dr. George Ongamo coordinates the desert locust management of the FAO/ Ministry of Agriculture team in Kenya. Many of the academic staff members are also serving as external examiners for universities within the region and beyond and are members/ reviewers of editorial boards of various refereed journals and institutions for example Prof. Paul Ndegwa is a Peer Reviewer for the Commission for University, Prof Richard Mukabana is on the editorial board of the International Editorial Advisor, Rwanda Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences. The late Prof John Kokwaro was also a Founder Fellow of Kenya National Academy of Sciences (1983), Fellow of African Academy of Sciences and is the first recipient of Doctor of Science, (University of Nairobi) in East Africa. A number of our staff members are also involved in various important roles for the Kenyan welfare
The Department of Biology hosts two recognized laboratories - the KENAS- accredited Mycotoxin Laboratory whose mandate is to evaluate mycotoxin levels in food products within the East African region and the Pest Control Products Board- accredited laboratory that carries out efficacy tests on pest control products. In addition, the Department has existing collaborative links with the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), World Agroforestry (ICRAF), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) and National Museums of Kenya (NMK) among others.
We welcome and encourage partnerships and links in the following thematic areas: Ethnobiology and systematics, Microbiology, Parasitology and biotechnology Biology of Conservation (Aquatic and Terrestrial) Physiology and Cellular Biology (plant and Animal) Entomology (Medical, Agricultural and Forestry) Hydrobiology.
Individuals and Institutions wishing to collaborate with the Department of biology can contact us directly through chair-biosc@uonbi.ac.ke or any of our members of staff.