Ngarua CKC is located at Sipili market in Ngarua division of Laikipia district. The center serves the community of Sipili through provision of information in books, magazines and other online materials.
In March 2010, a student from the University of Nairobi visited and identified some books which he said were very resourceful to him in his studies. The student by the name Evan Mathangari Njaramba, browed three books namely: ‘‘Guidelines for upgrading informal settlement, A summary of key investment opportunities in Kenya and Surface water drainage for low income communities’’.
When he brought back the books, Njaramba could not hide his pleasure and satisfaction. He came with a written note as follows, ‘‘These books provided good information relevant to urban and regional planning, the course I am taking in the University of Nairobi. Ngarua CKC is therefore an important resource center for passing information to the community in order to empower them and build their capacity to do more”.
WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY?
ReplyDeleteI would wish to bring attention to you in regards to what Biotechnology is all about.
Biotechnology is the practice of using plants, animals and micro-organisms such as bacteria, as well as biological processes - such as the ripening of fruit or the bacteria that break down compost - to some benefit.
For example, biotechnology is used in in industry, medicine and agriculture to produce foods, medicines, test for diseases and remove waste.
It can also be used to solve problems and conduct research. Over time, biotechnology has formed the basis of learning about people and diseases. Biotechnology has also underpinned the development of treatments.
Status of Biotechnology in Kenya
In Kenya, the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) is the government agency currently responsible for overseeing the implementation of the biosafety regulatory system.
That office issued Regulations and Guidelines for Biosafety in Biotechnology in 1998. Those regulations were issued under the existing Science and Technology Act of 1980, although that Act has no regulatory authorities and no means to enforce compliance with the regulations. The NCST also established the National Biosafety Committee (NBC) to develop the country’s biosafety policy and review GMO applications. The membership of the NBC includes representatives from relevant government Ministries as well as representatives from civil society and the national universities.
Under the interim Kenyan biosafety regulatory system, applications to import or release GMOs (including applications for confined field trials) are submitted to the relevant Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) where they are reviewed and assessed for compliance with the guidelines before submission to the NBC. Then, those applications are forwarded to the NBC, where those applications are reviewed by the NBC and/or a technical subcommittee of the NBC. A recommendation is made by the NBC and the NCST Secretary decides whether to approve the application. To date, Kenya has approved five confined trials.
Kenya has developed a number of legal documents to turn its interim biosafety regulatory system into a permanent and comprehensive system. Those documents included regulations, a Biosafety Law, and a National Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy. The National Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy was approved in 2006 and the Biosafety Law was passed by Government in December 2008. The Biosafety Law was later signed into an Act in February 2009 by the President of Kenya.
BY NJOROGE MWAI
Biotech Applications in Kenya
ReplyDeleteMost of this research is at laboratory level while contained field testing with maize, cotton and sweet potato have been conducted. In case of livestock DNA technology is directed to vaccine development and disease diagnostics and this is applied in all the country. Related work in the region includes development of recombinant DNA vaccines e.g. against Newcastle disease, Rift Valley Fever and Rinder-pest. Development of molecular diagnostic techniques for livestock diseases such as East Cost Fever, Lumpy skin disease, contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia), Foot and mouth disease (FMD) as well as for detecting resistance to drugs, microbial quality analysis of foods (fish, diary and meat) and DNA mapping in animal breeding are all in practice.
Key Government Institutions Dealing with Biotech
Relevant government institutions that will play an important role in the new biotechnology environment in the country will include:
* National Council for Science and Technology
* National Biosafety Authority
* Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service
* Kenya Agricultural Research Institute
* National Environment Management Authority
* Kenya Bureau of Standards
* Kenya Industrial Property Organization
* Department of Veterinary Services
Key National Universities in Biotech Training & Research
Kenyan institutions of higher learning are leading the region in biotechnology research and introduction of biotechnology related courses at both undergraduate, post graduate and post doctoral level. The key universities pursuing biotechnology research in the country include:
* University of Nairobi’s Institute of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics and the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Science.
* Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology Institute of Biotechnology Research.
* Moi University School of Biotechnology and Agriculture
* Kenyatta University
* Egerton University
* Maseno University
* Masinde Muliro University of Advanced Technology
Leading NGOs in Biotechnology in Kenya
* African Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum (ABSF) and the Agricultural Biotechnology Network in Africa (ABNETA
* Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International
* ISAAA AfriCenter
* Biotechnology Trust Africa (BTA)
International Centres of Excellence in Biotechnology in Kenya
Kenya has some of the most advanced international centres that undertake research in biotechnology on a global status and this includes:
* Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) i.e. ILRI, CYMMT, ICRAF, IFPRI
* Bio-Sciences East and Central Africa (BeCA)
* African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF)
* International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE)
By NJOROGE MWAI
Dear Mr. Njoroge.
ReplyDeleteI wish to register my sincere appreciation for your generous pieces of information, which you have placed on the Ngarua Maarifa Blog. The information is enriching and beneficial to our audience thanks a lot. Bett Kipsang.