Two University of Kabianga (UoK) researchers have won grants worth at a total of $3.03 million (Sh303 million).
Vice Chancellor Wilson Kipngeno said Prof Augustine Afullo had won a five-year NIH/CDC/IDR grant worth $3 million (Sh300 million) for establishing a Global Environmental and Occupation Health (GEO-Health) hub in East Africa, while Dr Wycliffe Wanyonyi won $30,000 (Sh3 million) from the PhosAgro/Unesco/ IUPAC grant in green chemistry.
"We commend our two staff for conducting exemplary research, which has enabled the university to continue being visible globally," Prof Kipngeno said
Speaking during the university's fourth graduation ceremony on Friday, the VC said research was one of the institution's key pillars and the academic staff are facilitated to participate in research activities geared towards providing solutions to community and industry problems.
"In the past one year, the university has successfully organised its first international research conference that brought together scholars from various parts of the world," Kipngeno said.
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During the ceremony 1,860 students graduated with masters and bachelors degrees, as well as diplomas.
Kipngeno said the university staff had surpassed the target 60 publications set by the government during the signing of performance contracts for 2015/16.
"Over the last three years the number of academic publications by University of Kabianga (UoK) staff has been increasing progressively from 41, 52 to 72 in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively," he said.
Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi said his ministry was closely working with the cCmmission for University Education (CUE) and other stakeholders to ensure higher education is not compromised.
