Botanical Garden

The Centre seeks to ensure conservation of biodiversity through learning, training and research. In early 2011, JKUAT and Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (WBG, CAS) signed an MOU on biodiversity conservation and research. Thereafter a proposal was developed for establishment of the JKUAT Botanical Garden and Joint Sino-African Research Centre in JKUAT main campus in Juja.

Upon completion, the JKUAT Botanical Garden and Joint Sino-African Research Centre is providing the hub of Sino-African cooperation in Biodiversity Research and Conservation for the East and Central African region.

The JKUAT Botanical Garden will be based on 7 thematic gardens namely:

1. African indigenous plants garden comprising germplasm native to the Africa continent categorized into the different ecological zones
2. Medicinal plants garden comprising of plants used for herbal medicine
3. Rare and unique plants garden
4. Orchard of cultivated and wild edible fruit trees
5. Bamboo Garden
6. Aquatic plants garden with water lilies, lotus ponds and submerged plant observation areas
7. Asian and exotic plants garden comprising flora from other continents

The JKUAT Botanical Garden serves four main functions:

• Provide new plants of economic importance to society including medicinal, ornamentals, trees for reforestation and plants for industry, fruits and cash crops.
• Keep plants for study of growth, adaptability, economic and genetic characteristics.
• Disseminate cultural and scientific information about plants to the general public and
• Preserve endangered and rare plants and also investigate methods of conservation in natural habitats.

The Sino-African Joint Research Centre has Administration offices, Conference Hall, Meeting Halls and Accommodation facilities and several of specialist research laboratories namely:

1. Plant Biosystematics and Conservation Laboratory
2. Cell and molecular Biology Laboratory
3. Water Resources Management Laboratory
4. Virus Detection and Diagnostic Laboratory
5. Nanotechnology and Bioinformatics Laboratory
6. Natural Products Development Laboratory
7. Animal Physiology Laboratory

The Centre facilitates training sessions both in Kenya and China and foster student/staff exchanges between JKUAT and Chinese institutions with the purpose of raising the standards of research among scientists and technicians and involved in biodiversity research. The centre supports plant documentation field expeditions in Kenya and the rest of East Africa with a view to documenting the Flora of the region.

It is also used as a Venue for Hosting Private Events at its Garden like Wedding Receptions.

SAROJEC Brochure