Mr. Mbugua Nyori- Director, ESCO

As an arm of RPE Division Extension and Technology Transfer, seeks to link the results of training, research and innovation with the community. Initially the focus was on agriculture but over time, the focus has been expanding to include urban, peri-urban and rural populations and socio-economic activities that constitute development.

The overall objective of the extension services and Community outreach directorate is to disseminate research findings, knowledge and technologies to the public and promote adoption for rapid industrial and agricultural development

JKUAT has a rich technological, skills and information base that promises to transform subsistence agriculture and cottage industries into competitive sectors, both locally and globally.

Vision 2030, Kenya’s development blueprint, recognizes technology and facilitating its adoption as a crucial input required for the transformation of SMEs to competitive industrial and service-based enterprises with increased value addition and market access. Linkages to facilitate the flow of innovations between SMEs and training/research institutions are weak so that SMEs are forced to innovate crudely in their activities, leading to low efficiency.

Key Activities

  1. Packaging and transferring technology to end users through various channels i.e. radio, TV, trainings, social media, website ;
  2. Conducting studies along agricultural value chains to identify challenges/opportunities and develop intervention packages;
  3. Studying markets to generate market information/trends and advice client appropriately;
  4. Coordinating the participation of the university in shows, exhibitions, field days, trade fairs and open days;
  5. Conducting training programs for women groups, youth groups, persons with disabilities, schools, institutions, industry, farmers and community based organizations;
  6. Receiving learning parties such as farmer’s groups, SMEs, students, and industrialists on knowledge acquisition mission
  7. Developing in formation communication and education materials;
  8. Enhancing partnerships within industry, providing consultancy activities and fundraising.

Objectives

  1. To coordinate activities relates to Technology transfer and Extension services in the University
  2. To formulate, administer and roll out policies that relate to technology transfer
  3. To train end users on adoption and utilization of new technologies and ensure the public benefits from university research
  4. To disseminate knowledge of the universities technologies through training, mass media, ICT, e.t.c;

RECEIVING SCHOOL VISITORS

JKUAT remains a very popular destination for student from high schools’ primary schools and colleges/ institutes seeking to interact with new products, knowledge and technologies as well as seeking learning opportunities. The main interest of secondary school students visiting JKUAT is information /knowledge/ innovations in the following department

Core Activities

Towards the attainment of the above objectives, the section currently undertakes the following major activities:

    1. Coordinating the participation of the university in shows, exhibitions and trade fairs.
    2. Coordinating visits to the university by groups of farmers, students, and industrialists on learning mission.
    3. Training various target groups in various fields e.g. the in-country training program for rural women leaders; youths; SMEs and persons with disabilities.
    4. Seeking and promoting partnerships with industry for extension service delivery.
    5. Initiating and participating in extension consultancy work.
    6. Development of extension information communication and education materials.

Specific Activities

The ESCO coordinates the participation of the university in shows, exhibitions, field days, trade fairs, and open days to showcase the latest innovations and technologies as well as market the university to the community and society at large. The Nyeri ASK show, the Nairobi International Trade Fair Commission for University education fair many other exhibitions offer great opportunities to promote promoting modern agribusiness and farming techniques, the use of advanced machinery and the option of innovative Agri-tech solutions

It is the heart of the Directorate of Extension Services and Community Outreach (ESCO) to see young and ambitious people being exposed to higher learning environments. The main objective of this activity is to facilitate the interaction of students and the exposure to the university’s facilities and courses offered to encourage them to consider becoming our future students. Another important aim is to expose the practical side of their syllabus, especially for the Form 4 agriculture students, whose farm tools, machinery, and engine parts here at the university are part of the material examined during their KCSE.

Other statistics

Month No.schools No .tertiary institutions Agriculture trips Academic trips Successful trips No .students
January 8 0 6 2 5 226
February 9 0 4 5 7 313
March 28 4 20 12 28 1800
Total 45 4 30 19 40 2339
Juja preparatory at horticulture

Nanyuki boys at SABS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students bought seedlings at Jkuates

Mariari students at SCIT labs

As part of the community empowerment activities, the Directorate organized a 4-day training course for 50 farmers at the JKUAT Wafula Wabuge Campus at Likuyani.

The overall objective of the intervention was to empower the community member through effective and operational transfer of knowledge, skills, and practice, as well as enhancing regular flow of technology between the university and the community.

They will improve the productivity of their enterprise and upgrade their socioeconomic well-being. Additionally, such interventions will greatly improve the relationship between JKUAT and the community.

The groundbreaking In-Country Training Program implemented by JKUAT is back. The initiative was active from 1994 to 2017, saw JKUAT, with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), undertaking robust and targeted capacity-building projects for grassroots women drawn from different regions of Kenya. Thousands of women were trained, equipping them with vital skills, competencies, and networks to address socio-economic challenges and livelihood improvement.

On February 10, 2024, a new cohort of 30 trainers of trainers arrived at JKUAT for a two-week training workshop under the revamped In-Country Training Program. This time, the focus is on communities hosting refugees located in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) in Turkana County. Although the programme has been upgraded to match modern development challenges facing Kenya, one constant remains – JICA still the sponsor

The Mkulima TV program is one among the many functions of the ESCO directorate. In this program, JKUAT and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) together strive to educate the farmer on improved agricultural practices. The program endeavors to appraise, inform and educate the public on improved agricultural value chains through technology transfer from research, innovations and star farmer practices

 

Total of Three (3) programmes were aired namely:

Among the programs aired include;

S/No. Day & Date Nature of Agri – Business
1. Thursday; 6th   February,2025 Cricket  Farming : harvesting, roasting and fumigation processes
2. Wednesday  18th March,2025 Poultry farming and Black soldier fly
3. Wednesday  18th March,2025 Urban  farming:  hydroponic farming

Above are pictures taken during recording of various episodes.

Among the many functions of the directorate of Extension Services and Community Outreach (ESCO), working with the disabled stands out as one of the department’s critical role. This activity entails identifying people in need of Wheelchair services within Juja and Kiambu County at large.  In the last one year, this activity has experienced a tremendous success, as the majority of wheelchair users have benefited from the required wheelchair services at JKUAT. The directorate of Extension Services and Community Outreach (ESCO) has championed to the success of this initiative specifically through continuous mobilizations of the community members to provide relevant information about the people in need of Wheelchair services.

 

This is a conference held annually by the university. This 19th edition of the conference was held on the 20th and 21st of MARCH 2025, at the JKUAT Assembly Hall. This is a platform to bring together researchers, industrialists, policymakers, and funding organizations so as to achieve the synergy necessary for industrial development. The conference involves oral presentations both online and in person. In addition, exhibitions highlighting technological innovations tailored towards industrialization were displayed.

Planning

The ESCO department was tasked with the responsibility of planning and coordinating exhibitions so as to ensure as many exhibitors as would like to exhibit their innovations were allowed to. A letter requesting innovators to sign up to exhibit was circulated both externally and internally. The attached list of exhibitors and their innovations was endorsed by the organizing committee.

Exhibitions

We had a total of 25 exhibitions, 18 internal and 7 external innovators, during the 2-day conference.

JHUB exhibiting a smart beehive

Boniface exhibiting a Swahili language coding.

Attendance

We had a total of 380 visitors to the exhibitions. We also had Chania high school students visiting on the 21st of March 2025.

ESCO News/Updates