The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABED) is a successor to the Department of Biomechanical and Environmental Engineering (BEED), which was a successor to the Department of Agricultural Engineering. ABED is one of the two departments under the School of Biosystems and Environmental Engineering (SOBEE), in the College of Engineering and Technology(COETEC), JKUAT. Currently, the department offers a five-year Bachelor of Science degree programme in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. This is a programme which is accredited by the Engineers Board of Kenya. Graduates from this programme are expected to champion food security challenges including land preparation, planting technology, weeding technology, crop protection, harvesting technology and postharvest management of produce. In addition, the graduates are expected to design, handle and give advice on irrigation and management of ASAL lands, land reclamation, soil and water conservation structures, climate change and its mitigation, bioenergy resources and Biosystems Engineering. They are expected to be agents of change in the Biosystems Environment in urban and rural areas. Additionally, the department offers a four-year Bachelor of Science degree programme in Energy and Environmental Technology. Graduates from this course are expected to be key players in the energy industry addressing issues on climate change and energy, energy audit and management as well as the design and management of renewable energy systems. The graduates can also consider registration by KETRB as engineering technologists. The department has also developed a curriculum for BSc. Chemical Engineering which has received approval by the EBK and will soon be launched.
ABED also offers training at both Masters and PhD levels. At the moment, the department has Master of Science in Agricultural Processing Engineering, Master of Science in Biomechanical Engineering, and Master of Science in Biosystems Structural Engineering. In addition, the department offers PhD programmes in Biomechanical Engineering, Agricultural Processing Engineering, Biosystems Structures Engineering and Bioprocessing Engineering.
The department of ABE carries out research in collaboration with other departments in the broad Biosystems Engineering Environment. The department has won several University, National and International Research grants, as listed elsewhere in this website. The research is usually championed by a team of staff, led by one Professor and five associate professors, two senior lecturers, six lecturers, one tutorial fellow and one teaching assistant.
Departmental Objectives
Departmental Vision
An academic department of global excellence in Training, Research and Innovation for development.
Departmental Mission
To offer accessible quality training, research and innovation to produce leaders in the fields of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Energy and the Environment to suit the needs of a dynamic world
Core Values
The Department shall endeavor to innovate and apply innovations in advancement of appropriate technology in biosystems environment.
The Department shall promote, uphold and sustain social and ethical responsibility in engineering and the general society.
The Department shall endeavor to provide quality training facilities and offer quality training to produce qualified and competent engineers and technologists.
The staff and students shall teamwork, effectiveness and efficiency in the performance of tasks to achieve departmental objectives and aspirations.
The Department shall uphold a culture of ethics, transparency and accountability when dealing with staff, students and other clients and stakeholders.
The Department shall uphold high standards of expertise and professionalism in handling tasks towards meeting of departmental objectives.
ABED currently offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses as listed below
Undergraduate programmes
Postgraduate Programmes
Masters
PhD
Prof Mutwiwa is an Associate Professor at the department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. He has a vast experience in the design and management of sustainable agricultural production and processing systems. He is also passionate about mentorship of students and supervises both graduate and undergraduate projects at the department.
Prof. Christopher Kanali is a full professor at the department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. He has a vast experience in development and dissemination in bioenergy, energy systems, renewable energy and developing eco-efficient and sustainable systems. He is in charge of postgraduate research at the department.
Prof. Eng. Gareth Kituu is an Associate professor at the department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. His research interests include agricultural processing engineering, energy technology, modelling and simulation, design and optimization of agricultural processing. He mentors graduate engineers and helps them transition to professional engineers.
Prof. Stephen Ondimu is an Associate professor at the department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering. His research interests are in bioinfotronics, computer modelling and simulation and climate smart agricultural technologies. He teaches and supervises undergraduate and graduate students in the department. He is currently in charge of final year undergraduate student projects.
Prof. Patrick Ajwang is an Associate Professor at the department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. He specializes in greenhouse design and management, irrigation and drainage design, and is also a project management specialist.
Dr. Steve Mugucia is a senior lecturer at the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. He specializes in agricultural machinery, and biosystems engineering. He teaches and supervises undergraduate and graduate students at the department and is currently in charge of internal attachment coordination at the department.
Mr. Alfayo Anyangu is a senior lecturer at the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. He specializes in the field of agricultural machinery. He is currently in charge of attachment coordination at the department.
Prof Benson B. Gathitu is a chemical engineer specializing in energy and environmental technology. His areas of teaching are: engineering thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer. He has over 20 years’ experience doing applied research on mitigation of harmful effects of thermal energy utilization and now includes utilization of thermal energy towards excellence in agro-processing. He trains and supervises both undergraduate and postgraduate students in the department.
Dr. Sylvia Murunga is a lecturer at the Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering. She is also an Internal Auditor for ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 14001:2015, and has numerous publications in refereed journals. She supervises undergraduate and graduate students and is responsible for academic trips coordination at the department.
Dr. Kipchumba Cherono is a lecturer at the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in JKUAT. His research interests are in food engineering, renewable energy systems and their applications. He supervises undergraduate and graduate students at the department.
Dr. Elizabeth Musiu is a lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Biosystems Engineering with an interest in simulation, GIS and agricultural machinery. She is in charge of IMS at the department.
Dr. Eng. Erick K. Ronoh is a Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, and currently serves as the Chairperson of the department. In addition to teaching and research, he has been actively involved in other academic duties assigned at the department (e.g., chairman of department, examinations coordinator, curricula development and review, shows and exhibitions, outreach activities, among others). His areas of specialization include agricultural processing, agricultural structures and renewable energy.
Eng. S. Njuguna is a lecturer at the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. He is an engineering management expert with research interests in agro-processing systems, renewable energy and economic analysis. He is currently in charge of timetable preparation at the department
Dr. Eng. Florence Kiburi is a lecturer at the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Her research areas include postharvest technologies and management, use of renewable energies in postharvest processing technologies and agricultural structures. Eng. Dr, Florence supervises undergraduate and graduate research, examines theses in her discipline and is a reviewer of several international journals. She is in charge of examination coordination at the department.
Ms. Joan Maina is a tutorial fellow at the Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering. Her research interests are in agricultural processing, design and optimization of storage systems, renewable energy technologies as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation in agricultural systems. She mentors and supervises undergraduate students in the department
Ms. Carol Kioko is a teaching assistant at the department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering. Her research interests are in agricultural processing and design of agricultural structures
Zipporah is a Chemical engineering technologist at the department. She has interests in innovative waste management strategies and sustainable industrial processes
Mr. Justin Kimathi is a technologist at the department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering with specialization in automation and instrumentation as well as water engineering.
Specialization: Engineering Instrumentation and CAD
Specialization: Agricultural mechanization
Specialization: Agricultural Processing
Specialization: Chemical Engineering
Research by Staff
Postgraduate Research
The department has a number of Masters and PhD research that is currently on going. A summary of the projects can be found here
The Department of agriculture and Biosystems Engineering hosted guests from the Postharvest Education Foundation who shared insights on post harvest technologies.
On 1st July 2026, the School of Biosystems and Environmental Engineering (SoBEE) hosted an engaging academic seminar on “Research &...
