Stakeholders from the Enhancing Adoption of Competence-Based Agricultural Curricula in Higher Education Institutions in Kenya and Uganda (AGRCBE) project convened today at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) for a pivotal week-long workshop.
The event brings together educators, policymakers, industry experts, and representatives from Kenya, Uganda, Finland, and the Netherlands to refine tools and strategies for embedding Competence-Based Education (CBE) within agricultural curricula.
Funded by the European Union under the ERASMUS+ programme, the workshop underscores the project’s commitment to fostering inclusive and industry-aligned higher education across East Africa.
The project’s key objectives include equipping national higher education regulators in Kenya and Uganda with robust tools to oversee CBE implementation. It also seeks to develop guidelines for academia–industry collaboration to ensure curricula reflect real-world competencies. In addition, the project aims to train faculty as master trainers in CBE methodologies and strengthen the capacity of education commissions to contextualize CBE for local agricultural needs.
Speaking at the Forum’s opening ceremony, Mr. Darius Mogaka Ogutu from the Department of University Education in Kenya said the workshop aligns with Kenya’s ongoing curriculum reforms, lauding the AGRCBE initiative as both relevant and timely.
Mr. Mogaka thanked the European Union for the support to Kenya’s vocational and university education through sharing of best practices, tools and resources. He noted that the partnership was a key plank of Kenya’s efforts to produce quality and entrepreneurial graduates.
Prof. Daniel Sila, representing the JKUAT Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi, noted that CBE preparations are central to JKUAT’s transition toward the new education system.
Prof. Sila who is also the Principal, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources(COANRE), challenged the initiative players to strengthen discourse between academia and industry, noting that such efforts will help universities to mobilize resources, and produce graduates who meet industry expectations.
AGRCBE has achieved notable milestones despite its nascent stage. Overall Coordinator, Prof. Basil Mugonola from Gulu University in Uganda said the Project has delivered a landmark blended training that has so far benefitted over 329 university staff members on formulating professional competence profiles.
He added that early pilots at partner institutions have resulted in revised course modules incorporating experiential learning components. The efforts, according to Prof. Basil, have also facilitated regional knowledge-sharing forums, amplifying best practices beyond Kenya and Uganda.
AGRCBE implementing institutions are: Gulu University and Bishop Stuart University, (Uganda); JKUAT, and Egerton University (Kenya) alongside the Kenya and Uganda Ministries of Education, The National Council for Higher Education (Uganda) and the Commission for University Education (Kenya), the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) and RUFORUM.
In the broader East African context, AGRCBE plays a transformative role in harmonizing curricula with CBE principles, as championed by the East African Community’s education agenda. While focused on Kenya and Uganda, its collaboration with IUCEA extends ripple effects to Tanzania, Rwanda, and beyond, promoting standardized competence frameworks that enhance labour mobility and regional food security.
By bridging governance silos and fostering cross-border collaboration, the project aligns with the African Union’s Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16–25), which emphasizes skills development as a driver of economic integration.
AGRCBE JKUAT Coordinator, Prof. Losenge Turoop said the Project was initiated out of the need to align curricula of participating universities to the requirements of CBE.
Both Kenya and Uganda are currently implementing CBE with the first cohort of Uganda students under CBE expected to join university in 2027. Their Kenyan counterparts, also under CBE are slated to join universities in 2029.
