CAPACITY BUILDING FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY &

BIOSAFETY

IN KENYAN UNIVERSITIES

Joel W. Ochieng, PhD

Centre for Biotechnology & Bioinformatics

UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

Tel: 0711 121359; e-mail: jochieng@uonbi.ac.ke

3rd National Biosafety Conference, KICC, Nairobi, 14 August 2014

Order of presentation

• Need for capacity development

• Public universities offering Biotechnology & biosafety courses

• Admission to biotechnology compared to other courses

• How available infrastructure determines number of students admitted into Biotech courses

• Specialized training facilities at public Universities

• Impact of Biotech training at public universities

• Challenges in developing biotech and biosafety capacity and how some of these can be surmounted

Capacity building for Biotech and Biosafety

• Skilled manpower needed in agriculture and health

• Manpower to regulate and promote safe use of STI

• Biotechnology and biosafety development requires:

• Infrastructure

• Human resources

• Legal framework

• Universities mandate to develop human capacity

• Increased need has seen enormous expansion in University programs related to biotech & biosafety

List of public universities in Kenya (Most colleges now have full charter)

• University of Nairobi

• Kenyatta University

• Eger ton University

• Moi University

• Maseno University

• Jomo Kenyatta University of Agric & Tech

• Masinde Muliro University of Sci. & Tech

• Kimathi University of Sci & Tech

• Technical University of Mombasa

• Pwani University

• The Technical University of Kenya

• Kisii University

• Chuka University

• Maasai Mara University

• Meru University

• South Eastern Kenya University

• Jaramogi OO University of Sci. & Tech

• University of Kabianga

• Multimedia University of Kenya

• Laikipia University

• Kiabanga University College

• Karatina University

• The University of Eldoret

• Taita Teveta University College

• Muranga Unversity College

• Kirinyaga Unversity College

• Cooperative University College

• Kibabii Unversity College

• Garissa Unversity College

• Rongo Unversity College

• Embu Unversity College

• Machakos Unversity College

Universities offering degree courses in biotechnology (2012)

Most Universities started by offering courses related to Biotechnology

UoE first to offer straight undergraduate course on Biosafety

Admission criteria for Biotech & related courses 2011/2012

Higher performance threshold required for Biotech compared to related courses

University slot (allocation) for Biotechnology

• Admission slots allocated for Biotechnology decreasing

• Some slots taken up by younger Universities

• National need for biotechnology manpower increased

Admission allocation (slots) into BSc. Biotechnology courses (2012 – 2015):

2012/2013 UoN 93; Maseno University 43; Kenyatta University 35

2014/2015 UoN 84; Maseno University 38; Kenyatta University 35

Current admission into BSc. (Biotechnology) 2014/2015

Premium on Biotech maintained by older Universities

Younger Universities quickly relaxing threshold for biotech

Specialized facilities at public Universities:

(Examples only)

Kenyatta University Tissue culture laboratory Molecular biology lab

University of Nairobi Centre for Biotechnology & Bioinformatics

Genetics laboratory DNA sequencing facility Bioinformatics lab

Student admission at Centre for Biotechnology, (UoN)

Other biotech and biosafety trainings in Kenya

• ILRI; NBA – Strengthening of IBCs through training

• KARI Biotech Centre – SABIMA programme

• UoN/USAID Agricultural Biotechnology Support Programme

• NACOSTI/ State Dept of Agriculture – Bioaware

• Many other national efforts

– Student attachments/ internship

– Industry partnership

• Highest impact will be achieved through coordination

Challenges facing biotech training in Kenya

• Heavy investment in infrastructure required

• Low retention of trained personnel in biotechnology

• Choices by students skewed to ODL courses

• Continued demand for public info on biosafety

• Unstable policy environment for biotech dev

• Emergent challenges straining limited govt. resource

How to overcome some of the challenges

• Sharing of infrastructural resources among Universities and departments

• Universities to concentrate in areas of research strength

• Increased public education on biosafety & biotech

• Greater financial support from government to STI

• Science/ research driven policy formulation

• Biosafety in school curriculum to nurture young talents

• Collaboration between Universities and regulatory depts

Thank you for your involvement