UtafitiA Newsletter of the ResearchProduction and Extension Division

Promoting research to all

VISIONExcellence in research, production, and

extension.

MISSIONTo promote the discovery, application, and

dissemination of knowledge through quality

research and innovation.

CORE VALUES• Freedom of thought and expression

• Innovativeness and creativity

• Team spirit and teamwork

• Professionalism

• Quality customer service

• Transparency and accountability

• Ethical practices

Cover picture: Students being taken through a project in the Fablab

at the Science and Technology Park

1

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

Inside this Issue

12

23

03

We are getting ready for the new global development agenda towards 2030

10Maker Project: Students fabricate medical equipment at the Science and Technology Park

06Mukau (Melia volkensii):Can farmers look up to research for seedlings of the drought-tolerant tree?

Education conference examines post-2015 research agenda

Meet our researcher: Inside the exciting fi eld of Geology

On other pages 4 Gift , Guest, Ghost Author: Whose article is it?

8 Need a Cook Stove? Clean is best

21 A research perspective on countering terrorism

25 Using Turnitin

27 Special libraries

29 UoN Research Audit: How much for your project?

30 Let’s talk about research in the digital age: Is IP a facilitator or barrier?

2

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

The third issue of Utafi ti News is here and I would like to thank the

researchers and innovators who allowed us to feature their work in the

publication.

Utafi ti News supports the University of Nairobi Extension and Outreach Policy

by raising awareness about the research activities of the University community.

We hope that our stories will stimulate further discussion within the broader

audience reached by the newsletter, and hence create impact of University

research. This issue of the newsletter has an article on why researchers and

their institutions should invest in activities to promote their research activities

to the wider public audience.

In this issue also, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Production &

Extension (DVC-RPE) Prof. Lucy Irungu takes note of the expected adoption,

in September, of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as the new global

development agenda. Prof. Irungu underscores the commitment by the RPE

Division to provide the required support as researchers prepare to realign

their activities to the new agenda. She has also mentioned the very important

issue of evaluating the commercial value of research in a research audit to

be conducted soon by the University. This issue has a separate story on the

forthcoming research audit.

We have discussed the thorny issue of not giving publishing credit where it

is due. Rather than perish, some individuals in academia and research will

go to great lengths to have their names included in the byline of published

articles they did not contribute to thus undermining academic integrity. See

our researchers’ views about this dishonest practice.

In one of our research stories, we discuss “Mukau” or Melia volkensii; an

indigenous tree found in the arid and semi-arid lands of Eastern Kenya. It is

a plant with enormous ecological and economic potential but farmers have

diffi culties obtaining viable seedlings. Is the research being conducted in the

School of Biological Sciences about to provide an easier option for raising the

much sought aft er seedlings of this important plant?

In our article on standards for improved cook stoves, we are advised that

effi ciency and cleaner emissions should be important considerations when

buying a “jiko”. We also have an expert’s opinion of what makes the ideal

cook stove. We have covered the ambitious and exciting student-driven Maker

Project that will be with us for a while. A group of students from the School

of Engineering have just completed the fabrication of one of several pieces of

medical equipment to be produced by the project at the Science and Technology

Park.

Follow the story of our award-winning geologist as she describes some of her

work in what she refers to as the geologists’ lab in the wild. She explains to us

why geology has the potential to change the country’s fortunes and the factors

threatening this important discipline.

We have a report on what to expect aft er the plagiarism detection training

that took place a while ago. We also feature two special library facilities for

researchers at the University. Also, read the expert and practitioner viewpoints

on how to apply your intellectual property rights in light of commercialisation

of research products and the proliferation of information sharing facilities in

the digital environment. I hope you will fi nd something of interest in this issue.

If you would like Utafi ti News to feature your work, or the research activities

of your department, please write to dvcrpe@uonbi.ac.ke.

Pamellah AsuleEditor

MESSAGE FROM THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Published by:Offi ce of the Deputy

Vice-Chancellor (Research,

Production and Extension)

P.O. Box 30197 - 00100,

Nairobi, Kenya.

Tel: +254 -20- 3318262

Fax: +254 -20- 245566,

mobile: +254-(0)773 418 570 or

+254 (0) 788 116 363

Email: dvcrpe@uonbi.ac.ke

www.uonbi.ac.ke

CopyrightUniversity of Nairobi, 2015

All rights reserved

EditorPamellah Asule

Editorial BoardAgatha Kabugu

Beatrice Wanjala

Njeri Muhoro

Pamellah Asule

Susan Muchina

ContributorsAbby Noreh

Caleb Wanda

Eliud Mulanda

Esther Obachi

Njeri Muhoro

Pamellah Asule

Prof. Ben Sihanya

Rosemary Omwandho

Susan Muchina

PhotographyCharles Muriuki

Kevin Wamola

Creative Design and PrintingStarbright Services Ltd.

info@starbright.co.ke

3

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

MESSAGE FROM DVC-RPE

Two events at the University of

Nairobi, the reports of which

appear in this newsletter,

form part of the evidence that our

researchers are contributing to

discussions about the new direction

for research in the new global

development agenda to be adopted

soon.

In May, the University hosted the

4th National Science, Technology

and Innovation Week under the

theme, “The Role of Science,

Technology and Innovation in the

Post-2015 Development Agenda”.

This event was organised by the

Ministry of Education, Science and

Technology (MOEST) and the National

Commission for Science, Technology

and Innovation (NACOSTI). Similarly,

in June education researchers

converged at the Kenya Science

Campus for the second international

conference organised by the Africa for

Research in Comparative Education

in Society (AFRICE). The theme of

this conference was, “Education in

Africa, Refl ections beyond 2015 MDG’s

- Comparative Perspectives”.

The post-2015 Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs) agenda

suggests new areas of emphasis, or

diff erent approaches, when addressing

societal challenges similar to those

experienced under the MDGs. Under

the SDGs, some of our researchers will

continue to do what they have always

done. They will only be expected to

do more, perhaps through enhanced

support, because of the renewed

emphasis. Some will need to reorient

their approach to make their research

work relevant to the new agenda.

As we move towards the SDGs

agenda, the Research, Production,

and opens the path to enter into

partnerships for product development

and commercialisation as well

as ownership of the innovation.

Disclosure also lays the ground for

licensing of technology to third

parties. In this respect, the IPMO is

already working with a number of

researchers to fi le for patents for

their research products at the Kenya

Industrial Property Institute (KIPI).

The IP offi ce has also registered several

copyrights on soft ware and other

copyrightable works. I would like to

take this opportunity to congratulate

the researchers for taking this

important step of promoting their

research further to achieve useful

products.

Prof. Lucy IrunguDeputy Vice-Chancellor

Research, Production & Extension

and Extension Division (RPE) will

continue to provide the required

support to ensure that researchers

from the University of Nairobi are

moving together with the rest of

the world while also satisfying

local expectations. The Division

will consistently seek new research

partners and, where necessary, review

the approach to research with existing

collaborators. The RPE Division will

also support training in grant and

proposal writing to cover emerging

needs and ensure that policies relating

to research refl ect the new realities

locally and internationally.

This newsletter has reported low

awareness of some of our policies

relating to research. I would like

to urge our researchers to refer

constantly to the various University

research policies. The policies should

be viewed as vital components in the

research process just like the other

tools of research.

The University, through the

Intellectual Property Management

Offi ce (IPMO), intends to carry out an

Intellectual Property (IP) audit. The

IP audit will identify from the rich

collection of the University’s IP assets

those with commercial potential and

make recommendations for their

eff ective utilisation. The audit will

also assess the resources we require

for eff ective acquisition, use, and

enforcement of the University’s IP.

Ultimately, the audit results will

be used to make the IP processes

of the University more attractive to

inventors and creators as a way of

encouraging them to participate fully

in these processes.

Disclosure of innovations leads

to protection of IP by researchers

Finally, my Division will continue to support the position that we should make our research matter to those who

have no access to the peer-reviewed journals, scientifi c conferences, and institutional repositories. We should not only

address the needs of society, but also help the end-users of our research understand and appreciate the importance

and signifi cance of our work. Sharing our work with policy makers, politicians, and the general public will give it more

relevance and lead to greater impact. In this way, we shall have accomplished our mission of serving society.

4

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

Two research articles published recently have drawn

attention to the fundamental issue of assignment

of publication credit among members of research

teams. On 14 May 2015, the Physical Review Letters [Phys.

Rev. Lett. 114, 191803 (2015)] published a research article

attributed to 5,154 authors. The next day, a news article

appearing in Nature, the prestigious international weekly

journal of science, indicated that the particle physics

paper had carried the distinction of having the largest

number of authors for a single published research article.

The article was the product of research work by two

groups of investigators drawn from institutions in several

countries. The byline of this article reads simply as G. Aad

et.al. (ATLAS Collaboration, CMS Collaboration), but the

expanded list of authors and the institutions they belong

to covers 24 of the 33-page article. The research itself,

including the references, is described in nine pages.

Another article in the fi eld of genomics published on

11 May [Leung, W. et.al. Genes Genomes Genet. 5,719-740

(2015)] listed 1,014 authors. There are numerous other

articles with more than this number of authors but

the composition of authors for this particular article is

somewhat peculiar; 940 of the authors were undergraduate

students at the time when they contributed to the research

work and development of the paper. The article has elicited

some interesting discussions on online forums about the

students’ qualifi cation as authors, including a general

review of the whole idea of authorship. Senior researchers

on the project have maintained that the students’

contribution was adequate to warrant the assignment of

authorship status.

Multiple authorship is a common practice in areas

like particle physics and the biomedical sciences where

research projects oft en have large teams of researchers. The

trend towards multitude authorship has also infi ltrated

other disciplines and, despite the benefi ts, is raising

questions about the place of merit and academic integrity

in authorship decisions. Publications are a measure

of productivity in the fi eld of academia and research.

The number of published papers with one’s name also

infl uences career advancement, funding decisions, and

prestige among other social and fi nancial benefi ts. The

pressure to publish has, therefore, spawned various forms

of malpractices by researchers in an attempt to remain

afl oat in a competitive environment.

Some journals such as BMJ, Lancet, and PLoS Medicine

publish authors’ written declarations of actual contribution

to the research being reported, just to be sure. This is only

VIEWPOINT

PERSPECTIVE ON AUTHORSHIP

The American Psychological

Association (APA), for instance,

recognises as an author someone

who was “involved with the initial

research design, data collection and

analysis, manuscript draft ing, and

fi nal approval [of the manuscript]”

one of several measures being taken to stem deception

in academic publishing as it becomes increasingly

apparent that researchers who had no role in research or

preparation of the related publication are being listed as

authors. Although many professional societies, journals,

and research institutions have clear guidelines about who

qualifi es to be listed as an author, the fi nal list and the

order of names on a published article rests with the team

of researchers in the project. Some researchers exploit this

guideline by seeking out and building relationships with

those who are publishing in their specialisations without

paying much attention to what is being published.

The American Psychological Association (APA) recognises

an author as someone who was “involved with the initial

Guest, Gift , or Ghost Author: Whose article is it?

5

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

research design, data collection and analysis, manuscript

draft ing, and fi nal approval [of the manuscript]”. The

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)

- to which many journals in the biomedical fi eld subscribe-

lays emphasis on “substantial intellectual contribution”

to research and article development, including revisions,

just like it is as outlined for the APA. The ICMJE guidelines

for authorship can be found on the group’s website under

the title “Recommendations for the conduct, reporting,

editing, and publication of scholarly work in medical

journals” (ICMJE Recommendations).

The ICMJE also requires authors to take responsibility for

the accuracy and integrity of the submitted work. There

are variations to the level of emphasis of these general

principles depending on the discipline, institution, or

even departments within the same institution but they all

require an appreciable level of involvement by everyone

listed as an author.

Guest, gift , and ghost authorship forms appear to be

Dr. Isaac Mwangi indicates that an author whose name does not appear in the byline of a published paper learns about the omission when it is already too late to remedy the situation with fellow researchers.

VIEWPOINT

common examples of misapplication of the authorship

criteria in which the byline is determined by factors

other than intellectual contribution to the research and

writing process. They refer to inappropriate assignment of

authorship credit to undeserving individuals or denying

such credit to those who merit. According to the online

guidelines by the Council of Biology Editors (CSE) titled

“Authorship and Authorship Responsibilities”, guest

authorship is off ered with the expectation that publishing

with a more accomplished researcher will increase the

chances of having the paper published and cited thereaft er.

The CSE views gift authorship in terms of rewards to one’s

seniors or a sense of obligation to the head of department or

senior member of the institution. There is a lot of disquiet

among academics about the relationship between students

and their supervisors when it comes to determination of

authorship, including who should receive the most credit,

for students’ work. The dominant view is that everyone,

including students, should receive due credit for their

research work.

Oft en, gift authorship occurs

in anticipation of promotions or

as a show of gratitude for favours

received. Gift authorship also occurs

among peers in an arrangement to

enhance the publications lists of

those involved. According to the CSE,

ghost authorship takes place when

those who qualify for recognition

are omitted from the article byline.

Ghost authorship could be voluntary

when a researcher agrees to exchange

authorship credit for payment or

other incentives. In some cases,

however, it arises due to blatant cases

of dishonesty by some of the partners

in a project.

Any kind of misappropriation of

authorship gives a false sense of

accomplishment and exerts undue

infl uence over careers as some

are stifl ed and others infl ated. Mr.

Samuel Kiiru, a researcher and

Project Assistant at the Institute of

Development Studies (IDS) observes

that any form of misconduct in

publishing undermines the whole

idea of scholarship. “You will not

become an expert just because your

name appears on several published

papers”, he says. Without wishing to

reveal the details of her experiences,

another researcher observes that

these malpractices deny young

scholars the chance to develop in

their chosen areas. “We are not

raising young researchers if we do not

allow them the opportunity to publish

and show their potential to the whole

world”, she observes to suggest that

beginning researchers are at a greater

disadvantage due to this unethical

practice.

Professor Charles O. Okidi of

the Centre for Advanced Studies

in Environmental Law and Policy

(CASELAP) is appalled at the idea of

infl ating one’s list of publications

using deceitful means. “Dishonesty in

scholarship is the worst kind of crime.

I can never allow my name to be used

to cheat!” he states emphatically.

Prof. Okidi has a remarkable research

and publishing record including

numerous articles under sole

authorship. He insists that conducting

research and writing is the only way

to build one’s list of publications. The

researcher reveals that he has not

been particularly gentle with those

who have attempted to “borrow his

name” as a guest author for their

publications.

On gift authorship, Kiiru observes

as follows: “People begin to question

your ability when the pattern shows

you are always one of many authors

in all the publications bearing your

name”. Mr. Kiiru, who is working

on his Ph.D. studies, notes sadly

that some people with tremendous

research ability are forever perceived

as intellectual dwarfs because they

are denied their due credit by the

senior researchers.

Dr. Isaac Mwangi of the Department

of Urban Planning indicates that

unfortunately, an author whose

name does not appear in the byline

of a published paper learns about the

omission when it is already too late

to remedy the situation with fellow

researchers. Publishers are usually

willing to correct cases of accidental

omission of an author’s name as

soon as they receive the consent of

other team members. Dr. Mwangi has

chosen to take up projects requiring

joint authorship only when he is

mentoring the students under his

supervision.

Beyond issuing guidelines for

authors, publishers who are confronted

with authorship disputes push the

responsibility back to researchers and

their institutions. Some institutions

have prepared guidelines for the

authorship of scientifi c and scholarly

6

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

publications and how to prevent or resolve disputes related

to authorship. The guidelines encourage researchers to

discuss and be clear about authorship roles as part of the

project planning process and to take note of any important

changes during the course of the project. Meanwhile, as

researchers continue to navigate the turbulent waters of

research and publishing, some interesting conversations

are taking place. Are universities and research institutions

MELIA VOLKENSII (Mukau)

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Melia volkensii Gürke is a tree species that farmers in Kenya’s dry land

areas would be only too willing to cultivate if the seedlings were

readily available. Commonly known as “Mukau” to the locals in

parts of Eastern Kenya, the tree is tolerant to drought and grows fast, maturing

in just 10 to 15 years. It produces valuable mahogany-type hardwood timber,

which is resistant to termites and decay. The tree species is also valued for its

extracts, which can be used to make pesticides and medicines. Aft er harvesting,

the cut stump of Mukau grows new shoots. The farmer, therefore, continues

to reap benefi ts from the same tree without the need to plant a new crop each

time.

Eliud Sagwa Mulanda, a Ph.D. candidate in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry,

School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nairobi readily describes the

long-term benefi ts of the cultivation of Mukau in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid

lands (ASALs). Mr. Mulanda, who has conducted extensive studies of the tree

species, underlines the importance of preparing the ASALs to absorb Kenya’s

expanding population as the traditional arable lands continue to shrink. “One

way of preparing for this possibility is through identifi cation and cultivation of

suitable native food crops and tree species that are well-adapted for survival in

these areas”, he observes.

According to the researcher, the drought-tolerant Mukau would be a suitable

candidate because it has vast potential for dry land aff orestation, amelioration

of the eff ects of drought, and creation of sustainable livelihoods in the ASALs.

In 2010, for instance, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) estimated

a gross income of Ksh. 3 million (~USD 35,294 @ Ksh. 85 to the dollar) per

hectare of sawn timber alone from 12 to15-year old trees of this species.

Mukau has one major setback though despite its attractive qualities; it is an

extremely diffi cult plant to propagate. It is every farmer’s nightmare to get the

seeds of this plant to germinate . Vegetative propagation or the use of stem

cuttings to produce new plants is not a viable alternative either because of

rooting diffi culties.

Summing up the extent of the propagation crisis of the tree species, Mr.

Mulanda explains that the cultivation of Mukau has for a long time been

severely constrained by diffi culties in seed extraction and germination. He

describes this process as “extremely diffi cult, slow, and one that cannot be

relied upon to meet the existing demand for seedlings”. According to the

researcher, the seeds of Mukau are trapped in woody casings, which farmers

have to break open using rather tedious methods. This process oft en results in

attaching unwarranted signifi cance to publications and

thus forcing researchers to cut corners? How else can

institutions recognise and reward productivity by their

researchers? There are no clear answers yet to these

questions but attention is shift ing towards expansion of the

scope of factors that contribute to an individual’s credits or

reputation as a researcher.

Drought Tolerant but Scarce Plant

This article

describes research

work by Eliud

Mulanda Sagwa who

has been working to

solve the propagation

puzzle of a tree

species that has

vast ecological and

economic potential

for Kenya’s dry lands

7

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 SeptemberRESEARCH & INNOVATION

a high rate of damage to the seeds. “The success rate of the

natural germination process is oft en as low as 5 per cent”,

he observes.

Coupled with the propagation diffi culties,

over-exploitation of the tree species for timber has led

to depletion of the natural stocks. So, are we likely to

see the extinction of Mukau in the near future? Perhaps

not. Mr. Mulanda’s research project has produced some

encouraging results towards the mass production of

seedlings of the drought-tolerant tree using tissue culture

biotechnology.

Three years ago, the researcher embarked on the

development of a reproducible tissue culture method for

high frequency regeneration of M. volkensii plants. Why

tissue culture? Mr. Mulanda clarifi es that this technique

has been applied widely in large-scale production of

a b c d

Potted plants acclimatising to open

atmosphere conditions (c) and the same

plants one and a half months later (d).

Early stage of shoot regeneration from a

cotyledon (a) and a culture bottle showing

the shoots produced (b). Each seed could

yield 20-32 good shoots.

seedlings of useful plants that are otherwise diffi cult

to obtain through the natural propagation processes.

He gives examples of India’s commercial tissue culture

laboratories which are supplying millions of seedlings

of teak, eucalyptus, sandalwood, and neem trees. In

Kenya, the tissue cultured banana seedlings developed by

researchers from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Science

and Technology (JKUAT) are selling in the greater East

African region.

According to Mr. Mulanda, an earlier attempt to

propagate Mukau here in Kenya achieved low regeneration

frequencies which could not support the bulk production

of seedlings. Using embryos and cotyledons extracted

from seeds obtained from farms in Mbeere, Mwingi, and

Kitui, the present research attained 100 percent success

rate or what the researcher refers to as “high-frequency

regeneration of shoots”. The method basically involved

subjecting the plant material to diff erent concentrations

of plant hormones (commonly referred to as growth

regulators) and varying conditions of light intensity,

light duration, and room temperature to determine the

best combination of growth factors. Another important

aspect of the research was the innovative use of a low-cost

agrochemical plant growth regulator in place of the costly

conventional ones normally used in tissue culture. “Cost

is an important factor in commercial plant propagation”,

says the researcher.

Even with the seemingly encouraging results obtained

from his experiments, the researcher could not celebrate

just yet; there was one more crucial test to perform. Aft er

subjecting the original plant material to laboratory

manipulation, it was necessary to ascertain whether the

seedlings obtained were indeed those of Mukau. This

step was necessary because tissue culture experiments

have been known to produce undesirable genetic changes

in the plant material under investigation. In this case, the

use of a special DNA fi ngerprinting technique revealed

that the regenerated plants signifi cantly resembled the

parent trees from which the seeds were obtained. The

results indicated that the regeneration system used in the

research maintained the genetic composition of the parent

trees. The researcher was thrilled about this important

fi nding.

Although the laboratory trials have so far produced

promising results, Mr. Mulanda is quick to remind that

farmers will have to wait a while longer before they can

actually plant the tissue cultured seedlings in their fi elds.

The next important step in the research will be to evaluate

the performance of the tissue cultured plants in the

ASALs. “The outcome from the fi eld trials will determine

the potential for actual seedling production for use by

farmers”, he concludes.

This research work was supported through a grant from

the Kenya National Commission for Science, Technology

and Innovation (NACOSTI) and forms part of the

doctoral thesis being developed by the researcher. It was

supervised by Dr. Nelson O. Amugune (Genetics and Plant

Biotechnology), Prof. Jenesio I. Kinyamario (Plant Ecology),

and Prof. Elijah Akunda (Plant Physiology) from the School

of Biological Sciences. The research has already produced

three publications in reputable peer-reviewed international

journals.

8

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

In many households in Kenya,

and some institutions which

provide catering services, you

will fi nd a stove that burns wood

or charcoal fuel. This equipment is

popularly known as the “jiko”. If you

own one of these stoves, what exactly

informed your choice considering, as

it were, that they come in many types?

Jacob P. Kithinji, Associate Professor

in the Department of Chemistry, and

an expert in combustion chemistry,

reveals that there is more to the jiko

(which he prefers to call “cook stove”)

than many of us imagine.

Estimating that 70 percent of

Kenya’s energy budget consists of

solid biomass fuel, Prof. Kithinji

underscores the urgency of fi nding

safer and more effi cient ways of

burning this kind of fuel to reduce

the associated adverse environmental

and health impacts. Charcoal and

wood are classifi ed as solid biomass

fuel. “Perhaps it is time to replace

the traditional three-stone technology

that many of us grew up using,”

says Prof. Kithinji. He is quick to

acknowledge, however, that it will be a

while before this wasteful technology,

which is still predominant in many

rural homes in Kenya, is eliminated.

Prof. Kithinji, who is a researcher

and energy expert, is also aware

that alternative fuels such as

liquid petroleum gas (LPG), biogas,

bio-ethanol, and biodiesel are

out of reach for many Kenyans.

He observes that the short-term

solutions to the energy problem can

be found in improved technologies

for burning the current fuel sources.

The researcher indicates that

ultimately the country will have to

adopt cleaner energy sources almost

entirely. In the meantime, movements

such as the Clean Cook Stove and

Cooking Solutions and the Global

Alliance for Clean Cook Stoves have

The centre receives samples of

stoves for testing from both local

and international manufacturers.

The researcher and his team conduct

laboratory and kitchen performance

tests to determine the suitability of

these cooking technologies. The only

other stove testing centre in Kenya

can be found at the Kenya Industrial

Research Development Institute

(KIRDI) also in Nairobi.

Prof. Kithinji explains the factors

used at the testing centre to determine

the suitability of stoves for the Kenyan

market. The factors are effi ciency of

combustion, emission levels, safety

issues, durability of materials used,

and user acceptance. According to

the researcher, an ideal stove has

Jacob P. Kithinji

Associate Professor in the

Department of Chemistry

Clean is Bestbeen expanding their support for

improved cook stove technologies.

Manufacturers too have made a huge

industry out of developing these

technologies to satisfy the demand

created.

Prof. Kithinji, who has conducted

extensive research on some of the

so-called improved cook stoves, says

that some of the stoves on the market

are far from being adequate. He

attributes this problem to the lack of

a structured mechanism of regulating

the quality of these products, a

situation that has since been remedied.

The researcher explains that ideally,

any stove sold on the Kenyan market

must be from manufacturers whose

products have received certifi cation as

having passed the standards test.

As the Chairman of the Stove

Standards Committee of the Kenya

Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Prof.

Kithinji is involved in the task of

setting standards for cook stoves

in Kenya. He is also in charge of the

University of Nairobi’s Stove Testing

Centre located at Chiromo Campus.

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

The stove testing centre receives many

types of stoves for testing

9

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

the following attributes: uses less fuel to do the job in

less time; produces acceptable levels of emission; and

is safe to the user and those around especially children.

In addition, a suitable stove should be made of material

that can withstand the high temperature levels achieved

during cooking. Finally, the intended users must be happy

with the product as a whole.

The achievement of an ideal cook stove appears to

be a delicate balancing act. “You cannot achieve all fi ve

factors to your satisfaction in a single cook stove”, says

Prof. Kithinji. The qualities required to achieve effi ciency,

for instance, may compromise air circulation in the

equipment. Using examples of the sample stoves at the

testing centre, he explains the advantages of the various

design features as well as the shortcomings. During the

discussion, we learn from Prof. Kithinji, a lecturer in the

area of Fuel Chemistry, that incomplete combustion in a

stove leads to higher emission levels and increased indoor

air pollution. He points out another stove design where the

manufacturer’s desire to satisfy user aesthetic preferences

compromises effi ciency.

Prof. Kithinji remembers one stove testing experience

that still evokes laughter from him. In one incident he

and his research team found pieces of broken stoves in

several homes in a community where the stoves were

being tested. “We learnt that the stoves would break as

the users attempted to load them with more fi rewood than

the design could accommodate”, he explains. It turned out

that the women in this particular community attended to

many other activities while cooking and could not aff ord to

be tied around the kitchen to feed the stove with fi rewood.

“Some of them even refused our off er to replace the stoves

at no charge at all”, says Prof. Kithinji. In this community

the cook stove under test was clearly inappropriate.

The researcher’s projects involving improved combustion

cooking systems have attracted the attention of various

institutions. In addition to the Ministry of Energy, the

University of Nairobi has also collaborated with the

University of Berkeley in the United States. Coupled with

the student exchange programme with the University

...an ideal stove has the following attributes: uses less fuel to do the job in less time; produces acceptable levels of emission; and is safe to the user and those around especially children.

of Berkeley, the Department of Chemistry has also been

conducting air monitoring and kitchen performance tests

using the more advanced laboratory facilities at Berkeley.

Prof. Kithinji has also supervised several undergraduate

and master’s students who developed projects from their

work at the testing centre. Some of the students have even

joined the industry to pursue similar work. The improved

combustion project has also hosted master’s students from

Strathmore University.

According to Prof. Kithinji, some good technologies

have been developed locally, but there is still room for

improvement. He is particularly interested in innovations

to enhance the aeration properties of the cook stoves to

achieve more complete combustion. He explains that more

effi cient cook stoves have reduced emission levels of the

poisonous gases. The researcher sees the future of cook

stoves in technologies that will support “gasifi cation”, in

which the gaseous emissions from the combustion of wood

are trapped and utilised. “Basically, gasifi cation is similar

to charcoal burning except that in this case you trap and

use the gases produced”, he says. The charcoal residue

produced in this process, known as “bio char”, may be fed

back to the soil as a conditioner to improve texture and

aeration.

Prof. Kithinji is in support of joint research with experts

from other disciplines, such as public health, in order to

expand the focus of issues to be addressed. For instance,

he would like to work with more concrete evidence on

such issues as the health impact of smoke emissions and

prevention of indoor air pollution. “Combustion chemistry

alone will not solve the problem”, he concludes.

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Prof. Kithinji explains the features of one of the improved

cook stoves outside the Stove Testing Centre at Chiromo

Campus

10

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

The Fablab at the Science and Technology Park (STP)

is always a beehive of activity as students attempt

to build one device or another. One project at the

lab stands out, however, both for its sheer magnitude and

importance at this point in time. This is the Maternal,

New-born and Child Health Project (Maker for MNCH

Project) also known simply as the “Maker Project”. The

project brings together four partners whose main goal

is the local production of medical equipment to support

maternal and neonatal care in Kenya as part of the eff orts

to address the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 on

maternal and child care.

The Maker Project, which began in 2013, was informed

by a comprehensive survey conducted to determine the

country’s needs in this sector of medical care. Following the

survey, the project listed nine types of equipment required

to provide adequate maternal and neonatal care and which

were also in short supply in medical facilities across the

country. From the list of nine, four equipment types were

prioritised for immediate production including a suction

machine. “The idea behind the project is to produce, in

a cost-eff ective manner, equipment that is suitable for

local needs and conditions”, explains Ernest Kimani, the

Assistant Project Offi cer in charge of student coordination.

The partners in the Maker Project include the University

of Nairobi Fablab as the implementing or prototyping

partner, Concern Worldwide (Kenya) as the funding agency,

Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) as the clinical partner,

and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to take charge

of product testing and evaluation. Currently, the project is

concentrating on the development of a suction machine

and it is worth noting that this equipment is at an advanced

stage of production. According to Mr. Kimani, most of the

design and fabrication work on the suction machine was

done by students from the School of Engineering who

have also produced two of the four prototypes available.

The other two prototypes were produced by industry for

purposes of comparison.

Describing the project as an engineering challenge

for him and the entire team of “makers” who include

colleagues and students, Mr. Kimani elaborates that they

are not merely assembling the equipment but rather

designing it from scratch. “We begin from the premise that

we are required to produce a suction machine and so we

sit down and design one based on the principle of how it

works, what we want it to do, and the user specifi cations”,

MAKER PROJECTRESEARCH & INNOVATION

Fabricating Medical Equipment

Maker Project: Students from the School of Engineering show off a fi nished prototype of the suction machine they fabricated

in the Fablab at the Science and Technology Park

11

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

he says. He also elaborates further

that for medical equipment, safety

considerations for both patient and

operator are important design issues.

“Before this project, I did not even

know about the existence of a suction

machine for medical use”, he remarks

as a way of illustrating the magnitude

of the challenge he had to face as the

leader of the students’ team.

The innovator has been doing some

extensive research in the course of

developing the machine and says he

is up to date about the equipment. The

project team works very closely with

biomedical engineers, doctors, and

nurses from KNH to ensure that the

fi nal product meets the specifi cations

of the user. For this reason, the

initial design has undergone several

modifi cations, which the team

appreciates as being the essence of a

“user-centred design”. Accordingly,

Mr. Kimani believes that the suction

machine being developed will be quite

user-friendly.

The equipment has other attributes,

which include low production and

maintenance costs and the provision

for modifi cation to suit certain user

conditions. Mr. Kimani reveals that

the latest prototype of the suction

machine cost less to produce

compared to the price of the cheapest

machine available on the market. He

is sure that the cost of the fabricated

machine will reduce even further

under mass production. The project

has also planned to off er maintenance

training for biomedical engineers

once the equipment is approved for

use. With the availability of locally

sourced materials used to fabricate

the equipment, there will be less time

wasted in replacing parts when these

are needed.

So far, the project team is happy

with their fi rst product. The suction

machine is ready for testing by KEBS

in addition to undergoing further

clinical testing by KNH. “If the

machine passes the testing stage then

we can get ready for mass production

and supply to hospitals”, explains an

excited Kimani even though the project

has not been without its hurdles.

Sourcing for materials has been the

greatest challenge, making it diffi cult

to observe project timelines. Due to

lack of modern equipment to perform

certain tasks, the “Maker Team” has

had to perform certain tasks manually

when it would have been easier and

faster to use a machine and achieve

even better results. The team looks at

such inconveniences as being part of

the learning experience. Despite the

challenges, Mr. Kimani is upbeat that

the project is not too ambitious for

STP. “Once we roll out the fi rst product,

the rest should be easy because we

have been addressing the hurdles as

we move along”, he says. He sees the

project moving even faster when all

the activities are transferred to the

much bigger “Maker Space” in Upper

Kabete. The new laboratory will also

be better equipped with the required

state-of-the-art tools not available in

the current location.

The project offi cer observes that

the Maker Project has provided

an excellent opportunity to build

capacity and hone the skills of young

engineering students in design and

fabrication work. He says the students

will even gain the confi dence to design

“The students are very motivated by this experience because they are producing real products as they learn” Mr. Derrick Mugasia

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

and fabricate on their own as they

look forward to starting their own

enterprises or joining the industry.

“The students are very motivated

by this experience because they

are producing real products as they

learn”, says Mr. Derrick Mugasia, a

Technical Laboratory Assistant at the

Fablab who also works closely with the

students. Mr. Nzioki Martin Kitonyi,

who has just completed his fourth

year in Electrical Engineering cannot

agree more that the Maker Project

has given him and the other students

hands-on experience in seeing that

they can actually get products from

their own design work.

Miss Namayega Catherine Mulinde,

another student has this to say about

the project: “It is new, but good. You

get corrected as you move along”.

Catherine is a student of biomedical

engineering at Makerere University,

Uganda. She is on a six-week

attachment and is excited about

the exposure she is receiving on the

project.

Mr. Kimani observes that the STP

has also provided useful links for

some of the students to take up

lucrative jobs. The partnership is also

helping to build the capacity of the

local industry in fabricating medical

equipment. Mr. Nicholas Muthoka, the

project offi cer, concludes that even

though the Maker Project is focused

on meeting local user needs, they will

not compromise on the international

standards requirements. “The

FDA is our benchmark”, he says in

reference to the US Food and Drug

Administration that sets standards

for medical equipment and related

provisions.

Students in the process of fabricating a

suction machine at the Fablab

12

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Geol. Gladys Karegi KianjiLecturer at the Department of Geology.

Meet Geologist Gladys Karegi

Kianji, a lecturer at the

Department of Geology

and vice-chairperson of the East

and Southern Africa Geological

Seismological Working Group

(ESAGSWG). Gladys Kianji holds the

distinguished award of Order of the

Grand Warrior of Kenya (OGW), which

signifi es the country’s recognition of

her work and service to the nation

as a geologist. She was one of the

eight experts appointed to serve on

the Technical Expert Task Force on

the Delineation of Kenya’s Outer

Continental Shelf. Geol. Kianji is

also the outgoing chairperson of the

Geological Society of Kenya (GSK)

having successfully completed her

tenure of two terms.

As she refl ects on her achievements,

Kianji cannot imagine a career in any

other fi eld. This is especially because

geology was never her career of choice.

Her ambition was to become a lawyer

and she was also defi nite that she did

not want to become a teacher. Kianji

recalls that for two years into her

undergraduate studies, she would not

reveal to anyone that she was studying

geology alongside physics and

mathematics unless it was absolutely

necessary. Hers was simply a Bachelor

of Science degree. “Look at me now, I

am very much at home as a teacher

of geology!” she says referring to her

teaching workload in engineering

geology, seismology, basin analysis

geodynamics, and earth processes

engineering among other courses.

So, how did Gladys Kianji end up as

one of the few top women geologists

in Kenya? She was introduced to

geology by Prof. George King’oriah, a

friend of her father’s whom she talks

about fondly. When she received

admission to join the University

of Nairobi for her undergraduate

studies, Kianji was advised by Prof.

King’oriah, a land economist, to

consider studying geology because

he thought the little-known fi eld was

beginning to open up opportunities

for those interested in building a

career. “Put in eff ort and you will

succeed”, she remembers him saying.

Aft er this conversation, the young

Kianji reluctantly joined the geology

class. It was not until the third year

that she began to appreciate her

geology classes. She also found the

interactions with professionals in the

fi eld exciting because they added to

her understanding of geology both as

an area of study and practice.

Kianji later gained valuable

experience while serving as an intern

at the National Oil Corporation. The

insights and experience she gathered

as she tagged along with members of

the GSK during conferences and visits

to mines in places such as Voi and

Migori were especially important in

shaping her career further. During

her time, students were not eligible

for membership to the GSK. When the

time came to enrol for her masters

degree, Kianji did not hesitate in

choosing geophysics as the preferred

area of study.

What is geology about then? In

what may sound like my introductory

lecture, Kianji, the lecturer, describes

geology as the study of rocks, minerals,

and water. “Put simply, when you are

standing out in the fi eld, geology is the

study of anything below your feet or

ground surface”, she goes on. I gather

that geologists study the chemical and

physical processes taking place below

the ground surface and that statistical

work is a critical component of the

work of a geologist. Kianji, who loves

nature, says the best part about

learning and practising geology is that

it involves a lot of outdoor activities.

“The geologist’s lab is out in the fi eld”,

MEET OUR RESEARCHER

A display board at the Department of Geology with samples of some important

minerals found in Kenya

13

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

she remarks adding that she recently

returned from a one-month fi eldwork

expedition.

Geol. Kianji specialises in seismology

or the study of earthquakes and is

a trained technician in monitoring

earthquakes. Together with her

colleagues in the Department of

Geology and other experts from the

relevant government departments,

she has been actively involved in

the installation of equipment for

measuring earthquakes in several

sites across the country. “It is very

exciting to set up a station that works

and actually gives good data”, she

says putting further emphasis on the

importance of data in geology.

Armed with her testing kit, Kianji

and her colleagues have conducted

mineral and mining clinics among the

mining communities across Kenya.

Their mission is to raise awareness

about mineral identifi cation and

extraction by small scale miners. “The

idea is to demystify mining among

community members so that they see

it as a viable economic enterprise”,

she says. Kianji has been involved

in the preparation of legislation

touching on various aspects of geology

including the Mining Policy, Natural

Resource Policy, Geology Policy, and

the Disaster Reduction Policy. She was

also a member of the team that set up

...she describes her fi eld

experiences, some of them

in the country’s remote dry

areas without adequate basic

facilities, Kianji mentions close

encounters with wild animals,

a narrow escape from bandits,

and coming face to face with

hostile community members

who thought her team of

colleagues and students were

out to dispossess them of their

land.

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

the Tsunami Early Warning Systems

in Kenya.

In May 2015, Kianji also joined a

team of scientists and technicians

from the nine countries traversed by

the Great Rift Valley in a workshop

in Mozambique to decide on a

single format for analysing data

about earthquakes in the region.

The workshop was organised by the

Eastern and Southern Africa Regional

Seismological Working Group. She

indicates that a common approach

to data collection and analysis will

enable more effi cient sharing of

information about earthquakes in

the region and in the process lower

the cost of earthquake monitoring for

individual countries.

As she describes her fi eld

experiences, some of them in the

country’s remote dry areas without

adequate basic facilities, Kianji

mentions close encounters with

wild animals, a narrow escape from

bandits, and coming face to face with

hostile community members who

thought her team of colleagues and

students were out to dispossess them

of their land. She observes sadly that

due to population increase, mining

activities, and massive construction

projects, the destruction of geological

formations is changing the free

“geology lab” into private property.

“Geological activities cannot be

restricted to safe or available places

only”, she laments.

On the other hand, Kianji lauds

the increased understanding and

appreciation of geology, which

she says has raised the level of

research funding, attracted more

multidisciplinary research, and

opened up the sector further. “Rocks

can change the socio-economic status

of the country”, she stresses, in

support of this development. Kianji is

also impressed that more women are

joining the profession and their work

is being appreciated. Even so, she still

sees the need for enhanced investment

in key areas such as geophysics and

engineering geology which require

costly and sophisticated equipment.

Kianji is an achiever with several

feathers in her cap. She was the

youngest person, and also the fi rst

woman, to be elected chairperson

of the GSK. During her tenure at

the helm of the GSK, she had the

privilege of presiding over a board

whose membership also consisted of

her former lecturers, now colleagues,

at the Department of Geology. She is

the acting chairperson of the Kenya

National Young Academy of Sciences,

a forum that mentors and seeks

research funding for young scientists.

Away from geology, she is a member

of the Council of Machakos University

College, where she also serves on

the academic committee. She is

the chairperson of the Machakos

University College staff pension

scheme. She will also be sitting

on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption

Commission selection panel as

the Vice- Chairperson aft er her

nomination by the Association of

Professionals in East Africa (APSEA)

met the approval of the President.

Geol. Kianji is working to complete

her Ph.D. studies by the end of the

year. The Chairman of the Department

of Geology, Dr. Daniel Ichang’i, who is

also her former lecturer, sees Kianji

as a role model for young women

aspiring to build careers in geology.

“As a department, we have given

her all the support she needs but

we would like her to set her goals

even higher”, he says about Kianji’s

ongoing Ph.D. studies. Kianji will not

reveal her future plans just yet until

this very important career milestone

is accomplished.

Geol. Gladys Kianji demonstrates how

to identify minerals using the mineral

testing kit.

14

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

A team of investigators from

Kenya is involved in a two-year

research project to address

the problem of respiratory distress

syndrome (RDS) in preterm babies.

Available data indicates that RDS is

responsible for 30-50% of deaths in

preterm infants and 1% of all deaths

in infants making it an important

problem. The two-year project, which

began this year, involves a consortium

of other researchers from Germany,

South Africa, and Switzerland.

Dr. Andrew Makanya, from

the Department of Anatomy and

Physiology, is the project leader and

is working with Prof. V.Djonov of

the Institute of Anatomy, University

of Bern in Switzerland; Prof. John

Maina of the Department of Anatomy,

University of Johannesburg, South

Africa; and Prof. Matthias Ochs of the

Institute of Functional and Applied

Anatomy, Hanover Medical school,

Germany.

The RDScontrol_NI-036, as the

project is referred to, aims to use rather

The value chain is a useful conceptual tool for strategic

planning and building eff ective leadership models

within organisations. The concept of value chain

was fi rst described and popularised by Michael Porter in

his 1985 best-seller, Competitive Advantage: Creating and

Sustaining Superior Performance. Porter views the value chain

as the series of activities undertaken by a company or an

organisation for the purpose of gaining competitive advantage.

The idea of a value chain is also based on the process view of

an organisation, which is regarded as a system consisting of

subsystems each with inputs, transformation processes, and

outputs.

unconventional ways to achieve faster

lung maturation and effi ciency in lung

function hence reducing the incidence

of respiratory distress syndrome.

The project also aims at improving

research infrastructure, enhancing

research and teaching skills, and

promoting collaboration among

African and European researchers.

According to Dr. Makanya, the

project is funded by the European

Commission through ERAfrica, a new

European Union (EU) project aimed

at promoting a unifi ed European

approach to collaborating with Africa

in the fi eld of science and technology

research for innovation and

sustainable development. ERAfrica

forms part of the 7th Framework

Programme suite of European

research initiatives and boasts, as its

primary objective, the creation of a

“European Research Area Network”

for the African continent. Similar

programmes or “ERA-Nets” can be

found in Russia (ERA.Net RUS),

India (New INDIGO), and the Far East

(KorA-Net).

RDS PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT

As part of infrastructure

enhancement, the project will

establish a Microscopy and Imaging

Centre (MIC), to serve as a regional

hub of excellence for research,

training, diagnostics, and other

procedures that require microscopy

and imaging. Already, a room has

been set aside for the MIC, which is

also serving as a lab holding several

imaging and microscopy equipment

recently donated from Switzerland.

The ultimate goal is to build the MIC

into a regional centre of excellence

serving institutions far beyond the

Kenyan borders.

The skills training component,

especially targeting the masters and

Ph.D. students involved in the project

will be undertaken through induction

courses, workshops, and seminars

with one workshop having taken place

on 8th May 2015

Available data indicates that RDS is

responsible for 30-50% of deaths in

preterm infants and 1% of all deaths in

infants making it an important problem.

about RESEARCH, PRODUCTION, AND EXTENSIONIn this article, Rosemary

Omwandho from the Offi ce of

the DVC-Research, Production

and Extension would like us to

understand what the Division

is all about in the context of

the broader functions of the

University

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

15

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

Porter suggests that going through

the chain of an organisation’s activities

should add more value to the products

or services compared to the sum or

added cost of these activities. Thus, if

the activities within the subsystems

of the company or organisation run

effi ciently, then the entity will gain

competitive advantage on the product

or service and value delivery.

In a very simple way, the University

of Nairobi’s core functions of teaching

and learning, research, and service

to the community can be regarded as

the academia value chain. These are

embodied in the University’s mission

of providing quality education and

training. The academia value chain

embodies the aspirations of the

Kenyan people through the creation,

preservation, transmission, and

utilisation of knowledge. Thus,

teaching and learning, research,

and service to the community are

subsystems in the academia value

chain as Porter would put it, each

having its own chain of activities

geared towards gaining competitive

advantage in academia for the

University of Nairobi.

Research, as one of the core

functions of the University, provides

the basis for knowledge creation and

preservation, ideation, invention,

and innovation leading to knowledge

transfer. Therefore, within the

academia value chain the research

subsystem has its own subsystems

and chains of activities which form

the research value chain. At the

University of Nairobi, the research

value chain falls under the Division of

Research, Production and Extension.

The OECD (2002) Frascati Manual

defi nes research as the “creative

work undertaken on a systematic

basis in order to increase the stock

of knowledge, including knowledge

of humans, culture and society, and

the use of this stock of knowledge to

devise new applications”. Thus we

have scientifi c research, humanities

research, and artistic research.

Research confi rms facts, reaffi rms

results of previous research, and

solves new or existing problems.

Given that the objective of research

is to add to science or the knowledge

base, it is only logical that the addition

to the stock of knowledge should

impact society through new ways of

doing things, new processes, new

technology, and even new thought

processes.

Production refers to the

processes and methods used to

transform tangible inputs (raw

materials, semi-fi nished goods, and

subassemblies) and intangible inputs

(ideas, information, and knowledge)

into goods or services. Production

is driven by the objective of creating

outputs that are suitable for use and

adds value. Thus production, as Porter

would put it, is the transformation

process in the research value chain.

The concept of extension has

gradually evolved from being

perceived as referring to agricultural

extension services to include activities

undertaken across all disciplines

to disseminate new knowledge and

transfer new skills and technology

to communities and stakeholders in

order to address societal challenges.

Therefore, extension as it is now

understood, is the set of activities

undertaken systematically or

otherwise, to provide services,

knowledge, or skills to individuals

or communities with the aim of

improving livelihoods. Many of

the extension activities, especially

transfer of knowledge and adoption

of new skills or technology, would be

a culmination from research fi ndings

that are aimed at addressing societal

challenges.

Within the context of the

value chain analogy, therefore,

Research, Production and Extension

encompasses intelligent enquiry

(Research) that gets translated into

viable products or services through

ideation and invention (Production)

which are then pushed to the end

users for utilisation (Extension) for

the betterment of their livelihoods

and for development.

...it is only logical

that the addition to

the stock of knowledge

should impact society

through new ways

of doing things,

new processes, new

technology...

In a very simple way, the University of Nairobi’s core functions of teaching and learning, research, and service to the community can be regarded as the academia value chain

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

16

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

0201

PHOTO GALLERY

1 Participants at the training on Ph.D. Supervision at Maanzoni Lodge on 4-8 May, 2015.

2 Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research Production and Extension Prof. Lucy Irungu

(DVC-RPE) with some of the participants at the seminar on ICT Innovations for Schools

(June 25-26) organised by the School of Computing and Informatics.

3 Registrar RPE Division, Mrs. Beatrice Wanjala, led other members of staff from the

Divison in a tree planting event at the Ngong Forest.

4 DVC-RPE Prof. Lucy Irungu with staff from University of Botswana on a research

benchmarking visit to the University of Nairobi.

5 A student from the Department of Architecture and Building Science explains a design

proposal at the 4th NACOSTI Week.

6 Vice-Chancellor Prof. Peter M. Mbithi launches the Postgraduate Academic Tracking

System on 25 May 2015. Looking on (L-R) are Director Board of Postgraduate Studies

Prof. Lydia Njenga, DVC-RPE Prof. Lucy Irungu, and Director ICT Mr. Ibrahim Otieno.

7 Participants register for the 3rd International Scientifi c Conference hosted by the

College of Health Sciences and Kenyatta National Hospital held on 10-12 June.

8 DVC-RPE Prof. Lucy Irungu (with back to the camera) during the fi rst Kenya ORCID

Workshop held at the Confucius institute Conference Room, University of Nairobi (main

campus) on July 8 2015.

17

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

0704

03

08

06

PHOTO GALLERY

05

18

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Imagine yourself seated in your

favourite corner at the coff ee

house, pub, or restaurant waiting

eagerly to catch up with the latest

information in biodiversity research,

or some other research issue, rather

than news about the next game of

football or a chat about the local

politics. This is not just a fantasy,

but something that is happening

everywhere around the world. This is

the science café. Once in a while, your

regular social spot becomes the venue

for discussing hot research topics

with researchers as people continue

to down their drinks. The drive to

increase the visibility and impact of

that can be trusted to support sound

decision-making when tackling

everyday challenges. Researchers too

would be in a better position to defi ne

their research priorities when they

understand actual societal needs and

other critical contextual issues

The University of Nairobi hosted

the 4th National Science, Technology

and Innovation Week (4th ST&I Week)

on May 11-15. This annual event in

Kenya is only one among hundreds

of similar events organised globally

to promote interaction between

researchers and the public. The theme

of this year’s event was, “The role of

science, technology and innovation

in the post-2015 development

agenda.” It was organised by the

National Commission for Science

and Technology (NACOSTI) and the

Ministry of Education, Science, and

Technology (MOEST) with the support

of various partners. The innovations

and research products exhibited

during the fi ve-day event were a clear

indication that Kenya was getting

ready for the transition to a new global

development agenda to be formally

introduced in September. Visitors to

the exhibition had a chance to interact

with researchers on important issues

like food security, climate change, and

security among others. The exhibitors

included high school students, private

citizen innovators, and students as

well as researchers from institutions

of higher learning.

The Kenya Vision 2030, which is

the country’s main development plan,

considers the science, technology and

innovation sector as one of the six

critical foundations for socio-economic

development and the achievement

of global competitiveness. The sector

has, therefore, been receiving a good

Come Along!

More significantly, Vision 2030 also lays emphasis on raising awareness so that the Kenyan society can make use of the opportunities being created by science, technology and innovation (ST&I)

Some of the innovations displayed during the 4th National Science, Technology,

and Innovation Week caught the attention of curious young minds.

science among the general public has

assumed new and creative approaches

and having science on the menu of a

restaurant is just one of these.

The trend to promote dialogue

between scientists and the general

public has benefi ts for all. More than

ever before, science and technology

are considered to carry great promise

in solving many of the problems facing

humanity. At the same time, the need

to set the record straight on a number

of controversial issues between public

opinion, beliefs and values on one

hand and scientifi c research on the

other cannot be overemphasised.

For instance, should we not fi nd a

compromise on challenging issues on

climate change, genetically modifi ed

organisms, and vaccines? The public

needs research-generated knowledge

19

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 SeptemberRESEARCH & INNOVATION

amount of government attention

supported by both public and private

investment. More signifi cantly, Vision

2030 also lays emphasis on raising

awareness so that the Kenyan society

can make use of the opportunities

being created by science, technology

and innovation (ST&I). In view of

the country’s development agenda,

therefore, the objectives chosen for

the 4th ST&I Week were not unusual.

The forum was an opportunity to

take stock of the achievements made

in ST&I, appreciate those behind

the progress made so far, and share

information about the existing

policies on research and ST&I. The

event was also organised to “raise

public awareness and popularise

science, technology and innovation

among the citizenry”.

In the assessment of Dr. Josiah

Kinama of the College of Agriculture

and Veterinary Sciences (CAVS),

the 4th ST&I Week scored poorly

in raising public awareness about

the developments in science and

technology in Kenya. The researcher,

who has participated in similar local

and international events, says the 4th

ST&I Week lacked adequate public

participation. “I did not get questions

from farmers yet they are the main

stakeholders to give us feedback on

our work at CAVs,” he observed several

days aft er the event ended. According

to Dr. Kinama, the ST&I week should

be seen as an important forum for

exhibiting the technologies that are

being moved out of the shelves in

research departments into the public

domain for further interrogation

and use. His college was introducing

several new bean varieties and

other research products during the

exhibition.

Dr. Daniel Maitethia of Meru

University, like Kinama and many

others who attended the exhibition,

expected to improve his institution’s

“Smart Greenhouse” aft er the

interaction with farmers about its

application. “We want the end-users

to help us understand our innovation

better from their point of view so that

we can go back to the lab and review

the weak areas,” said Maitethia on the

second day of the exhibition. Drawing

from experience, Kinama would like

to see future events having more

public access and the desired open

consultation between researchers

and the public. In South Africa,

for instance, the national science

and technology week has activities

covering relevant local and national

issues in all the country’s provinces.

Science centres provide yet another

avenue for interaction between

researchers and the general public.

A unique feature of science centres

is the attempt to incorporate fun

and excitement in the way people

experience science, including the use

of fi lm, arts, and theatre. Although

science centres cater for diverse

interests and people of all ages, their

programmes place deliberate emphasis

on stimulating the interest of young

people in science and technology as

a way of nurturing future scientists.

Visitors to the science centre interact

freely with scientists by taking part in

discussions and demonstrations and

watching carefully selected science

movies, science theatre, art, and live

programming among other activities.

Kenya does not have a single science

centre, but has been participating in

international forums to promote the

activities of science centres while also

creating awareness of these facilities

at home. Information issued jointly

by MOEST and the Kenya Agricultural

and Livestock Research Organisation

(KALRO) during the 4th ST&I Week

indicates that Kenya signed the

Mechelen Declaration at the Science

Centre World Summit 2014 in

Belgium. In the Declaration, Kenya

committed to undertake activities

that will enhance the role of science

centres in promoting dialogue in

science and technology. The Belgium

Science Centre Summit estimated that

The event was also organised to “raise public awareness and popularise science, technology and innovation among the citizenry”

A brooder displayed by Mount Kenya University during the 4th National Science,

Technology and Innovation Week

20

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

every year 310 million people visited

almost 3,000 science centres located

in 90 countries across the world.

Available data for Africa indicates

that South Africa alone has about 35

science centres while all the other

countries combined are hosting less

than ten of these facilities.

On the other hand, the fi rst science

café in Kenya took place in 2008,

and discussions have since covered

issues like HIV prevention, family

planning, information technologies,

archaeology, and climate change. In

one event convened for a women-only

audience at Cassablanca Café in

Nairobi, participants discussed

women’s health with Dr. Carol

Odula Obonyo, Obstetrician and

Gynaecologist from the University of

Nairobi. In April 2015 at the Alliance

Francaise, the topic for discussion

was the protection of maize from

climate change eff ects. Dr. George

Ong’amo of the School of Biological

Sciences was invited to this forum

discuss the importance of biodiversity

in agro-ecosystems with an audience

that included farmers.

As important research centres,

universities too are going out of

their way to engage with the citizens

about their activities in science

and technology. These eff orts are

internally driven by the institutions’

own priorities and the requirements

of funding organisations and other

interests. Some universities have

regular programmes for interacting

with the public through activities

like on-campus talks, science open

days, laboratory tours, and occasional

in-school presentations. Institutions

that take public engagement seriously

also train their researchers to acquire

skills on how best to interact with

the public, policy makers, and the

media. Some institutions even have

reward systems to recognise the eff ort

of individual researchers in public

engagement activities.

The University of Nairobi Extension

and Outreach Policy 2014 supports

extension and outreach as critical

functions of the University. The policy

encourages researchers to get more

involved in activities with a public

focus by developing “appropriate

strategies for ensuring that their

research reaches potential end-users

in forms that can be used to develop

policies, programmes, and other

practical applications”. The aim

of the policy is to ensure that the

Kenyan society becomes aware of the

research knowledge and products

of the University of Nairobi and can

actually apply these to situations in

their everyday lives. The national

seminar by the School of Computing

and Informatics titled “embracing

technology and innovations” for

stakeholders in the education sector

held on June 22-26 could be regarded

as an important outreach activity.

Finally, it would be worth the eff ort

to seek an assessment of the level

of public participation during the

Nairobi Innovation Week held in early

August from Dr. Kinama and others

who attended the event as a basis for

future improvement.

As important research centres, universities too are going out of their way to engage with the citizens about their activities in science and technology.

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

A poster

announcing

the April 2015

Science Café

at the Alliance

Francaise in

Nairobi to

discuss climate

change and

food security.

21

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

Terrorism is at the top of the

agenda for many countries

because none is safe from

the vagaries of this vice. Amb. Dr.

Monica Juma, Principal Secretary

in the Ministry of Interior and

National Coordination, makes it

clear that Kenya is a direct target

of terrorism contrary to what was

believed to be the case earlier. In a

keynote speech during a symposium

held at the University of Nairobi to

explore methods of dealing with

terrorism, Juma refl ected on several

alternatives towards the achievement

of a sustained war against terror. She

especially emphasised the place of

research in fi nding lasting solutions

to the problem.

Dr. Juma observed that collaboration

between policy makers and academia

would be critical in undertaking trend

analysis so as to predict the possible

actions being considered by terrorists.

Such predictions would then form

the basis for developing strategies

to counter terrorism. In her speech,

Juma outlined seven broad areas

that should infl uence discussion and

research on terrorism. She warned

that whereas the seven pillars might

21

Caleb Wanda of the School of Business brings us

Dr. Monica Juma’s perspective on how we can apply

research to win the current war on terrorism across

the globe

An effective grand strategy, therefore,

should be based on fact fi nding and in-depth

analysis of effective strategies to not only

counter terrorism but proactively develop

policies to control the vice from its basic

structures

Amb. Dr. Monica Juma

Interior Principal Secretary

not be adequate in covering every

aspect of the war against the deadly

vice, they can help in redirecting the

search for a grand strategy against

terrorism which the entire African

continent needs urgently.

The fi rst research pillar is the

identifi cation and establishment of

partners in the war against terror. In

this regard, international relationships

and intelligence structures are key

elements in mapping the movements

of terrorists and their probable targets.

This kind of information would help

solidify impenetrability into such

areas. Understanding the victims, the

critical measures to apply, and the

facilitators to combating terrorism

would be the key to these partnerships

especially in protecting the innocent

civilians who fall victim all the time.

These partnerships would also aid

in ensuring peace and calm across

national borders.

The second critical area to the

development of a grand strategy to

counter terrorism is to understand

the linkages among states. These

linkages cover the state machineries

as well as the terror networks which

permeate independent countries.

Correspondence among governments

should be strengthened so that

information is clarifi ed towards a

common cause. This strategy can

be strengthened by encouraging

cooperation among individual

citizens, the police, and intelligence

systems. Citizens who feel insecure

may be reluctant to reveal what they

know about terror suspects or their

activities for fear of being victimised

by both the security agencies and

terror groups.

The third key area is updating

research to refl ect the current issues

and trends in the war against terror.

Terrorists oft en have the upper hand

and will always catch the security

systems in a state of unpreparedness.

Terrorists research all the time and

obtain information from the public.

They even torture victims to get the

most detailed reports on security

plans then work on countering such

plans. An eff ective grand strategy,

therefore, should be based on fact

fi nding and in-depth analysis of

eff ective strategies to not only counter

terrorism but proactively develop

policies to control the vice from its

basic structures. Also relevant here is

Kenya’s global context in the face of

terrorism. The country is surrounded

by states which are dominated by

terror and hostility due to civil strife.

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

22

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

The media, in its quest to address the matter, becomes extremist in perpetuating the desire of the terrorists to instill fear in the masses

Kenya is also in a strategic location

as an operation zone by states united

against terror or by terrorist groups

inclined to expand their grip on the

world. It is imperative, therefore,

to protect the citizens not just

from physical attack but also from

radicalisation of the minds.

Emerging threats can be cited as the

fi ft h area of discussion in developing

an African grand strategy against

terrorism. Cases of radicalisation into

areas that were initially considered

safe are increasingly popular.

Schools and religious institutions

are becoming targets of terror and

indoctrination thus making it almost

impossible to track down victims of

terror or perpetrators of the crisis.

The sixth and most complicated

area of discussion and research is

the involvement of the media in

investigating and reporting terror

activities as well as the cause of the

human rights groups to protect life

and human dignity. The media, in its

quest to address the matter, becomes

extremist in perpetuating the desire

of the terrorists to instill fear in

the masses. Dr. Juma poses several

questions relating to media and

terrorism. It is important to report

and disseminate information, but to

what extent is the media allowed to

expose to the public the actual pain

and suff ering of the victims of terror?

To what extent, especially, should we

consider reporting as being respectful

of human dignity with regard to the

use of pictures and other forms of

reporting? What is the constitutional

defi nition of integrity? And based

on this defi nition, could selective

reporting be regarded as dishonest

and therefore lacking in integrity?

The same questions could also be

addressed to the human rights groups.

They perceive the circumstances

as if a certain group of terrorism

propagators has been provoked rather

than a government measure to protect

its citizens.

The last research area addressed

in the keynote speech was the

response patterns and capacity to

handle terrorism. A critical issue

here is the case of refugees versus the

humanitarian debate to protect them

despite fears that they are probably

sympathisers of the terrorists. Dr.

Juma again posed several questions for

consideration here. Does the continent

have adequate capacity to manage

the infl ux of internal refugees amid

increasing cases of internal wrangles

which perpetually leave more people

victimised and displaced? On what

basis should a lasting solution be

founded so that the volatile situation

in the continent does not escalate into

an uncontrollable tsunami?

Notable also is the role of the

department of migration in the

management of trans-national

movements from Kenya to other

nations. Is there a better way to make

the administration of citizens and

visitors in the country eff ective so that

there is always information about who

is at what point doing what activity?

The identifi ed areas of research

and discussion are very broad, but

we could consider them as pillars to

support the foundation in the quest for

a grand African strategy in countering

terrorism. Juma’s parting shot was

that it is not enough to counter

terrorism, but more has to be done to

eradicate the terrorism movements

so that the growth attained by

independent countries is not reversed

by disrespectful, radicalised terror

groups.

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

The symposium on terrorism under the theme, “Countering terrorism: In search of

a grand African Strategy”, captivated the audience.

23

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

Which way for African researchers?

African education researchers

have been challenged to

“Africanise” research and

the debate on educational matters.

This call implies that scholars in

Africa should play a leading role

as generators of knowledge that is

relevant to the needs of the education

sector across the continent. According

to Dr. Daniel K. Gakunga, President

of Africa for Research in Comparative

Education Society (AFRICE), it is time

for African scholars to move to other

issues beyond the achievement of

the Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs). Dr. Gakunga is advocating

for a shift of focus to what Africa

can do to develop home-grown and

locally funded research as the world

embarks on the new global agenda

of Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs) towards 2030.

Dr. Gakunga who is a lecturer

in the Department of Educational

Foundations , School of Education,

notes that “It is important for Kenya

to begin tapping into resources

from industry and ensure that the

industrial sector supports research

and development”. In addition, he

advises that researchers should

engage with line ministries on ways

of accessing the funds committed

for research and development by the

national government.

AFRICE is a Pan-African educational

movement established for the purpose

of promoting research in comparative

education and other educational

disciplines by African scholars.

The second AFRICE international

conference took place on 18-19 June,

2015 under the theme “Education

in Africa: Refl ections Beyond 2015

MDGs-Comparative Perspectives”.

The forum held at the Kenya Science

Campus was hosted by the University

of Nairobi. It served as an appropriate

platform for mobilising scholars

in education to share research

experiences and new thinking about

the direction of educational research

. During the conference, Dr. Gakunga

was elected to serve as AFRICE

president for the next two years.

The conference was attended by

delegates from Italy, the United States,

Norway, Canada, and Australia. Local

participants were drawn from public

and private universities including

Kisii University, University of East

Africa, Baraton, Masinde Muliro

University of Science and Technology,

Catholic University of Eastern Africa,

and St. Pauls University. According

to Dr. Gakunga, an important

achievement of the the AFRICE

conference was the positioning of

Nairobi on the world map as a centre

for comparative education. “For the

next two years, Nairobi will remain on

the agenda as the reference point for

discussions on comparative education

research”, he notes. A number of the

postgraduate students who attended

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

A participant makes a presentation during the AFRICE conference at which 65 papers were presented on the new direction

for education aft er 2015

24

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

the conference have indicated that it

exposed the need for them to improve

their skills in preparing conference

papers, making presentations, and

academic writing. They would like

the development of skills in these

areas to be a requirement in training

of postgraduate students.

During the conference, 65 papers

were presented in the thematic

areas of education administration,

planning, fi nancing, and curriculum

development. There were also papers

in the categories of gender and

education, technology, community

development, and inclusive

education. Prof. Heidi Biseth from

Norway, who presented one of the

two key note papers of the conference,

explored the post-MDGs education

landscape especially pertaining to

issues of democracy and multicultural

environments. In another keynote

paper, Prof. Ali Abdi from the

University of British Columbia,

Canada, discussed Africa’s education

policy beyond the MDGs. Commenting

on the outcome of the conference,

Dr. Gakunga indicates that 20 of the

papers presented will be selected

for publishing in the Fountain, a

journal of the School of Education.

He observes that beyond research, the

challenge lies in implementation of

the fi ndings.

Dr. Gakunga laments that our

institutional libraries have become

archives of great ideas whose only

purpose is to support academic

citations. “It is true that there is need

for our research to have an impact

on policy and and to be relevant in

guiding interventions especially on

some of the development challenges

facing the nation”, he says. He is

calling upon policy makers in Africa

to listen to local researchers and

involve them in making policy

decisions. He also supports the idea

of delineatinge a role for scholars in

a national stakeholders’ conference

on education because he believes

researchers have a role to play in

reaching out to members of the public

who do not attend conferences or

read research papers, despite having

fundamental challenges in realising

their aspirations.

The AFRICE president also has

some advice for African education

researchers as well; they should

engage in partnerships with policy

makers and policy implementers

by making themselves more visible

and conducting more commissioned

research to address the interests of

communities. “Researchers today

ought to carry out studies on the

direction that schools should take

when faced with challenges of drug

and alcohol abuse, sexual orientation

issues, and same sex relationships”,

he explains. The results of such studies

should then be discussed with school

managers to assess their usefulness

in meeting these challenges.

Advising on the importance

of research clusters as a way of

promoting research, Dr. Gakunga

states that, “There is greater strength

in working together, even though it is

sometimes diffi cult for academics to

learn from and mentor each other”.

He explains that clustering is also an

eff ective mechanism for impacting

on policy and involving researchers

in policy formulation. Internally,

Dr. Gakunga suggests that in order to

move research forward, the Research,

Production and Extension Division

could organise an open brainstorming

session to discuss a research agenda

for the University and the challenges

experienced by researchers pertaining

to such issues as research funding

and grant writing.

“For the next two years,

Nairobi will remain on

the agenda as the reference

point for discussions on

comparative education research”

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Participants follow proceedings during the 2nd Africa for Research in

Comparative Education Society (AFRICE) conference at the Kenya Science

Campus held on 18-19 June 2015

25

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

In May 2015, the University of Nairobi Library embarked on an ambitious

programme to train members of the teaching staff on the use of Turnitin

plagiarism detection soft ware. In this article, Esther Obachi shares the

experience of the team she led in conducting the training.

What next after the training?

I was appointed chairperson of

the training committee which

consisted of seven members.

Our task was to train 500 members

of the teaching staff in 35 days. We

prepared a training schedule, which

the Director, Library and Information

Services circulated to the Heads of

Department of the targeted units. The

departmental heads were requested

to assist in getting the word around

that our team would be visiting the

departments and to invite members

of the academic staff to attend the

training. The library staff from

the selected units also took part in

mobilising the academic staff in

their respective colleges to enroll for

the training.

Our fi rst appointment was at the

School of Computing and Informatics,

which we considered as the pilot unit.

The plan was for the entire committee

to attend this particular session aft er

which we would split into groups of

two, and of course the librarian in

charge of the unit being visited, for

the subsequent sessions. For this fi rst

session, we chose what we thought was

an ideal date just aft er the students

had completed their semester exams.

We had assumed that the lecturers

would be free to attend the training

at this time, but as it turned out the

marking of exam papers was yet

another demanding exercise for the

faculty. We had to reschedule our fi rst

training for lack of quorum.

In order to ensure high attendance

of future meetings, we reviewed our

initial approach such that the Unit

librarian would work closely with

the Dean, departmental heads, and

prospective participants in mobilising

staff . With this new approach, we

were able to register more than half

the expected numbers in all our

sessions. By the end of the training

period, we had trained 308 faculty

members, including those in the

satellite campuses of Kisumu and

Mombasa. Our training also covered

27 masters students.

The participants were quite

excited about using the soft ware

with some even indicating that it

was long overdue. The only concern

for everyone, however, was the lack

of enough licenses because each

participant would have liked the

experience of using the soft ware

during the training. We had only 100

licenses to take us through the entire

training and at the end of each session

we would issue fi ve instructors’

licenses to be shared by staff in the

faculty covered. The training thus

relied mainly on demonstration.

The licenses we used to conduct the

training had been donated to the

University by the Consortium for

Advanced Research Training in Africa

(CARTA) foundation.

We prepare for training

RESEARCH SUPPORT

Esther Obachi takes members of staff at the College of Health Sciences through

training on the use of Turnitin plagiarism detection soft ware

26

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

One of the challenges, which

is signifi cant, is that the

licenses issued were due

to expire at the end of June 2015.

In view of this, the University had

requested for a one-year extension

of the licenses from the CARTA

foundation while also preparing to

purchase some more. Meanwhile,

all the students who had submitted

their proposals for consideration for

the DAAD scholarships were referred

to the Library to have the proposals

checked for originality. We have since

advised some of the applicants to

review their proposals on the basis

of the reports obtained from the

originality check. Indeed, it is to their

advantage that the documents were

checked at an early stage when there

was still time to revise the problem

areas. One setback is that the reports

given by the soft ware are expressed

in percentages, yet the University of

Nairobi Plagiarism Policy is not clear

about the acceptable threshold of

originality.

The training revealed two important issues that

need to be addressed urgently. First, a good section

of the teaching staff has not read the University’s

Plagiarism Policy and hence is not clear about the basis

for application of the soft ware. Second, certain areas in

the plagiarism policy needed to be reviewed to cover a

number of critical issues more comprehensively, including

the acceptable threshold of originality when using the

soft ware. This matter has been taken up by the offi ce of

the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Production and

Extension (DVC-RPE).

An interesting observation since the training ended is that

even aft er demanding to be issued with licenses urgently,

most of those who received the licenses had not used them

by the time the licenses expired. Some departments had

even off ered to purchase their own licenses because they

felt that there was urgent need to acquire the soft ware.

We were able to determine that only 18 licenses were

active. Most of the active licenses were actually registered

to Library staff . We are of the view that there is need for

further training before the soft ware can be adopted fully.

The challenge now lies with the University management to

acquire more licenses to enable members of the teaching

staff assist students in preparing quality project reports.

We hope that this will happen soon to enable the University

of Nairobi meet its quest for world- class excellence.

Challenges

Way forward

By the end of the training

period, we had trained 308

faculty members, including

those in the satellite campuses

of Kisumu and Mombasa. Our

training had also covered 27

masters students.

RESEARCH SUPPORT

A training session on the use of Turnitin at the School of Law, Parklands

27

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

The infrastructure for research, such as laboratories and libraries,

plays a crucial role in supporting innovation and the creation of

new knowledge. In an eff ort to expand the facilities available to

researchers and also encourage the use of these facilities, the University

has been expanding its system of Graduate Research Libraries (GRLs)

to provide a more comprehensive resource base. The GRLs consist of

specialised print and electronic materials to support the research needs

of teaching staff , researchers, and graduate students. The GRLs give

priority of use and access to members of the academic staff and PhD

students. In addition to the GRL at the Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library

at the Main Campus, each college library has a GRL section.

The research libraries have large collections of print materials

including books, reports, biographies, inaugural lectures, citations,

theses, and reference materials. The GRL at the Jomo Kenyatta Memorial

Library also has a special collection of books from the Thailand Embassy,

books on the Spanish language, and books on social work. Readers can

also access e-resources using the facilities provided in the GRLs.

The GRLs document, monitor, and collect the research output of

the University of Nairobi. These libraries off er an appropriate reading

environment where members of staff are on standby to address queries

on user information research. Library users also receive information

literacy training to enable them acquire skills on how to access,

evaluate, and use e-resources. Those who are unable to locate the

information they are seeking or have no access to the library resources

from remote locations may seek assistance from library staff . The GRLs

also provide consultancy services related to the core functions of this

section of the library. These libraries operate from 8.00 a.m. to 8.00

p.m. on weekdays only. The request by users to have the GRLs remain

open for longer hours including Saturdays when the general library is

open is being considered.

The Graduate Research Libraries

One of the challenges facing the GRLs is frequent interruptions

in Internet connectivity, which interferes with service provision,

especially the training on the use of electronic resources as well as the

eff ective use of e-resources. Given the diversity in users’ needs, the

GRLs have not been able to satisfy all clients, nor can they accommodate

all the postgraduate students and lecturers who would like to use the

facilities. There are plans to relocate the GRL at the JKML to a larger

space to accommodate the increasing number of postgraduate students

and teaching staff ; the same case applies to the college GRLs. It will

be possible to increase the number of book shelves and the volume

of reading materials once the space occupied by the GRLs has been

expanded.

Library users also receive information

literacy training to enable them acquire

skills on how to access, evaluate, and use

e-resources

These libraries

off er an appropriate

reading environment

where members of

staff are on standby

to address queries

on user information

research

RESEARCH SUPPORT

The reading area in the Graduate Research

Library at the Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library

(JKML), Main Campus.

28

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

The School of The Built

Environment has a specialised

research library on building

and housing research information

in which the work of individual

researchers features prominently.

The Documentation Centre, as the

library is referred to, maintains

records of researchers’ profi les and

their research outputs. Like any other

library, the centre has arranged all

the research material in its custody

according to themes to make it easier

for users to locate information. In

addition, users at this library are able

to identify the experts in the various

fi elds in case they would like to have

further consultation with them.

The small and rather hidden

documentation centre attracts

researchers in need of building

information from far and wide. In

addition to providing the regular

library services, this special library

takes a keen interest in profi ling

researchers on the basis of their

expertise and publications in such

areas as land, housing, and transport

among other areas. According to

Dr. Abonyo, the documentalist in

charge of the library, “researcher

profi ling and documenting according

to themes are tedious tasks initially

but very rewarding in the end when

a client is able to acquire specifi c

information with ease”. Her work,

therefore, entails translating the

‘tacit information’ developed by the

researchers to make it explicit and

hence more accessible.

Dr. Abonyo is proud of her profession

and calling of moving beyond

librarianship to the next level of taking

a personal interest in the studies and

products of researchers. Dr. Abonyo

notes that “By doing this, we ease the

task and save time for researchers,

students and other professionals who

may be seeking information on land

and housing in addition to identifying

“If you serve people according to their interests, without much of a hassle, they will keep coming back to you and send others for more information”Dr. Abonyo

Documentation:An art because you learn people’s character and

behavior, and a science because information must be kept in a very systematic manner

RESEARCH SUPPORT

experts whom they can consult for

further information”.

Dr. Abonyo has been serving as a

documentalist at the centre since 1983

when it was documenting the activities

of the former Housing Research and

Development Unit (HRDU). This unit

was carved out of the Department of

Architecture to carry out research on

housing, especially for low income

groups in Kenya. She established

the documentation centre from the

information that she found stored in

a steel cabinet and from newspapers

which the researchers were using as

their reference documents at the time.

In 1992, the library was renamed

the Housing and Building Research

Institute Documentation Centre

(HABRI Documentation Centre) due

to the rising demand in both housing

and building information which the

centre was providing.

The HABRI library had information

on low-cost building technologies that

people in rural areas could readily

access and use. The documentation

centre was also widely recognised

for its outreach/dissemination

programmes including Training of

Trainers for communities, training

of community groups, and holding

awareness seminars about low-cost

housing. The unit also prepared

information pamphlets for the public

including the names of experts in

various fi elds so that those with

specifi c information needs would

contact them.

Dr. Abonyo believes that “If you

serve people according to their

interests, without much of a hassle,

they will keep coming back to you and

send others for more information”. She

has maintained the documentation

centre by developing a passion for

what the library users need and

making available the information

that she perceives would be benefi cial

to them. Dr. Abonyo has read widely

and attended seminars about housing

and related issues. She has been able

to master and appreciate the diff erent

backgrounds and information needs of

the architects, engineers, curators, and

other professionals who visit the library.

“Nobody works without information

and if people are able to obtain the

information they require quickly,

they will be more satisfi ed and as the

document custodian you will work

with more ease and satisfaction”, she

says of her work. Dr. Abonyo views

documentation as an art as well as

a science. “An art because you learn

people’s character and behavior, and

a science because information must

be kept in a very systematic manner”,

she explains. Dr. Abonyo has her ear

constantly to the ground in search

of material that will serve the needs

of researchers and students from the

School of The Built Environment as well

as any other person with an interest in

the collection of materials found at the

HABRI documentation centre.

Architecture and Building Research Documentation Centre

Dr. Jayne Abonyo at the Housing and

Building Research Institute (HABRI)

Documentation Centre located at the

School of the Built Environment.

29

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

“For many researchers, the

research process ends with the

publication of a peer-reviewed

article but this should not be the

case”. This is an observation made by

Mr. John Maina, the administrator at

the University of Nairobi Intellectual

Property Management Offi ce (IPMO).

Mr. Maina would like researchers to

take their work further by exploring

the other potential benefi ts of their

projects. He indicates that the

University of Nairobi is about to

embark on an intellectual property

(IP) audit to identify projects whose

potential value can be exploited.

The IP audit, which requires the

cooperation of researchers, will entail

the identifi cation and establishment

of an inventory of all the IP assets of

the University and the commercial

value of these assets. Aft erwards,

measures will be put in place to ensure

the eff ective utilisation of these assets

for the benefi t of IP owners and the

University. The University of Nairobi

already has eleven trademarks in use

and fi ve patent applications pending

approval.

As the IPMO prepares to begin the IP

audit, one immediate concern is the

low level of awareness of intellectual

property in the university. Professor

Julius Mwangi, the Director IPMO

and Mr. Maina are concerned that not

many students and members of staff

have read the university IP policy and

hence are suspicious about almost

everything.

Prof. Mwangi considers the

protection of intellectual property and

the commercialisation of knowledge

as normal functions of a university

which should not be viewed with

suspicion. He indicates that the

Vice-Chancellor, Prof. P.M.Mbithi, and

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research

Production and Extension) Prof.

Lucy Irungu have a lot of interest in

major sensitisation training will cover

technologists, targeted researchers,

and more students.

Aft er the sensitisation phase, IP

training will be directed towards

addressing information gaps within

more specifi c areas according to

the core functions of the various

departments. Training at the College

of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences

(CAVS), for instance, will bring in

experts from the Kenya Plant Health

and Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) to

discuss the protection of plant genetic

resources.

For the University Library and the

University Press, the focus will be on

copyright issues and the facilitators

will be drawn from the Kenya Copyright

Board (KECOBO). In the College of

Biological and Physical Sciences

(CBPS) where issues of patenting of

pharmaceuticals and biotechnology

products are paramount, the IPMO

will liaise with the Kenya Industrial

Property Institute (KIPI). Already,

the IP offi ce has conducted training

on how to carry out patent searches

and the use of patent information in

research and product development.

As the training continues, those with

specifi c IP concerns are encouraged to

visit the IPMO offi ce located at UNITID

intellectual property matters and have

been supporting the activities of his

offi ce to ensure that the University’s

intellectual property is adequately

protected and utilised.

Prof. Mwangi also stresses that it

is not the intention of the University

to take away the work of researchers

because this is protected by the IP

policy, which is also anchored in

the Kenyan law. He underscores the

need for researchers and students to

read the IP policy as they begin their

research work because the policy

is a crucial starting point for any

discussion about intellectual property

in the university. The IPMO is in the

process of simplifying the IP policy

further to make it more user-friendly

although students can refer to the IP

handbook which is in circulation.

The IPMO has conducted a series

of training sessions to sensitise

the University community about

the existence of the offi ce and also

raise awareness about intellectual

property. The training has so far

covered the University Management

Board, Deans and Directors, Chairmen

of Departments, and a section of

the student population. The IPMO

has also identifi ed and trained

departmental IP champions. The next

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30

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

Introduction to intellectual property and access

Let’s Talk about Research in the Digital ageIs IP a facilitator or barrier?

RESEARCH SUPPORT

We asked Prof. Ben Sihanya, JSD (Stanford), Scholar of Intellectual Property and

Constitutional Democracy, University of Nairobi Law School to discuss one of

the big dilemmas for researchers: how to share their work without losing it in

the technological era. Follow Prof. Sihanya’s comprehensive discussion below in

which he tackles some of the critical issues pertaining to intellectual property in a

digitised world.

building at the College of Health Sciences. Mr. Maina

recommends that the best time to address IP issues is at

the beginning of the research process, but one could also

do so before publishing the research results. According

to the intellectual property offi cer, the basic rule about

intellectual property is that one must own it fi rst. “If you

do not own it [IP] then you have no say in it”, he cautions.

The offi cer is particularly keen on reaching researchers

whose projects have an element of external funding or

some form of collaboration. “Ensure that your agreement

has a clear IP clause to cover the ownership of research

outputs”, he insists. One of the functions of the IPMO is

overseeing the preparation of agreements and memoranda

of understanding (MOUs) relating to IP.

As the IPMO continues to raise awareness and demystify

intellectual property, Prof. Mwangi is asking researchers

and innovators to exercise patience when dealing with

IP issues. He indicates that his offi ce has dealt with

individuals who abandoned the IP protection process only

to return aft er they “lost” their work. “Understanding

of IP takes time and requires a lot of investment, but the

long-term benefi ts are worth the eff ort”, he says.

How does IP law protect research and

information in Kenya and Africa?

Intellectual property law in Kenya and Africa addresses

the creation, use, and exploitation of creative works.

Depending on the form of expression, IP law protects

research and information through copyright, trade

secret, trade name, patent, utility model, industrial

design, and unfair competition among others. Such

protection confers on the author, innovator, or inventor

the rights to control the use of their works subject only to

the limitations provided for in the law. The limitations to

the exercise of the rights of exclusivity are in reference to

time and use. Some of these limitations include private

non-commercial use for patents and utility models. In

In this article, I will focus on the role of intellectual property in information sharing and protection by addressing two critical questions. First, what is the role of intellectual property in information and knowledge sharing and access? Second, what modes are available for researchers to protect their works while at the same time make such works accessible especially in the digital age?

Knowledge has increasingly become an economic asset. Knowledge is enhancing and also competing with the agricultural, manufacturing, services, and extractive industries among others, and hence the knowledge economy (KE) or “informationalism”. Increased research and development (R&D) activity, mainly in public R&D institutions and higher education institutions like the University of Nairobi, has led to the creation of vast amounts of knowledge.

A major concern for policymakers and administrators, however, is how to ensure that the knowledge being generated is transferred to industry and society to facilitate various forms of development. Intellectual property is one mechanism through which to achieve knowledge transfer. Signifi cantly though, intellectual property also raises issues of restricted access and exclusivity among other factors.

Intellectual property (IP) protects and promotes appropriate human creativity. IP plays a central role in the creation, promotion, protection, and access to knowledge especially in light of digitisation. A balanced intellectual property system off ers incentives for the development or creation of appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude, values, and innovation (SKAVI) while still making the products accessible to the public.

31

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

Kenya, sections 26-29 of the Copyright Act 2001 provide

the limitations and exceptions to copyright, which include

fair dealing for scientifi c research, review or criticism;

school or university use; and instructional broadcasts.

What are some of the challenges arising from the use of IP law to protect research and information in Kenya and Africa?

IP has been criticised for being monopolistic and for

imposing restrictions on access and use to the extent that

these controls stifl e innovation. However, intellectual

property is largely exclusive as opposed to monopolistic.

Exclusivity is justifi ed as it off ers incentives and allows

for compensation for the heavy investments in research

and innovation.

The protection and limitations provided for in law

encourage and facilitate publication and dissemination

of information for public access. Some argue that these

limitations and exceptions are quite narrow and that the

rights holders still have signifi cant control over the use

of their information by others. As a result, two competing

interests have emerged: those in favour of protection of

the innovator’s rights and those facilitating access to

information by the public.

How are the interests of the author/researcher balanced with enabling access to information by the public?

Two approaches have emerged to support these interests.

First, we have the open access approach which argues for

greater access to knowledge through making scholarly

works accessible without restrictions. The view is that

knowledge is oft en created with no expectation of

monetary returns as it is made available to the public

at no cost. Second, the proprietary approach argues for

intellectual property rights for inventors, innovators,

and authors. In this case, innovators make their works

accessible to the public at a cost so as to get compensation

for the costs associated with knowledge creation.

I concur with Prof. Paul Goldstein, Prof. Lawrence Lessig,

and Prof. Jeremy de Beer that a balanced intellectual

property system which includes appropriate laws and

effi cient institutions facilitates open access and also

provides incentives to the creators of the works. A

balanced IP system provides for modes that facilitate

protection and sharing of works.

What modes facilitate intellectual property

protection and access in Kenya?

Digitisation has facilitated access and transmission of

information through the Internet and mobile platforms

such as e-journals, websites, blogs, and social media

sites like Facebook among others. As much as this

development promotes research and innovation through

increased access, it exposes the author to a high risk

of infringement due to the limited control the author

has over the digital platforms. Some modes available

to researchers, authors, and inventors for protecting

and at the same time exploiting their work while also

allowing others to access and use the information include

registration, assignment, licensing, collecting societies,

and social norms and related practices or policies.

How is registration a mode of intellectual

property protection and access in Kenya?

Registration secures the proprietary rights over the

work. Through registration, the creator publishes the

information in relation to the content and ownership of

the work. Other users can therefore access and use the

information for further innovation.

How is assignment a mode of intellectual

property protection and access in Kenya?

This refers to transfer of rights from the owner to an

assignee. The assignor relinquishes the specifi ed interests.

The assignee is therefore entitled to deal with the subject

matter, usually in exchange for payment of royalties or a

fi xed sum.

How is licensing a mode of intellectual property

protection and access in Kenya?

A licence is the permission to do an act that would

otherwise be prohibited without the consent of the

proprietor. This enables the licensee to use the subject

matter without infringement as long as it is within the

terms of the licence. Types of licences include exclusive,

sole, non-exclusive, compulsory, or sub-licences.

In exclusive licensing, the IP owners permit the licensee

to use the innovation and promise not to grant any other

licences or exploit the materials themselves. In sole

licensing, the licence is exclusive but the licensor reserves

the right to exploit the subject matter. Non-exclusive

licensing is an arrangement in which the licence is awarded

to several licensees who can compete among themselves

or with the licensor. Compulsory licenses are agreements

arising from an application or by operation of the law.

They force the copyright owner to license an innovation

and the licensee to pay a fee. Finally, sub-licences are

created when a licensee (lawfully) licenses another.

With the intensifi cation of the open access campaign,

creators of works surrendered some of their rights under

copyright. This led to the creation of less restrictive

licences such as creative commons, free soft ware, and

viral licences.

RESEARCH SUPPORT

32

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

What are creative commons and how are they a

mode of IP protection and access in Kenya?

Creative commons licences are standardised licences

allowing particular forms of re-use of works by the public.

Prof Lawrence Lessig of Harvard led in the establishment

of creative commons licences. These licences reduce

the need to obtain copyright permissions to use works

available online. Permission for access and use is granted

in advance. These are useful tools for creators or owners

who do not need remuneration from their materials.

What policies do we have in place to facilitate

open access in Kenya?

The UNESCO Paris Declaration on Open Education

Resources was adopted to promote the development of

policies on open access resources. Kenya is a signatory and

is bound to promote the use of open licensing frameworks

such as creative common licences. Creative commons

licences are therefore recognised in Kenya and can be

utilised to facilitate open access. The implementation

of the Paris Declaration in Kenya has been progressive.

One of the best examples is the University of Nairobi

Library which provides access to some online journals

for free to the public through the University network.

Where password and usernames are required, these are

accessible from the University libraries according to the

website.

How do collection societies protect the rights of

authors and researchers in Kenya and Africa?

Collecting societies or Collecting Management

Organisations (CMOs) administer the rights for the

benefi t of the authors who are members. The copyright

owner assigns the rights to the society. The works are then

pooled to create a repertoire available for users. CMOs

authorise various specifi ed uses of their members’ works

mostly through licences. CMOs facilitate public access to

information without having to seek individual consent

from the authors. The CMO for literary works is the

Reproduction Rights Society of Kenya (KOPIKEN), which

licences the reproduction of copyright protected literary

materials against payment of fees.

How does technology provide measures to

protect research and information and what is

Digital Rights Management?

Digital versions of works are more prone to infringement

due to their widespread access through Internet and

mobile media. There are technologies that deny or restrict

access, encrypt, or control copying. These mechanisms

encourage authors and inventors to make their works

available online as they are promised protection. They

help to police private use by forcing users to enter into

agreements before using or copying the protected works.

One needs to be cautious, however, because these measures

are not entirely risk free. Several mechanisms exist of

circumventing such controls, for example hacking. Digital

rights management (DRMs) and technological protection

measures (TPMs) are protected under section 35 of the

Copyright Act. These measures are aimed at preventing

persons from circumventing DRMs and TPMs or from

unlawfully accessing data. DRMs and TPMs restrict access

to information.

What is the role of policies on IP, research,

innovation and access in Kenya?

Policies have the potential to stimulate innovation

within Kenyan universities and research institutions

and remove the uncertainties or suspicions among

the administrators, researchers, industry or sponsors.

They encourage, promote, preserve, and aid scientifi c

investigation and research. They provide guidelines on

rights and obligations to the relevant institutions and researchers. Th ey also encourage and expedite the

dissemination of IP creations for the greatest public

benefi t through commerce. Examples of these policies by

the University of Nairobi include the Research Policy, the

Open Access Policy, Intellectual Property Policy, and the

Incubation Policy.

RESEARCH SUPPORT

What is your fi nal word on IP, research, innovation, and access to knowledge in Kenya?

Digitisation has revolutionised knowledge creation and accessibility. Despite challenges from

digitisation, a balance is possible regarding intellectual property and especially copyright, to

facilitate the creation of knowledge and sharing of this knowledge with the public. There is,

however, need to review the copyright law in Kenya to make it possible for institutions to

achieve the appropriate balance between the protection of and access to knowledge.

Policies have the potential to stimulate innovation within

Kenyan universities and research institutions and remove the uncertainties or suspicions among the administrators,

researchers, industry or sponsors.

33

The University of Nairobi has subscribed to the Research Professional Africa

Funding Platform. The Platform provides 40,000 funding opportunities in

various fi elds and users of the platform can access varying funding opportunities.

Members of staff and students can now access the selected funding opportunities

available. You can also receive alerts based on individual disciplines and the type

of grants that are of interest to you via e-mail. Access to this platform should be

a valuable tool to grow your research.

To access the Research Professional Africa platform,

visit the website www.research-africa.net

Research Professional Africa Funding Platform

LOOK OUT FOR THESE OPPORTUNITIES

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TCC is pleased to announce the

following course:

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Science Communication – Communicating to non-scientists(October 5 – 9, 2015)

34

Utafi ti News Issue No.3 September

Offi ce of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor

(Research, Production, and Extension)

P.O. Box 30197 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.

Tel: +254 -20- 3318262

Email: dvcrpe@uonbi.ac.ke

www.uonbi.ac.ke