January - June 2008 - Kenya Agricultural Research Institute

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Director KARI Meets Senior Staff By George Karanja, KARI Headquarters The Director held meetings with senior staff of the Institute noting that a new year is often looked upon with enthusiasm and renewed hope. It offers us an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the previous year and chart the way forward for the new year. In the meetings, he regretted the New Year, started with post-election violence that continued way into February. The period experienced loss of life and mass destruction of public and private property. KARI was not spared either. Indeed, KARI centres in Muguga, the Rift Valley and Western Kenya were affected to varying degrees. The remarks made by the Director to the Senior Management Staff on April 7 and to the Senior Staff (including Centre Directors and Officers-in- charge of Sub-centres) on April 10-11, 2008 were therefore very re-assuring and could not have come at a better time. The Senior Management meeting was attended primarily by the Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, Chiefs of Divisions, Programme Coordinators and Programme Officers based at KARI HQ, while the Senior Staff meeting included the Centre Directors and Officers in charge of Sub-centres, as well. Coming within two days of each other, the Director’s new year message was firm and clear – we must internalize “DR GRAC” principle, that is: • Articulate Desired Results • Stick to Guidelines required to attain results • Specify Resources required • Ensure Accountability • Focus on Consequences (Impact)concerted efforts towards achieving institutional targets, within the quarter, in spite of the relatively volatile political and social environment. He cited returns in performance-based annual evaluation, revision of the KARI Strategic Plan, development of the 4 th Medium Term Plan, KARI Scheme of Service, Terms and Conditions of Service, implementation of KARI Pension Scheme, establishment of various management-oriented committees, planning and Dr Mukisira flanked by his deputies sets the ball rolling Some senior KARI Managers follow the proceedings budgeting, increased partnership portfolio, formation of the Small Grants Committee, publication of a special KARI Highlighter covering July-December 2007 period and the launching of the KARI InFocus magazine to facilitate information sharing. In spite of these achievements, however, the Director cited some areas that needed improvement. They included: • Response to requests – there was need to embrace an “Action today attitude”. Embrace the now embraced Rapid Results Initiative • Timeliness in reporting and leaving duty, and zero tolerance to idleness and pep talk • Coordination of programme planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and reporting • Regularity of Departmental meetings – preferably at the beginning and end of every quarter • Quality work – there was need to embrace quality and excellence at all levels and in all disciplines, particularly in documentation. On the way forward, the Director emphasized the need for financial sustainability through resource mobilization and commercialization of research products. Noting the need for a partnership strategy, he encouraged staff to go for win-win partnerships. On the balance of strategic visa-vis adaptive research, he suggested that the MTP taskforce should hold more consultations on the same and provide a clear guideline on the same. He further said that the Management is considering some options on this balance and will provide guidance on the same at the finalization of the fourth Medium Term Plan. He emphasized that new areas of research such as climatic change, biofuel and ecosystem health, among others should be embraced since a lot was expected from KARI. The meetings were a refreshing morale booster. Members undertook to participate in peace initiatives and social responsibilities in an effort to make KARI more visible and valued by the local communities. Highlighter No. 23 20
Rwanda Ambassador to Kenya Visits KARI-Thika By Monicah Waiganjo and Charles Waturu, KARI Thika The Ambassador of Rwanda to Kenya His excellency George W. Kayonga visited KARI-Thika on 21 st April, 2008. He was welcomed on arrival by the Centre Director, Dr. C.N. Waturu who also introduced him to the Research Scientists gathered to wait for him. The Ambassador thanked KARI Thika staff for the warm reception and expressed his personal interest in Agriculture emphasizing the need to explore areas of collaboration between Kenya and Rwanda. He reminded the group that the Centre had in the past received visitors from his country including the Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources and a group of farmers who were trained on macadamia production. The ambassador had a group photograph with the research scientists and the Centre Director. The Ambassador was taken through KARI-Thika posters to familiarize himself with the Centre mandates. Accompanied by the Centre Director and the Research scientists he visited the Tissue Culture Laboratory, Entomopathogenic Nematode (EPN) laboratory, Banana hardening nursery, macadamia, vanilla, fruit tree nursery and the passion fruit screen house. At the Tissue Culture laboratory, Mr. Francis Wambugu (Officer in Charge of laboratory facilities) took the Ambassador through the banana tissue culture propagation explaining the materials and methods involved for the rapid multiplication of clean plantlets to the attentive guest. At the Entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) laboratory, Dr. Waturu explained production of EPNs emphasizing their host specificity to insect pests that makes them a safe alternative to chemical pesticides in pest control. The Economically important pests of horticultural crops that have been experimented on include the banana weevil, diamondback moth and cutworms. He further explained how the entomopathogenic nematodes are reared using the wax moth and informed the Ambassador that he described a new species Steinernema karii that formed a part of his Ph.D studies. They say “Seeing is believing” and the Ambassador had a feel of EPN laboratory activities as he viewed the ‘This is what we do’, Mr. Kiuru seems to be telling the diplomat wriggling eelworms through a stereo-microscope. Macadamia production is a newly introduced Agribusiness in Rwanda. The enthusiastic Ambassador showed a special interest in Macadamia production as he listened to the whole production cycle as explained by Mr. Paul Kiuru. Finally, the Ambassador capped his visit by planting a tree outside the upcoming Ultramodern Laboratory/ Office Complex where he also addressed the members of staff. In his address, the Ambassador reiterated the importance of collaboration and welcomed the Scientists to visit Rwanda and explore possible areas of strengthening the partnership. He expressed his appreciation and wished to pay the centre another visit in the near future. The Centre Director requested Dr. Monicah Waiganjo (Deputy Centre Director) to give a vote of thanks in which she thanked the guest for choosing to visit KARI-Thika and wished him a safe journey back to Nairobi. Dr Waturu (foreground) explains a point to an attentive guest (with microscope) on the use of EPN lab. test Dr M. Waiganjo leads the diplomat through a poster Highlighter No. 23 21
Page 1 and 2: Highlighter Publication of the Keny
Page 3 and 4: New Agriculture Minister Visits KAR
Page 5 and 6: Case Study When Mr. Pius Makau reti
Page 7 and 8: Media Open Day for Smallholder Flow
Page 9 and 10: Land Use Policies and Sustainable D
Page 11 and 12: (LTT) at KARI-Kabete has also conti
Page 13 and 14: National Genebank of Kenya Hosts Na
Page 15 and 16: Highlighter Pictorial Photographs b
Page 17 and 18: Tips On Water Conservation - Every
Page 19: Within the Community • Participat
Page 23 and 24: SUCAPRI E-Platform Workshop By JM N
Page 25 and 26: KARI Initiates Performance Based Ev
Page 27 and 28: Keny enya Agricultur ricultural Res

January - June 2008 - Kenya Agricultural Research Institute

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