1. Experiences of Agricultural
Research in Kenya: From Research
to Implementation of Extension
Service
Dr. Festus Murithi
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI)
Presentation given during the UN Expert Group meeting on SLM and Agricultural Practices in Africa:
Bridging the Gap between Research and Farmers, 16-17 April 2009, University of
Gothenburg, Sweden

2. Outline of Presentation
• Introduction
• Kenyan NARS: Role of research in
Development
• Approaches for Linking agric research-
extension for impact
• Conclusions: Reasons for success of SA
projects

3. Flagship projects identified for agric.
sector development in next 5 yrs
– Agricultural policy reforms
– Three-tiered fertilizer cost reduction
– Branding Kenya farm produce
– Establishment of livestock disease free zones and
processing facilities
– Creation of publicly accessible land registries
– Development of agricultural land use master plan
– Development of irrigation schemes
• STI recognized to be important in all the flagship
projects and across the sectors

4. Role of Research in Agric.
Development
• Productivity impact
• Livelihoods impact
• Environmental impact and sustainability
=> Calls for impact orientation where agric
R&D contributes to development impact

5. more bread, ugali
Impact orientation impact
- awareness
-improved food
- availability of:
security
seeds, inputs, markets
-poverty reduced
good roads
- sustainable NRM
outcomes
- increase in yields
- decrease in costs
super seed
-improved soil fertility
- new knowledge, skills
aez
-attitudes and values
outputs
costs
yields -private agents:
extension, input
- HYV seeds
nutritive dealers, millers,
- trade-offs
value
-public depts:
-policy options
inputs and extension, roads, tra
- training sessions de, quality
activities - reports -private agents: control, electricity,
extension, input dealers
technology -public depts:
design & extension, roads, trade, Source: Waithaka
NARS and Minde, 2006
development quality control

6. National Agric. Research System-
Kenya
• Consists of approx. 30 institutions:
– Public agric. research institutions, KARI being the largest
– Public and private university faculties and departments
– Private companies
– NGOs
• Human capacity > 800 fte, 50% in KARI
• Partners include:
– CGIAR Centres (ILRI, ICRAF, ICRISAT, CIMMYT, CIP, CIAT,
ICIPE)
– Regional networks (ASARECA)
• NARS policy being finalized to facilitate joint priority
setting, planning and resource sharing among NARS
institutions

7. Role of NARS R4D: Case of KARI
• Core function is to generate improved agric.
technologies, information and knowledge as public
goods through conducting strategic, applied and
adaptive research
• Secondary role is to catalyze the adoption of the
improved technologies, information and knowledge to
create people level impact through establishment of
effective partnerships
• Also provides specialized services (e.g. lab analysis,
digital mapping)

8. Contribution of KARI to Productivity
• Works with other partners to provide the
necessary STI framework in agriculture required
to transform Kenya into a a knowledge based
society.
• Generates technologies and promote use of
information/knowledge to respond to clients
demands
• Contributes to income generation, poverty
reduction, social equity, good health, security due
to better use of NR, global/regional
competitiveness and better governance

9. Overall purpose
• To contribute to the modernization of the
agricultural sector by increasing
agricultural productivity, promoting
investment in agricultural enterprises and
agribusiness

10. KARI’s Research programmes
1. Food crops (Cereals, root and tubers, grain legumes,
crop health)
2. Horticulture and industrial crops (vegetables; fruit and
nuts; oil and fibre; and flowers, botanicals, medicinal and
aromatics)
3. Animal production (Ruminant livestock improvement, non
ruminant livestock improvement and emerging livestock)
4. Animal health research (disease diagnostics; vaccines
and drugs; disease control and epidemiology)
5. Range resource mgt

11. Programmes (Cont..)
6. Natural Resource Management (Land use
planning, Soil and water mgt, Integrated soil fertility
mgt, Irrigation and drainage)
7. Biotechnology (Crop and livestock biotechnology)
8. Genetic resources management (GenebanK)
9. KARI Seed Unit
10. Socio-economics and Applied Statistics
11. Adaptive research, outreach and partnerships
These programmes are supported by ICT, HR, Procurement and
Finance services

12. Research Approach
• KARI has adopted the APVC approach to
effectively contribute to generation of
technologies and knowledge, their
dissemination, adoption and impact
• APVC calls for shift from focusing on
commodities to differentiated agric. products
responding to market demands
• Research activities conducted thro’ a network of
23 centres across the country with specific
regional or national mandates

13. Network of KARI Centres

14. Approaches used to improve Research-
Extension linkages for impact
• Joint planning at research centre level (Centre
Research Advisory Committee – CRAC annual
meetings)
• Adopted Farming Systems approach to research and
extension, and now the value chains approach
• Multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary partnerships key
• Joint research priority setting involving key
stakeholders in different value chains
• Social, cultural, economic, gender, institutional and technical
issues considered

15. Approaches used to improve Research –
Extension linkages for impact
• Implementation of joint research extension activities
• Planning/review meetings, on-farm trials, field
days, demonstrations, agric. shows, M&E
• Development and implementation of joint research and
extension projects (e.g. the Kenya agricultural
Productivity and Agric-business programme)
• Establishment of KARI Seed Unit (KSU) to avail
planting materials to farmers
• Initiation of the Agric. Technology and Information
Response Initiative (ATIRI) in KARI to strengthen
capacity of farmers to demand technologies
• Research getting more involved in policy formulation

16. Examples of Successful SA Initiatives
• Soil and water conservation project
supported by Sida and Gok
• Agroforestry projects
• Smallholder irrigation projects, incl drip
irrigation
• Cover crops/green manure projects
• Conservation agriculture – minimum/zero
tillage projects
• Use of farm yard manure, esp. in vegetables
and cash crops

17. Successful SA (Cont’d)
• Smallholder dairy zero grazing systems =>
manures easily directed/applied to crop
land
• Indigenous poultry projects
• Smallholder horticultural gardens
• Napier grass/desmodium push-pull
technologies for control of striga in maize
(western Kenya)
• Organic farming projects

18. Some reasons for success
• Involvement of key partners, including beneficiaries
in design and implementation of the projects =>
high appreciation of need to create impact
• Clear social and economic benefits=> appropriate
incentives
• Compatibility of the technologies with the farming
systems
• Availability of input/output markets
• Supportive policies
• Good collective action among the beneficiaries

19. Thank you