Doctor of Philosophy Degree Plant Pathology

Philosophy of the Programme

The Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Pathology is designed to train world-class University doctorate graduates who will provide research leadership in plant diseases and their management through development of technologies and innovations for sustainable food and nutritional security. The programme will provide quality training that embodies the aspirations of the Kenyan people and the global community through creation, preservation, integration, transmission and utilization of knowledge. The hallmark of the training will be innovation, creativity, freedom of thought and expression and excellence, taking into account the prevailing national and international policies.

Rationale of the Programme

Intensification of agriculture and climate change has led to emergence of new diseases that have devastating effects on crops resulting in reduced productivity, decline in household incomes and negative effects on food and nutritional security. This is because climate change and globalization have created conditions that are conducive to development and spread of diseases and their vectors. However, approaches to plant disease management is dictated by food safety requirements at the local and export markets and presence of pesticide residues in agricultural produce is a major hindrance to accessibility of markets. In addition, some of the traditional approaches to plant disease management has adverse effect on non-target organisms, natural biodiversity and trigger emergence of more virulent plant pathogens. Development of acceptable but effective management strategies calls for designing of new technologies to detect and understand the disease causal agents and their interaction with the crop plant and the environment. This requires specialized and well-trained plant pathologists who are needed at universities offering agriculture, national and international research institutions where their number has been declining.  

The PhD in Plant Pathology degree programme is designed to integrate research with entrepreneurial skills through linkage to the industry to ensure that plant disease detection and management innovations developed are taken up by the market and address the client needs. The programme will build capacity of plant pathology researchers and professionals in public, private and higher education sectors who will support development of disease detection and management innovations for sustainable agricultural production and food security. The curriculum is also compliant with the national and international policies such the Big Four Agenda, Vision 2030, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) No.1, 2, 9 and 13 (No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Innovation and Climate Action) and the African Union Agenda 2063. It is also in line with Kenyan Agricultural Sector Development Strategy (ASDS) and CAADP objectives of increased agricultural productivity and commercialization, promoting private sector participation, promoting sustainable land and natural resources management. The PhD curriculum will stimulate cutting edge research to reduce rural poverty, increase food security, improve human health and nutrition and sustainable management of natural resources. It will also promote linkage to national and international research agenda and collaboration with national research institutions and CGIAR centres including ICIPE, ILRI, CIMMYT and CIAT for optimum exploitation of world class research facilities and human resource.