Dr. Eusebius Juma Mukhwana in Bungoma District

Bungoma District

Bungoma District is a district in the Western Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Bungoma. It has a population of 876,491 and an area of 2,069 km².The economy of Bungoma district is mainly agricultural, centering on the sugar cane and maize industries...

, Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

) is the past president of the African agricultural NGOs Network based in Ghana

Ghana

Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

. He is also a recipient of the Kenyan head of state commendation (HSC) for his role in assisting farmers to improve their food security and income. He has dedicated much of his life and work to the plight of small scale farmers. Mukhwana is also the founder of the SACRED Training Institute (STI) which has partnered with Moi University to bring higher education to Western and central parts of Kenya. STI (more details at www.sti.or.ke)has a campus outside Bungoma town in western province and in Nairobi.

He went to Kibabii high school (1981–1986) and the University of Nairobi

University of Nairobi

The University of Nairobi is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution goes back to 1956, it did not become an independent university until 1970 when the University of East Africa was split into three independent universities: Makerere University in...

 where he studied Veterinary Medicine. Mukhwana also holds a master's degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Nairobi, Kenya; and a PhD in soil microbiology from the University of Wyoming in the USA. He has worked as a program officer with the Food and agricultural Research Management In Northern Kenya, has been the Director of the manor House agricultural Centre in Kitale

Kitale

Kitale is an agricultural town in western Kenya situated between Mount Elgon and the Cherengani Hills at an elevation of around . Its urban population was estimated at 220,000 in 2007....

, lectured at Moi University

Moi University

Moi University is a Kenyan public university located in Eldoret, western Kenya. It is one of seven fully fledged public institutions of higher learning in Kenya...

 (1995–1997) and is the Founder Director of the Sustainable Agriculture Center for Research and Development in Africa (SACRED Africa). In 2009, Dr Mukhwana was awarded the Norman Borlaug Award for Leadership in Agriculture. Nobel Laureate Norman E. Borlaug was the driving force behind the establishment of the World Food prize in 1985. The Norman Borlaug Award is given annually to recognize outstanding human achievements in the Fields of food production and nutrition. Dr Mukhwana is one of the few individuals that won the award in 2009. In Awarding Dr Mukhwana, the committee stated he was being recognized for his contribution, dedication and promise in improving Kenyan's and Africa's food production in the 21st century.

Development Record

In 1997, Mukhwana left Moi University and moved to rural Kenya. A year earlier, he had helped found SACRED Africa (more details at www.sacredafrica.org), whose main objective was to work with small scale farmers in Kenya to improve agricultural productivity, food security and income while conserving and enhancing the environment. Since its founding, SACRED Africa has become a reputable and formidable agricultural research and development organization with research and training facilities in Bungoma, Kenya. Dr Mukhwana is also the founding chairman of the Nzoia Water Services Co. Ltd, the company providing water and sanitation services to the towns on Bungoma, Kitale, Webuye and Kimilili in Western Kenya. Dr Mukhwana currently serves as an associate editor with the American agronomy journal and is a distinguished scientist with grassroots practical experience.

Politics

In 2007 Dr Mukhwana tried unsuccessfully to become the Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 for Kanduyi Constituency

Kanduyi Constituency

Kanduyi Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of five constituencies in Bungoma District. The constituency was established for the 1988 elections.- Members of Parliament :- Wards :...

 in Bungoma District, Kenya on the ODM

Orange Democratic Movement

Orange Democratic Movement refers to a political party in Kenya, which is the successor of a former grassroots people's movement which was formed in the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum. The erstwhile single party which separated in August 2007 into two...

ticket. He is a notable Bukusu personality.