On 29th August 2025, the Agri-food System Entrepreneurship Consortium (ASEC) Project at Dairy Training Institute (DTI) conducted a one-day training on cooperative governance and leadership to UHOTANI SACCO leaders convened at their SACCO building in Ol Joro Orok. 
The training was aimed at strengthening capacity in financial management, accountability, and inclusivity, areas that are critical to the sustainability of cooperatives. With a membership of 34 individuals, UHOTANI SACCO plays an important role in promoting savings and credit access among its members, making governance improvement central to its growth. Through open discussions, participants reflected on practices already in place and explored better approaches to governance, particularly in financial reporting, accountability, and creating more inclusive structures that embrace women and marginalized groups.

Mr. Wangai emphasized that good governance is the foundation of cooperative success, urging leaders to uphold transparency, accountability, and inclusivity as guiding principles. By the end of the training, participants were committed to improving financial systems, conducting governance reviews, and strengthening communication with members to enhance trust and service delivery.
By facilitating this training, the ASEC Project, DTI demonstrated its commitment to empowering local institutions to deliver improved services and foster inclusive growth. For UHOTANI SACCO, the strengthened leadership capacity is expected to enhance credibility, expand outreach, and support long-term sustainability. This initiative reflects the broader goal of the ASEC Project to equip cooperatives and community-based organizations with the knowledge and skills needed for inclusive community transformation.

By: Carol

The Dairy Training Institute (DTI), as an implementing partner of the ASEC Project, joined other institutions at the ASEC Partners’ Meeting held on 19th August 2025 at Egerton University’s TAGDev Center. The meeting formed part of the National Research Festival 2025 and provided a vibrant platform for partners to reflect on achievements, challenges, and lessons learned in implementing the ASEC Project.

Participants included representatives from Egerton University (TAGDev team), Karatina University, Embu University, Pwani University, Baraka Agricultural Training College, Nyandarua National Polytechnic, and DTI. The meeting featured opening reflections from TAGDev leadership and RUFORUM, partner presentations, and a session on financial accountability.
DTI’s presentation highlighted its four-year (2025–2029) partnership project with Egerton University, targeting Gilgil, Naivasha, and Ol Jororok. The project aims to create 1,500 jobs, establish seven agribusiness start-ups, engage 300 out-of-school youth, plant 100,000 trees, and equip 5,000 smallholder farmers with new skills. In its first quarter, DTI successfully launched a stakeholder forum, initiated a baseline survey, developed youth mobilization materials, and laid the groundwork for fodder plots, tree nurseries, and cooperative training. Strategic collaborations with agencies such as the Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Dairy Board, NGOs, and county governments further strengthened implementation.Lessons learned included the value of early stakeholder engagement, improved monitoring and evaluation, and stronger collaboration with Egerton University.

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of collaboration, accountability, and shared learning in driving ASEC’s mission. For DTI, it was more than just participation it was an opportunity to showcase its impact, strengthen networks, and reaffirm its role as a catalyst for innovation, youth empowerment, and sustainable transformation in Kenya’s agri-food systems.

Egerton University together with the Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev 2.0) Program hosted a National Forum during the Kenya National Research Festival 2025 under the theme “Accelerating Transformative Education through Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue and Collaboration.” The forum convened government leaders, universities, TVETs, private sector actors, and development partners to chart new pathways for agricultural education in Kenya and Africa.
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Isaac Kibwage, emphasized the urgency of re-engineering farming practices to ensure food security, climate resilience, and youth employment. He noted that training must go beyond theory, equipping young farmers with competence-based skills, entrepreneurial mindsets, and the ability to adapt to changing agrifood systems, calling for mechanized farming and systemic reforms to dismantle exploitative cartels in agriculture.

Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Bernard Aduda emphasized the importance of universities hosting such national dialogues to support Kenya’s development agenda. “Education is what remains after everything taught is forgotten,” he reflected, stressing the need for practical, transformative approaches that empower graduates to innovate.
Prof. Nancy Mungai, TAGDev Program Coordinator, acknowledged the support of partners and participants, while tracing the journey of TAGDev. The program, co-implemented by RUFORUM, GCHERA, and 12 African universities in partnership with Mastercard Foundation, seeks to transform agricultural education by empowering young women and men to access work and livelihood opportunities,, improving graduate outcomes, and promoting adaptive capacities amongst agricultural communities.  She noted that six partner universities and TVETs in Kenya are already aligning curricula and community engagement with national priorities.

Dr. Abigael Otinga of RUFORUM provided background on the program’s continental scope, with over 60 universities participating. She highlighted three key outcomes: wealth creation, building resilient smallholder food systems, and strengthening institutions. “TAGDev is scaling lessons from its first phase,” she explained, emphasizing inclusivity for women, persons with disabilities, and refugees, with a target of reaching 1.2 million youth in the next decade.
From the Mastercard Foundation, Mr. George Osure reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to collaboration. He stressed the importance of converging academia, industry, and communities to produce graduates who are not only skilled but also visionary. “We must make the possibilities happen by supporting timely, practical, and innovative work that transforms food systems,” he said.

Nakuru County CECM for Agriculture, Leonard Bor, challenged participants to rethink how agricultural education equips young people for the changing landscape of the future. He called universities “hubs for piloting and scaling innovations” and urged renewed commitment to partnerships that create opportunities for youth.
Keynote speaker Dr. Mary Waiganjo emphasized the paradigm shift required for transformative education. She outlined the principles of competency-based education (CBE), stressing mastery, self-paced learning, and authentic assessment tied to real-world challenges. She reminded universities of their responsibility to produce graduates with knowledge, skills, values, and the right attitudes to drive economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social transformation.

The panel discussions, brought diverse voices together to discuss pressing questions of how education can be aligned with Kenya’s national development goals and the realities of the job market. The first high-level panel convened regulators, ministries, universities, and TVET institutions to reflect on curriculum reforms, industry collaboration, and the role of accreditation in producing graduates fit for purpose. Speakers emphasized  that agricultural education must move beyond the classroom, combining theory with practice, and drawing industry closer to academia in order to co-create pathways that respond to food insecurity, climate change, and employment needs. The discussions revealed that transformation requires not just institutional reforms, but also a change of mindset   from seeing agriculture as a fallback career to recognizing it as the backbone of economic growth. The importance of intentional community engagement in developing practical and sustainable solutions was highlighted.

The second panel shifted the spotlight to young people, under the theme “Youth in Agriculture: Driving the Future through Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” Here, the vibrancy of Kenya’s young women & men was visible as student innovators, agripreneurs, and incubator leaders showcased practical solutions ranging from agritech platforms to community agribusiness models. Panelists argued that attracting and retaining youth in agriculture requires creating entrepreneurial ecosystems that offer mentorship, access to finance, and market linkages. Their stories showed that agriculture, when coupled with innovation, is not only profitable but also capable of reshaping rural economies and changing outdated perceptions of farming.

At the end of the national forum was the launch of the TAGDev National Coordinating Committee, tasked with spearheading a multi-stakeholder agenda for agricultural education reform and agrifood system transformation in Kenya. As Egerton University continues to host national dialogues, its role as a leader in agricultural education and food systems innovation is evident. By fostering collaboration, rethinking curricula, and amplifying youth voices, the University is helping chart Africa’s path toward inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food systems.

Egerton University is one of the 12 African Universities implementing Transforming African Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev 2.0) program for the period between 2023-2033. TAGDev 2.0 is a collaboration program between Mastercard Foundation, the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA), and 12 African universities. This transformative initiative is designed to equip and empower young women and men and their institutions to foster inclusive, equitable, and resilient socio-economic development within their communities. To achieve this goal, TAGDev Program has partnered with the university in reviewing and developing policies aimed at enhancing a conducive environment for the delivery of transformative education.

The meeting held on 28th and 29th July 2025, at Dairy Training Institute in Naivasha brought together 22 Deans and Directors from across the university to consider 6 policies. The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Research and Extension Prof. Bernard O. Aduda, chaired the meeting. His opening remarks highlighted that the engagement marked a significant step in strengthening institutional capacity through collaborative policy review and development. The Director-Quality Assurance, Prof. Patricia Wambugu, appreciated the ongoing policy development and review process, describing it as a key step towards aligning the university’s practices with the requirements of the Commission for University Education (CUE). She emphasized the need for a comprehensive report on university policies and their implementation status, which is to be submitted to CUE by the end of the year 2025.

The TAGDev Program Coordinator expressed gratitude to the university leadership for organizing the Deans' Committee meeting. A brief overview of the TAGDev program was provided, emphasizing its core focus on transformative education through curriculum reform and institutional policy development. Other key program areas include engagement with farmers to enhance adoption of climate smart agricultural practices, and initiatives aimed at creating employment opportunities for young women and men, with the ambitious goal of contributing to 25,000 jobs. Participants were encouraged to share ideas on how job creation could be further enhanced through the university’s academic and outreach programs. The coordinator further underscored that the purpose of supporting policy development and review is to drive institutional transformation and ensure alignment with evolving academic and social needs. The issue of effective policy implementation for institutional transformation was mentioned as a key consideration during the development and review process. Additionally, the Deans were urged to identify the structural and operational obstacles that hinder the delivery of transformative education at Egerton University and to propose areas of engagement where TAGDev can provide support.

During the one and half-day meeting, participants were divided into working groups to engage in intensive review of six critical policies including: Egerton University Inclusivity Policy; Field/Industrial Attachment Policy; Career Guidance and Mentorship Policy; Safeguarding Policy;  Teaching Practice Policy; and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy. The discussions focused not only on content but also on practical implementation strategies and alignment with institutional goals. Recommendations were made on formatting all policies using a standardized development template. Furthermore, participants proposed the development of policy implementation guidelines to accompany each policy, ensuring clarity on operational steps and accountability structures. Participants also recognized that some of the policies require coordinated leadership beyond individual departments, calling for the identification of dedicated offices or directorates that can spearhead their enforcement

The meeting concluded with a strong commitment to finalize the reviewed policies with a uniform format and to develop accompanying implementation frameworks in preparation for further discussion and approval. Upon approval and implementation, the policies are expected to contribute significantly to Egerton University’s goal of enhancing quality, relevance, and impact in higher education space grounded in inclusive and responsive governance.