Prof. Patience Mshenga, one of the pioneer RUFORUM supported PhD graduates, was on May 2nd, 2019 appointed to serve on the Executive Board of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA). ASARECA is an inter-governmental organisation comprised of 12 member countries set up to address the common challenges and opportunities to agricultural research and development through collective action. On the board, Prof. Mshenga will represent higher education institutions in the region.
She joins the 24-year-old regional body, at a time when it has rebranded and now repositioned itself as the regional “go to service provider of choice” for coordination, convening, partnership brokerage, process facilitation, advocacy, and communication products and services of agricultural research for development in the Eastern and Central Africa.
Prof. Mshenga is an Agribusiness Management expert and current chair of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management at Egerton University in Kenya. With a keen interest in agribusiness development, she has extensive skills and experience in models for strengthening micro, small and medium scale enterprises including entrepreneurial development as well as farm and non-farm linkages. She has supervised many graduate students and has managed many projects including ‘Strengthening universities capacity to enhance competitiveness of agribusiness in East and West Africa’ funded by the European Union. She is currently the Assistant Project Coordinator for Egerton University on the ‘Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth and development (TAgDev)’ RUFORUM programme funded by Mastercard Foundation, as well as the Principal Investigator for the RUFORUM Entrepreneurship Challenge Program (RECAP) ‘Empowering Kenyan Youth through Agrienterprise Incubation for Improved Livelihoods and Economic Development (AGLEAD).’ Prof Mshenga has been involved in development of many unique agribusiness related academic programs and helped set up the Agrienterprise Fund Scheme at Egerton University, Gulu University (Uganda), Mekele University (Ethiopia) and University of Port Harcourt (Nigeria) where students start and run agri-enterprises in a ‘Learn as you earn” Model.
In an earlier communication to the RUFORUM Secretariat about her nomination, she appreciated Prof. Adipala “for the opportunities for mentorship you have provided me so far”. RUFORUM congratulates Prof Mshenga as she joins other RUFORUM alumni who have risen to senior positions as scientists, academics and policy makers in national, regional and international organisations.
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