Research project title:  Assessment of hygiene status in various maize storage structures in relation to build up of pests, molds and aflatoxin in Nakuru County, Kenya.

Kobia a DRIP MSc fellow supervised by Prof Tadele Tefera, Dr Christopher Mutungi (icipe) and Drs. Maina Wagacha and Judith Odhiambo (University of Nairobi, Kenya). His research interests include Post harvest losses, Food quality assessment and use of simple, cost effective methods for mitigation of postharvest losses. He is currently assessing the effect of storage hygiene practices in relation to build up of insect pests, molds and aflatoxin contamination in maize farmers storehouses in Nakuru County, Kenya. Campaigns aimed at popularizing modern storage technologies have not achieved meaningful quantitative reduction of postharvest losses. This failure may have resulted from the fact that farmers’ storage practices (most notably; storage hygiene) have been overlooked. This study aims at assessing postharvest handling practices, hygiene practices in grain storage and the effect of such practices on magnitude of losses incurred by farmers in Nakuru County, Kenya.

Bio:  He completed his Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology and Biotechnology at the University of Nairobi.