The World Bank African Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture and Agribusiness Management (CESAAM) is part of 24 Centres of Excellence supported by the World Bank to establish regional hubs of excellence in FIVE priority areas: industry, health, agriculture, applied statistics and agriculture. The overall interest of ACE-II is to provide institutional capacity for quality post graduate training and to forge partnerships among other activities. CESAAM, a centre hosted in Egerton University is strategically placed to meet these objectives through its robust programs with an extensive support system and partners. CESAAM now supports 240 post graduate students in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management, Animal Sciences Department, Department of Food Science, Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Department of Agricultural Extension and Department of Agricultural Engineering. The centre now hosts students from the whole region with 23% being regional and 52% female.

Vision: A Centre of excellence in agri-innovations, agri-entrepreneurship, Climate Smart Agriculture, research, training and technology transfer for sustainable development .

Mission: To provide highly trained human capacity and Agri-innovative products, services and sustainable solutions that address the challenge of food insecurity and persistent hunger in Africa .

CESAAM Overall Objective

To contribute to sustainable agriculture and agribusiness management through capacity development, research and technology transfer for enhanced food security within the Sub-Saharan Africa region.

CESAAM Specific Objectives

1. Capacity development along the Agricultural Value Chain in the Eastern and Southern Africa region, especially for the fragile and post conflict states.
2. To undertake innovative research, including use of biotechnology and climate smart agriculture, for increased crop and livestock productivity.
3. Enhance the capacity of the University’s Agro-Science Park to assist partner universities establish a similar model for incubation of technological innovations.
4. Develop evidence based agricultural policy briefs and disseminate best practices through Agricultural Knowledge Centers in Egerton (CESAAM) and partner universities.

Key Approach: To address Africa’s food insecurity by building capacity along the agricultural value chains

• Total CESAAM Students are 164 (MSc 110 : PhD 54); 56 new ones shortlisted for admission in 2019/2020
• 110  Msc students of class of 2017  and 2018 successfully complete year  1 in April 2019
• 30 PhD students  of 2017  and 2016 successfully  and progress for field work
• 20 PhDs admitted in Sept, 2018  expected to complete Course work by July 30 2019; 10 have successful presented proposals at department level
• 38 MSc students successfully defend proposals at Faculty
• 15 Msc and 3 PhD students supported to  present at international conferences, 4 supported between Jul-Dec 2018, and 2 In April 2019
• 17 MoUs signed between 2017-April 2019; 5  signed between Jan-June 2019.  Overall  14 are with complete budgets/work plan, 6 MoUs are with private sector, 3 with regional ACEs, 6 with International universities from China, UK and USA
• 3  staff  Exchanged in  April 2019 at Virginia Tech USA
• 6 PhD students exchange fellowships successfully accomplished to Nanjing-between Jul-Dec 2018 and 4 new ones awarded in June 2019
• 3 proposals developed  through joint proposals with Virginia Tech submitted for calls. 8 more proposals submitted for funding to the County governments and are undergoing review
• Past proposals generate revenues as follows
  • EASTECO Locust Mgt. proposal – USD 5,000
  • lBBSRC-GCRF Pest Mgt. NaPROCLA proposal – USD 71,464
  • AfDB PhD support program - USD 230,000
  • MSU-Aflatoxin program - USD 18,354
  • Student fees – USD 17,188
• 5 agribusiness clinics carried out so far, 1 between in April 2019 using seeds of Gold in partnership with Nation Media, CESAAM Participated at the ASK show and won the best youth enablers programme
• 4 MSc Agrienterprise student groups supported to start and run their agribusiness prototypes; 2 already weaned out in Dec 2018
• 10 Audit committee of the Council including internal auditor, retooled by Auditor Generals office between April 24-27, 2019 and  Registrar of Human Capital retooled in appropriate human resource skills and grievance resolution at Kenya School of government-Kabarnet
• 6 female students (4 with toddlers and 2 on pre-natal care) supported  through special accommodation to continue with studies; 1 from Rwanda, 1 from Burundi, 1 from Tanzania and 1 from Kenya. The Rwandese successfully passed course work & proposal defense & progressed  to data collection as at 30/12/2018. The 3 others successfully completed semester 1 course work between Jul-Dec 2018.
• Consultative meetings held  with KAM, Syngenta Foundation in Sept 2018
• 38 Publications verified as at 30/6/2018, 10 new ones published between  Jul 2018 and June 2019
• 15 new internships successfully awarded  between April and June 2019 with ICRISAT, CIMMYT, ICIPE, CARD and KEFRI. 12  of 2018 successfully completed in Dec 2018
• CESAAM, Virginia Tech, INSEFOODs and University of Rwanda hold joint consultative meetings between June 17-22 2019
• 3 staff successfully completed summer school on Genomics by June 2019, this is in collaboration with University of Edinburg-Tropical institute of Agriculture. 4 are to attend another in Nairobi in Sept 2019
• External Funds attracted by  March 2019   is approximately USD 450,236 – direct cash ( Sources: student fees, partners  namely VT, University of Edinburg, Nanjing & funding from AfDB to support additional 25 students under CESAAM courses and majorly fundable proposals
• 3 high level exhibitions held, 1 at RUFORUM biannual conference in Nairobi, 1 at the C-10 Heads of State meeting in Malawi and 1 at Commission of University Education Biennial Conference in Nairobi. All held between Sept-Nov, 2018
• 2 programs Msc in Agribusiness and Msc in Crop Protection successfully Benchmarked with Virginia Tech and recognition letters received in April 2019
• Participated in PASET Benchmarking initiative with over 2500 students. Period is Nov-Dec 2018
• Successfully held a social and environmental safeguards cum supervision  sensitization workshop to students and faculty on Nov  26, 2018.
• Successfully held undergraduate sensitization meeting  on ACE II opportunities in Dec 2018