Dr. Catherine Kunyanga is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Technology, University of Nairobi with a PhD in Food Science and Technology. Her research interest focuses on Food Technology, Postharvest Management, Food and Nutrition Security, International Nutrition and Food Safety for improved livelihoods and income generation. She has published several papers in international journals on this subject as well as attended numerous trainings and conferences both locally and internationally.
Dr. Catherine Kunyanga, a food scientist at the University of Nairobi explains a point on how the tunnel solar dryer works at the upgraded and modernized Karurumo Self-Help Group fruit processing plant in Embu
Dr. Kunyanga is involved in a number of collaborative projects in various capacities which has provide her with skills in proposal writing, project management and planning and other skills. Most of her projects focus on improving food security and resilience of marginalized and vulnerable groups; nutrition status assessment; tools for assessment etc. in Arid and Semi-Arid (ASALs) regions of Kenya including Marsabit, Isiolo, Turkana, Garissa, Wajir, Laikipia, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui and Kajiado Counties. She also is engaged in training various women groups with the aim of empowering them socially and economically through different agro-processing technologies. She is also a member of several professional bodies locally and internationally.
She is currently engaged in a number of research projects mainly: Coordinator, Food Security Center, UoN and University of Hohenheim; Co-investigator, Tailored fermentation for delivery of wholegrain and cereal fibre-rich products (FIBRE – PRO)” Era Africa under the European Commission; Sub-project leader, WP 3, Meat Value Chain “Reduction of losses and value addition by strengthening small and medium enterprises in food processing to sustain value chains in East African postharvest systems (RELOAD Project)” sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education, Germany and; Co-investigator, Enhancing the Quality of graduates of agriculture to meet tomorrow’s food security challenge (PREPARE-BSc) funded under the ACP-EU Co-operation Programme in Higher Education (EDULINK II). These projects have enhanced her skills in various aspects ranging from proposal writing, project design, project planning and preparation, budget preparation, project implementation, data analysis, monitoring ad evaluation among others. She also manages a consultancy firm with project activities ranging from food safety, agribusiness, food technology, postharvest handling, food safety and food security among others. She has worked in different capacities as a researcher, project coordinator or consultant with different stakeholders in private-public partnerships, NGOs, local communities, governments and international collaborators through active networking.