The University of Eldoret (UoE) has officially entered into a strategic partnership with the World Food Program (WFP) through the signing a letter of intent aimed at strengthening collaboration under the Transforming African Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev 2.0) program. This milestone event took place on June 10, 2025, at the University’s main campus and marks a significant step in promoting sustainable agriculture, food security, and community development in Kenya and the region.
The signing ceremony was led by the University’s Prof. Godfrey Netondo(Deputy Vice Chancellor , Academic & student affairs), Prof. Wilson Ng’etich (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, AF), Prof. Philip Raburu (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, PRE), Prof. Julius Ochuodho (Director, Resource Mobilization and Strategic Initiatives and TAGDev 2.0’s Coordinator), alongside Mr. Baimankay Sankoh Deputy Country Director of World Food Program. The partnership is designed to synergize the strengths of both institutions in advancing the objectives of TAGDev 2.0, with a specific focus on inclusive rural transformation, skills development, innovations and climate-smart agriculture, and the empowerment of women and youth in agri-food systems.
As part of the preparatory engagements leading to the formalization of the letter of intent, a joint field visit was conducted on June 9, 2025, to the Kapseret Women Farmers Group in Uasin Gishu County. The visit provided an opportunity for both the University of Eldoret and WFP representatives to interact directly with community members, gaining firsthand insights into their achievements, challenges, and aspirations. The Kapseret group, comprising dynamic women smallholder farmers, has made remarkable strides in embracing sustainable farming practices and contributing to local food systems through local vegetables(kienyeji) farming, a testament to the transformative potential of grassroots agricultural initiatives.
During the visit, the stakeholders engaged in meaningful dialogue with the women farmers, discussing topics ranging from access to agricultural inputs and markets, to climate resilience, extension support, and the role of women in advancing food security. The observations from this visit will inform the implementation strategies of the partnership, ensuring that interventions are tailored to meet the actual needs of farming communities especially water shortage which stood out as their main challenge.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Prof. Netondo emphasized the importance of academic institutions partnering with development agencies to create impact-driven programs. “This collaboration with WFP is not only timely but necessary. It aligns with our mission to be a leading university in knowledge generation and dissemination for the development of society, especially in the area of sustainable agriculture,” he said.
The WFP Deputy Country Director Mr. Baimankay Sankoh echoed these sentiments, expressing WFP’s commitment to working closely with universities to translate research and innovation into real-life solutions for food systems transformation. “By working together with institutions like the University of Eldoret, we can co-create interventions that empower communities, especially women and youth, to become agents of change in their own agricultural value chains,” he noted.
The lette of intent sets the stage for joint research projects, capacity building initiatives,Incubation for students and the implementation of community-based agricultural interventions.
The University of Eldoret continues to position itself as a catalyst for agricultural transformation through its active role in TAGDev 2.0, a program supported by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). This new partnership with WFP reinforces that commitment and opens new avenues for collaborative impact.
