The ‘as well asInfrastructure’ segments attracted a number of renowned speakers, eminent professors and academicians, including, literary delegates from universities across the Country who presented papers and an array of keynote speeches.
Prof. Ratemo Michieka
In his address, Prof. Ratemo Michieka highlighted the significance of human activities to the environment, saying that some of them destroy the environment and affect the ecosystem. These activities include logging, quarrying, sand harvesting, bush burning, open defecation, urban and industrial development, mining, polythene and solid wastes.
He urged the participants to counter this growing menace by learning to control what they do to maximize what they produce. “Let us protect our soils. Grease, fat and cooking should be disposed of in the trash or kept in a fat jar for disposal with other solid waste. Such wastes also contaminate local bodies of water,” said Prof. Michieka.
These are the same views earlier expressed by Mr. Brown Makotsi of East Africa Development Consultants, also one of the panelists at MMUST’s 15th Multidisciplinary Virtual Conference on 25th May, 2022. Mr. Makotsi gave a thought provoking presentation on ‘Coffee farming in Kakamega County; A farmer’s perspective.’
Director research and postgraduate support, Prof. Peter Bukhala with prolific farmer and consultant, Mr. Brown Makotsi.
Mr. Micky Olutende of MMUST made a presentation on ' Risk factors for Obesity among school aged children in Kakamega county.’ In pursuit of investigating the prevalence of obesity and factors contributing to its occurrence among school-aged children, his paper revealed that obesity is a condition of abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in the adipose tissue to the extent that health may be impaired. He noted that childhood obesity is rapidly emerging as a global pandemic and estimated that 155million children across the world are suffering from the disease.
“Obesity is becoming a public health concern in Kenya especially among the urban population. This is attributed to the changes in lifestyle such as shifting from active to sedentary routines. However, there is limited representative data available for studying trends on childhood obesity in Africa,” said Mr. Micky Olutende.
Mr. Micky Olutende.
Other presentations included ‘Malaria Indices in gold mining and sugarcane growing rural villages in western Kenya Highlands’ by Kipcho Davis Mukabane, ‘Nutritional counselling intervention on dietary intake during COVID- 19 among adolescents with disabilities in Kakamega County' by Dr. Roselyn Odiango, Dr. Gordon Nguka and Ms. Edna Sabiri Mogaka, ‘Optimal canal conveyance capacity for Ahero irrigation scheme using HEC-RAS model’ by Justus Owino, Prof. Basil Ong’or and Dr. Micah Mukolwe.
Food security is the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 2 which targets reducing hunger among vulnerable people. This can only be achieved through sustainable food production systems which are embedded in proper soils management practices.
By Caren Nekesa and Achieng’ Sharon
