Among the many other NCRRI priorities supported by MSI are efforts to combat diseases of beans and cassava. Beans are valued for their high content of protein and other nutrients, and cassava has long been a staple because of its ability to survive conditions of low soil fertility and rainfall.

James Ssebuliba of the Makerere University Department of Crop Science is proud of the work MSI has allowed his group to do, and emphasizes its importance to the country. A major focus is the East African highland banana, the number one crop in Uganda. Bananas are eaten by virtually everyone, and provide an essential dietary staple for the poor.

An important component of the Uganda Millennium Science Initiative is the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI). UIRI does little research, but serves primarily as an industrial incubator, moving products to a more marketable stage, training entrepreneurs in various technology-related skills, and transferring technology to the private sector.

Francis Murage Mwonjoria’s academic career as a biologist began auspiciously and rapidly. He earned a BSc in botany and zoology from the University of Nairobi, followed by an MSc in hydrobiology. For his master’s degree, he joined a research project that was both interesting and valuable: measuring the results of efforts to restore mangrove ecosystems to good health.

As a faculty member at the University of Nairobi several years ago, Grace Mutia had achieved unusual success in the realm of academic science in Kenya; among women she was even more of a rarity. She had earned a master’s in hydrobiology, aquatic resources, and management.

Kenneth D. Njoroge, an AMSEN student at the University of Nairobi, is a lonely voice calling for a stronger steel industry for Kenya – a country, like most in Africa, with only limited ore reserves and rudimentary steel technology.

Even in some of the more traditional academic areas, such as civil engineering, RISE students are finding innovative approaches to ongoing needs. For example, John Mwero, a PhD student at the University of Nairobi, faced the familiar challenge of building new, high quality buildings at lower cost and with reduced environmental impact.