Kenya Agricultural Research Institute

KARI was established under the Science and Technology Act of 1979 and is the premier national agricultural research institution contributing to the agricultural sector through generation of technologies, new knowledge and innovations and serving as a vehicle for economic development in Kenya. KARI contributes to sustainable improvements in the livelihoods of Kenyan citizens by increasing agricultural productivity, post-harvest value of agricultural and livestock products, and conserving the environment. In pursuit of this mission, KARI proactively seeks to acquire and contribute knowledge and creative solutions that are participatory and client-oriented, holistic, gender-sensitive and affordable to its stakeholders. KARI places a high value on biotechnology and knows its potential to improve Kenyan agriculture. In designing its crop biotechnology program, KARI has sought to employ biotechnology first to complement the Institute's traditional methods of doing crop and livestock improvement and secondly as a strategy for generating entirely new products. Collaborative technology development and transfer projects have proved especially effective in strengthening Kenya's genetic engineering capabilities. The KARI Biotechnology Center is one of the very few African institutions with capacity and experience in the genetic transformation of crops. KARI was the first institution in Africa, outside of the Republic of South Africa, to conduct a confined field trial of a genetically-modified crop.