Prof. Joshua Ondura Ogendo is an Associate Professor of Agronomy (Crop Protection: Stored Products Entomology) in the Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University and currently the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics and Students Affairs) at Kibabii University (January 1, 2025- Present). Prof. Ogendo holds PhD degree in Agronomy (Crop Protection: Stored Products Entomology) from Egerton University (2008), MSc degrees in Agronomy and Grain Storage Management from University of Nairobi (Kenya; 1992) and University of Greenwich (UK; 2001), respectively and a BSc degree in Agriculture from University of Nairobi, Kenya (1988). Prof Ogendo joined the Department of Agronomy, Egerton University, as an Assistant Lecturer in July 1997. Since joining Egerton University, Prof Ogendo has scaled academic, professional and administrative heights by successfully completing a second Master’s degree and a PhD degree and has defied the odds to rise to the current position of Associate Professor and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics and Students Affairs) at Kibabii University.

Prior to being appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics and Affairs) at Kibabii University, Prof. Ogendo served as the Principal, Nakuru City Campus College, Egerton University (August 16, 2021-December 31, 2024); the Director, Crop Management Research Training Project, Egerton University (May 6, 2019-Aug. 15, 2021). Previously Prof. Ogendo was competitively elected the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Egerton University in October 2014 and served for two terms (Oct. 2014-Oct. 2018). Before becoming the Dean, Prof. Ogendo had dedicatedly served as the Chairman, Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils (CHS), the largest in terms of human capital (over 40 PhD holding staff) at Egerton University, from Jan. 2009 to Oct. 2014 (5⅞ years). During his tenure as Chair, Prof Ogendo presided over the transformation of CHS Department into one of the most vibrant and best performing departments in the University with the highest number of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, books and book chapters; research and community outreach grants and increased number of academic programmes. Prof Ogendo also served as the Coordinator (July 2012-December 2024) of the activities in the University farm in Mpeketoni Sub-County, Lamu County.

Prof Ogendo has wealth of experience in participatory adaptive research, community outreach and consultancy services focusing on bio-intensive pest management & field efficacy / validation studies, enhanced food and nutrition security and livelihoods in smallholder agriculture. Over the past 3 decades, Prof Ogendo has found niche in bio-prospecting for botanical pesticides for bio-control of pre- and post-harvest insect pests of staple food crops. In the recent years (2010-2024), he has widened his research, outreach and consultancy domain to span underutilized crops (cassava, sweet potatoes, sorghum, indigenous vegetables and orphan crop legumes), climate change and agro-biodiversity. He has been /is Principal Investigator (PI)/Co-PI of eighteen (18) (Value: USD 1.4 Million) and a Collaborating Scientist in twenty-five (25) (Value: USD 20.1 Million) research / community grants and consultancies with a total value of USD USD 21.5 Million (KES 2.15 Billion). The above stated grants and consultancies were/are funded by SGCI, NIFA-USDA, NSF, BBSRC-GCRF, EASTECO, The MasterCard Foundation, The African Union, European Commission, Rockefeller Foundation, CIAT/ECABREN, AICAD, USAID, VicRes, African Union, EAAPP/World Bank, KAPAP/World Bank, RUFORUM, Global Center for Food Systems Innovation (GCFSI), Michigan State University, Austrian Development Cooperation and Government of Kenya among others; As the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture (Oct. 2014-Oct. 2018), Prof Ogendo provided the requisite leadership that saw Egerton University win three grand grants totalling USD 12.686 Million. The grants include the World Bank supported African Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture and Agribusiness Management (CESAAM) in Eastern and Southern Africa (Funding to EgU: USD 6 million over 5 years; 2017-2023);  The MasterCard Foundation funded project titled “Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s growth and development (TAGDev)” (Total funding: USD 27.4 Million; EgU direct funding: USD 6.64 million; over 8 years: 2016-2024) and The African Development Bank supported program titled “Training of teaching staff at Masters (15) and Doctorate (10) level in Agricultural and Livestock Biosciences” (Funding: KES 45.5 Million; over 3 years: 2018-2021) . The three projects (2016-2024) have so far offered 55, 230 and 75 BSc, MSc and PhD full / partial scholarships, respectively tenable at Egerton University; internships, regional staff and student exchanges, research funding for EgU and partner university staff and institutional capacity building (2 vehicles- 4WD Fortuner Land Cruiser and executive Omni-bus; lab equipment; CESAAM office complex). In addition to the aforementioned, Prof Ogendo led a 19-member EgU team and partners to submit a competitive Egerton University’s bid [USD 30 M (KES 3.0 Billion)] to become a Regional Anchor University (RAU) in Rural Innovations and Agricultural Extension in eastern Africa under the World Bank Group supported program “Strengthening Higher Agricultural Education in Africa (SHAEA)”. He has also overseen the signing of MoUs with international (Virginia Tech, USA; Zhejiang University, China; Natural Resources Institute, UK; FAMU, USA; Bowie State University, USA), regional (BecA Hub at ILRI; University of Rwanda, University of Juba, etc) and national (Pwani University; KCB Foundation, Agtech Consulting Ltd, Media Council of Kenya and Counties of Nakuru, Vihiga and Homa Bay for capacity building of youth and women on agribusiness and value addition) partners.

            Prof Ogendo is a prolific scholar with 61 scientific publications in refereed journals, five (5) book chapters’/ book editorials, two (2) provisional patents, eight (8) M & E/ consultancies; fourteen (14) outreach / extension publications / project reports, over one hundred (100) conference/workshop/symposium papers/attendance and member of eighteen (18) professional bodies, boards and working groups. He is currently the President, International Society of Pesticidal Plants (ISPP) (July 2022-Present), Chair, Pesticidal Plant Technologies Network (PEPTEN), Kenya (2013-2023) and Member, Project Advisory Board of “Enhancing Trade through Regulatory Harmonisation and Biopesticide Based Residue Mitigation in the SADC Region” USDA/Standards and Trade Development Facility. He has successfully supervised nine (9) MSc and Five (5) PhD students and currently supervising 3 MSc and 3 PhD student thesis researches in agronomy (crop production, crop protection, plant breeding and weed science), horticulture and agriculture and rural innovation studies. As spin off from his research grants (2004-2026), Prof. Ogendo has personally contributed to human capital development in Kenya at masters (11) and doctorate (6) levels in agriculture. In addition to his professional call, Prof Ogendo is the Coordinator & Resource Mobilizer, Chuth Ber Dispensary; Chairman, BOM, Akwakra Mixed Secondary School (Member since 2004); Member, BOM, Mawego Girls Secondary School (Feb. 2016-June 2022), Patron, Akwakra Primary School and Patron & Resource Mobilizer, St. Francis Akwakra Catholic Church (mobilizing resources for construction of new church building) all in Rachuonyo North Sub-County, Homa Bay County.