Background

I am a PhD candidate in Microbiology with a research focus on the effects of Bradyrhizobium spp. on soybean growth, with particular emphasis on naturalized strains and their performance relative to established commercial inoculant strains. My research integrates genomic and phenotypic approaches to investigate genetic diversity, evolutionary relationships, and symbiotic efficiency, aiming to improve our understanding of locally adapted rhizobial populations and their potential for sustainable biofertilizer development.

I hold an MSc in Biotechnology (Cum Laude) from the University of Pretoria. My master’s dissertation involved a comparative analysis of chickpea (Cicer arietinum)-compatible rhizobia and commercial inoculant strains, assessing nodulation capacity, plant growth promotion, and evolutionary relatedness within South Africa.

I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Karatina University, Kenya. My honours research focused on the comparative analysis of heavy metal accumulation in Brassica oleracea (kales) grown in Nairobi and Karatina regions, providing early training in analytical techniques, environmental microbiology, and plant–environment interactions

QUALIFICATIONS

BSc. Biochemistry-Department of Bio-physical sciences, Karatina University

MSc. Biotechnology (Cum Laude) -Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria