Thursday, November 3, 2022

Hon. Prof. Ruth Oniang’o, a UoN alumnus is one of the two recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award as announced in Singapore on Wednesday, November 1, 2022.

The other recipient is Dr. Delia Rodriguez Amalia from Brazil.

While congratulating his mentor through his Facebook page, Dr. George Abong’, Chair of the Department, Food Science and Nutrition, exclaimed, ‘Hon. Prof. Ruth Oniang'o at the world Stage-International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) in Singapore. We scale the height locally and Internationally. Proud of our patron for the Food Science and Technology platform of Kenya that I currently chair. Congratulations our mentor!’

This is not the first lifetime achievement that Prof. Oniang’o has received. An excerpt from the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) has listed her achievements, ‘Dr Ruth Khasaya Oniang’o was awarded a PhD in Food Science and Nutrition by the University of Nairobi in 1983 and later became a Professor of Nutrition at Jomo Kenyatta University. Her research focused on food security, nutrition and pregnancy, childhood nutrition and agricultural processing.  In 1992, she founded the Rural Outreach Program to provide small farmers with indigenous soil testing and other resources needed to be productive. 

Dr Oniang'o founded the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development in 2001 to highlight relevant academic research in the field. She is currently the editor-in-chief of the journal.  She served in the Kenyan Parliament from 2003 to 2007 where she helped pass the Kenya Biosafety Bill and the Nutritionists and Dietetics Bills. In 2005, Dr Oniang'o established the Diana Elukhambi Health Centre in Kakamega.

Read more here