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Associate Professor of Botany/Environment Science

Muniafu, Maina M., PhD.

Maina Muniafu (Max) is an Associate Professor of Natural Sciences in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at the United States International University – Africa (USIU-A) with about 25 years of teaching and research experience at the tertiary level. He holds a PhD in Botany (Plant Ecophysiology) and a Master’s degree in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry from the University of Nairobi as well as a Bachelor of Education (Science) degree from the same university. His speciality areas for teaching are the sustainable management of natural resources and plant biochemistry. He carries out research in various environment related areas such as water pollution, soil nitrogen status and the isolation and identification of medicinally active compounds. He has a wealth of knowledge in conservation being a biodiversity fellow of the United Nations University.
Email Address

mmuniafu@usiu.ac.ke

Location

Nairobi, Kenya

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

  • The sustainable management of natural resources
  • Plant biochemistry

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

  • PhD in Botany – University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya (2002)
  • MSc in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry – University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya (1992)
  • BEd (Science) in Botany, Zoology, and Education – Kenyatta College, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

 

TEACHING

  • NSC 2212 Life, Environment and Society
  • NSC 3304 Biology and the Environment
  • ENV 2000 Introduction to Environmental Sciences
  • ENV 2001 Sustainable Resource Management
  • ENV 3328 Field Studies
  • ENV 3500 Regional Environment
  • ENV 4000 Environmental Economics
  • ENV 3300 Energy Use and Management
  • BOT 3352 Plant Anatomy and Physiology
  • BOT 3353 General Plant Biochemistry and Toxicology

PUBLICATIONS

Journal Articles:

  • Muniafu, M.M., Macharia, J.N.M., Stigter, C.J., Coulson, G.L., 1999. Leaf area development, dry weight accumulation and solar energy conversion efficiencies of Phaseolus vulgaris under different soil moisture levels near Nairobi, Kenya. Journal of Environmental Sciences 11 (4) pp. 449 – 456.
  • Mungai D.N. Stigter C.J. Coulson C.L. Ng’etich W.K. Muniafu M.M. Kainkwa R.M.R. 1997. Measuring solar radiation transmission in tropical agriculture using tube solarimeters; a warning. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Volume 86, Number 3, September 1997, pp. 235-243(9) Publishers: Elsevier.
  • Muniafu, M.M. and Kinyamario, J. I., 2007. Soil nutrient content, soil moisture and yield of Katumani maize in a semi-arid area of Kenya. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 1 (4), pp. 081-085, November.
  • Muniafu, M.M., Iraki, F.K. and Otiato, E. 2008. Exploiting indigenous knowledge in the environmental conservation and promotion of African plants: Case study on Mwingi and Kyuso districts, Kenya. Journal of Language, Technology and Entrepreneurship in Africa.
  • Iraki, F.I. Muniafu, M.M., Mathiu. S. 2008 Conservation and Promotionof Indigenous Plants and Trees in Meru: A preliminary survey. Journal of Language, Technology and Entrepreneurship in Africa.
  • Muniafu Maina 1, Francis Wambalaba, Gidraph Nduati, Walter Wanyama, Dalton Ndirangu December 2012. Using OER (Open Learning Resource) as a tool for agribusiness management training for hard to reach rural farmer populations. A paper submitted to and accepted by the JALN – Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks http://jaln.sloanconsortium.org/index.php/jaln
  • Muniafu M, M, Kipkore K, W, Maima A, O, Kwena M, O and Kahindi J.H.P. (April 2014). Survey of medicinal plants used by the Giriama of Kilifi County, Kenya. Pharmaceutical Journal of Kenya. Vol. 21, No. 4.
  • Muniafu, A. Malala and M. Kwena. (2015). African Traditional Vegetables as Agents of Integrated Soil Fertility Management—Crotalaria and Amaranth Farming. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology B 5 109-121.
  • Muniafu, Maina; Kahindi, James H.; Kwena, M.O. (2015). Bio-ethanol production from cassava (Mannihot esculenta Crantz) at the coast region in Kenya. Research Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Management. Vol. 4(7), pp. 299-306. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281460407

Books:

  • Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Semi-Arid Savannas of Kenya
  • Changes in Levels For Soils Brought Under Cultivation. .ISBN: 978-3-8383-9170-0. Editor: acovali. Contributor: MAINA MUNIAFU and JENESIO KINYAMARIO
  • Baseline Survey of E-Waste Status in Nairobi, Kenya
  • Muniafu, Maina; Miya, Florence Lambert Academic Publishing, 2016

Book Chapters:

  • Renewable Energy Governance in Kenya: Plugging into the Grid ‘Plugging into Progress’. James Mwangi, Nicholas Kimani and Maina Muniafu. E. Michalena and J. M. Hills (eds.), Renewable Energy Governance, Lecture Notes in Energy 57, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4471-5595-9_7, _ Springer-Verlag London 2013.