Welcome to the Institute of Food Bioresources Technology (IFBT) at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology. The institute’s mission is to provide an academically stimulating culturally diverse and quality learning environment that fosters research, innovation, and technology development towards producing relevant technical and managerial human resource and leaders to contribute to the attainment of national development goals.
The institute offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Food science and technology as well as undergraduate program in Nutrition and dietetics. There is also certificate and diploma programs in coffee technology cupping and quality management. All the Bachelors programs are accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). The program of Nutrition and Dietetics is also accredited by the Kenya Nutritionists and Dietitians Institute (KNDI). Our postgraduate programs attract students locally and from other countries in the region. Currently we have students taking MSc Food science and technology from Rwanda, and Malawi. In our next cohort we expect students from Ethiopia, Uganda and Nigeria. Our programs are up to date with the market requirements and aligned with the national development agenda and, by extension, the global sustainable development goals, which aim to ensure food security and nutrition and alleviate hunger.
Through our programs students get hands-on experience through practical skills, industrial visits and internal attachments in our well-equipped food workshop. In addition there is also external attachments for our undergraduate students for more practical experiences. For instant student taking Bachelor of Food science and technology has to go for industrial attachment for 3 months in a Food processing facility. Similarly students taking Bachelor of Nutrition and dietetics has both community and clinical practicums in a hospital for a duration of 3 months each. The students in the institute have clubs and associations which help them utilize the knowledge they have gain from their programs into practice as they offer services to the community. This includes clubs such as DeFTeNSA (DeKUT Food Technology and Nutrition Students’ Association) as well as the Green Thumb Movement (GTM) focussing on agriculture and value addition. Students taking Nutrition and dietetics normally participate in the health week organize at the university every year to provide nutrition and dietetics services to the university community. This entails offering health related advices to clients on how to overcome health challenges affecting people in society.
Students graduating with BSc Food science and technology have opportunities to get employment from sectors such as food industries, government ministries, research institutions, universities, NGOs, self-employment etc. Students who also graduate with BSc Nutrition and dietetics also have opportunities to work in hospitals as clinical, community nutritionist or dieticians, in government ministries, NGOs, research institutions, universities or self-employment as consultants among others.
We have qualified staff in our institute who are committed to teaching as well as undertake research and innovation activities in different aspects of food science, nutrition and dietetics fields. We also have two centres at the institute formed to carry out research and innovation as they seek for funding from external bodies to facilitate the research activities This include the Coffee Technology Centre and the Centre for Food Safety and Naturopathy (CeFoNa).
Please explore the institute website for more information about us. Should you have any inquiries, kindly email us at ifbt@dkut.ac.ke.