The Department of Botany is one of the departments in the School of Physical and Biological Sciences in Maseno University which came into existence in 1991, a year after the establishment of Maseno University College as a constituent college of Moi university. The Department is known for its multidisciplinary character and has earned international recognition for its standards of teaching and research. The Department can be proud of having produced eminent scholars and administrators who have occupied or are occupying high positions within and outside the country. The Department is well-positioned for collaboration with public science institutions such as KEFRI, KETRI, ICIPE, KEPHIS, KALRO, and National Museums of Kenya along with other industry partners. The department has competent academic and technical staff who are actively involved in research and student supervision as evidenced by publications. The members of academic staff have widely published in the top science publishers in the world.  

The focus areas of the Department are: Plant Ecology, plant physiology and biochemistry, Microbiology, Plant Pathology, Agroforestry, Plant taxonomy and Economic Botany, Genetics and Biotechnology. The main emphasis is given on the following areas of research:

i. Stress physiology and plant ecophysiology.

ii. Microbiology (including plant Pathology, Mycology and Phycology).

iii. Ethnobotany and medicinal plants

iv. Biodiversity conservation

v. Pollution ecology

The department has an experimental garden with a glass house. The Botanical garden has a large range of living plants which are indispensable in teaching. The Department integrates research and teaching across all levels of biological disciplines within Maseno University. We offer comprehensive undergraduate and postgraduate education in the wide range of biological disciplines from molecules to ecosystems and the biosphere.