Chief Operations Officer, Kilimo Corps Africa
Agricultural educator, researcher, and systems-minded leader helping translate vision into coordinated execution through operations, knowledge, training, and youth-centered agricultural transformation.
Susan Kageni serves as Chief Operations Officer at Kilimo Corps Africa, where she helps convert institutional vision into coordinated systems, program execution, and practical delivery. Her leadership sits at the intersection of operations, research, agricultural education, and youth development.
She brings a strong academic and professional foundation to this role. Susan is a PhD candidate in Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Nairobi, with a background in agricultural information and communication management and first-class training in Agricultural Education and Extension. Her work reflects a commitment to evidence-based thinking, climate-smart agriculture, and the practical application of knowledge in real communities.
Beyond academia, Susan has built credibility as an educator, curriculum author, trainer, and national youth agriculture leader. This combination makes her especially valuable to Kilimo Corps Africa as the institution builds programs and systems that are both intellectually grounded and operationally effective.
Kilimo Corps Africa
Building coordinated systems that support credible agricultural impact.
Strengthening the internal systems, structures, and day-to-day coordination required for effective execution across the institution.
Bringing analytical thinking, research discipline, and evidence-informed learning into program design and institutional decision-making.
Supporting the development of practical learning models, training pathways, and content that strengthen agricultural capability.
Advancing youth engagement in agriculture through mentorship, exposure, sustainable farming skills, and leadership development.
Susan’s contribution to Kilimo Corps Africa is especially important because institution-building requires more than passion. It requires systems, order, learning, documentation, and the discipline to execute well.
Her background in research and communication management strengthens the organization’s ability to think clearly, document effectively, and develop programs that are not only inspiring, but also well-grounded and measurable. At the same time, her long-standing work in agricultural education and youth leadership brings practical field relevance to the institution’s mission.
This blend of operational coordination, academic depth, and people-centered agricultural leadership makes her role central to how Kilimo Corps Africa grows with structure and substance.
Experience in quantitative and qualitative research, data collection, fieldwork facilitation, analysis, reporting, and MEL documentation.
Years of experience teaching Agriculture and Biology, mentoring students, and improving performance through practical and competency-based learning.
Leadership at the Young Farmers Clubs of Kenya reflects strong alignment with the institution’s commitment to young people and future food systems leadership.
Susan’s journey reflects a combination of academic excellence, agricultural instruction, curriculum development, research, and national youth agriculture leadership.
Grow4Liberty / Kilimo Corps Africa
Agricultural Society of Kenya
The Mary Leakey Girls High School / Teachers Service Commission
Moran Publishers
Kihingo Beekeepers, WeFarm, Ministry of Agriculture
University of Nairobi
2024 – Present
Area of focus: Climate-smart agriculture technologies and services.
University of Nairobi
2016 – 2020
University of Nairobi
2012 – 2016 | First Class Honours
Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research design.
Experience using R, Stata, thematic analysis, and research reporting.
Agricultural education, field training, mentorship, and knowledge dissemination.
Research reporting, field documentation, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning support.
Authored agriculture learning materials and revision texts that support practical, competency-based agricultural education.
Leads national youth agriculture engagement through the Young Farmers Clubs of Kenya, creating exposure and leadership pathways.
Combines advanced research training with classroom leadership and field-based agricultural practice.
Susan’s leadership reflects the kind of depth Kilimo Corps Africa needs as it grows: thoughtful research, strong execution, practical education, and a real commitment to young people, sustainable agriculture, and institutional credibility. Her work helps ensure that the organization is not only visionary, but also structured, grounded, and capable of delivering meaningful long-term value.
