The origin of the Department of Agricultural Economics dates back to 1970 when the University of Nairobi and the Faculty of Agriculture were established.  Its distinct character for many years was a commitment to provide excellent formal training in Agricultural Economics at the MSc degree level.  In the 1999/2000 academic year, the department introduced new undergraduate degree programmes in BSc Agribusiness Management, BSc Agricultural Education and Extension.  The programs rolled out the first undergraduate graduands in 2003/2004.  In the 2004/2005 academic year, MSc in Agricultural and

Agricultural Information and Communication Management Programme at postgraduate level was strongly supported by the findings of a training needs assessment undertaken by Regional Agricultural Information Network (RAIN) in 2005. The National stakeholders workshop on the AICM postgraduate programmes (MSc and PGD) adopted the following findings by RAIN/ASARECA and the Regional Taskforce: