KU Living Lab

The living lab is situated on the border of Nairobi County and Kiambu County, within the Nairobi Metropolitan zone. This area is characterized by middle-class residential estates and a significant population of low-income earners. Nearby towns host several local vegetable and food markets, which primarily rely on supplies from distant farming regions. The lab area’s agroecology is classified as mid-altitude, with a consistently warm climate throughout the year (averaging 25+°C). It experiences two rainy seasons, a long one from March to May and a short one from October to December. The availability and prices of food in this region tend to follow cyclical patterns influenced by supply and demand dynamics. The living lab will focus on implementing hydroponics and soil-less cultivation techniques within a high tunnel structure, commonly known as a greenhouse. Its primary purpose is to serve as a test and demonstration site for innovative climate-smart production technologies, such as sensors for monitoring moisture, temperature, relative humidity (RH), and pH levels.