Agola Okiru

A Ugandan agricultural innovator who developed drought-resistant crops to combat famine in East Africa

Agola Okiru (1923-1972) was a pioneering agricultural scientist from Uganda whose work revolutionized food security across East Africa during the mid-20th century. Born in a rural Buganda community, Okiru witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of recurring droughts that destroyed crops and led to widespread famine. After studying botany at Makerere University (now Makerere University College), she pioneered hybridization techniques to create drought-resistant varieties of sorghum and millet.

Her most significant achievement came in 1958 with the development of the Okiru-1 sorghum strain, which could thrive with 30% less water than traditional varieties. This breakthrough was showcased at the 1964 All-Africa Agricultural Conference in Nairobi, where her research paper "Drought Tolerance in Cereal Crops" became a foundational text for African agricultural science.

Okiru's methods were adopted by over 150,000 smallholder farmers across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania during the 1960s famine crisis. Her work laid the groundwork for modern agroecology practices still used today. The Agola Okiru Agricultural Institute established in 1975 continues her legacy, training over 2,000 agricultural extension officers annually.