Mr. Dennis M. Njagi

Designation:  Tutorial Fellow
Email: dennis.njagi@dkut.ac.ke
School/Institute: Geothermal Energy Training and Research Institute (GeTRI)
Department: Department of Geology

Areas of Expertise

  • Sedimentary Petrology, Palaeoclimatology, Environmental Geochemistry

Academic Background

Qualification Institution Year
Doctor of Environmental Science Linkoping University,
Environmental Geochemistry
Dissertation: “The Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of Lake Victoria Basin” 		2015 – Present
Master of Science in Geology University of Nairobi
Specialized in Petroleum Geology
Thesis: “Stratigraphy, petrography and provenance of Plio-Pleistocene sediments in Baringo Basin, Kenya” 		2012 – 2015
Bachelor of Science in Geology University of Nairobi
Project: GIS as a Tool for Mineral Exploration		 2008 – 2012

Professional Background

  • 2018 – Present: Tutorial Fellow, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Nyeri Kenya.
  • 2017 – 2018: Part-time lecturer, South Eastern University, Kitui, Kenya.
  • 2013 – 2014: Part-time lecturer, School of Petroleum Studies, Nairobi, Kenya.

Research

  1. Linkoping University, Linkoping (Sweden), 2015
    Researcher, TEMA M
    • Biomarker extraction and analysis of cores that were recovered from Lake Victoria Basin.
  2. University of Nairobi, Nairobi (Kenya)
    Researcher, Dept of Geology
    • Conducted sedimental coring and logging of samples from various wetlands in Lake Victoria Basin.
  3. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (United States), 2013
    Sampling scientist    , National Lacustrine Core Repository (LacCore)
    • Splitting, describing and sampling sediment cores recovered from sequences encountered in drilling in Baringo County. Participant at the Initial Core Description Workshop for Tugen Hills core (NSF funded Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project).
  4. Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project (HSPDP), Baringo (Kenya), 2013
    Drilling Site Geologist
    • Conducted sediment coring and geological logging of the stratigraphic sequences encountered in drilling.

Other University and National Responsibilities

  1. 2025 – Present: Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Exam Coordinator, GeTRI.
  2. 2022 – Present: Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, DeKUTOCS Advisory Board Member.
  3. 2018 – Present: Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Timetabler , GeTRI.
  4. 2018- Present: Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, BSc Program Coordinator, GeTRI.
  5. 2013 – 2014: University of Nairobi, Masters’ Students Coordinator, Dept. of Geology.

Social Responsibilities

  1. Storymoja Hay Festival, 2009 – 2013
    Volunteered as a science educator for children at the annual book festival.
  2. FunKe Science, 2013- 2018
    science educator and graphic designer.
  3. RocKeSci, 2012 – current
    Co-founder, writer and editor of earth science articles.

Publications

  • Beck, C. C., Berke, M., Feibel, C. S., Foerster, V., Olaka, L., Roberts, H. M., Scholz, C. A., Cantner, K., Noren, A., Kiptoo, G. M., Muirhead, J., & the Deep Drilling in the Turkana Basin (DDTB) project team. (2024). ICDP workshop on the Deep Drilling in the Turkana Basin project: Exploring the link between environmental factors and hominin evolution over the past 4 Myr. Scientific Drilling, 33(2), 93–108. https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-33-93-2024
  • Cohen, A., Campisano, C., Arrowsmith, R., Asrat, A., Behrensmeyer, A. K., Deino, A., Feibel, C., Hill, A., Johnson, R., Kingston, J., Lamb, H., Lowenstein, T., Noren, A., Olago, D., Owen, R. B., Potts, R., Reed, K., Renaut, R., Schäbitz, F., … Zinaye, B. (2016). The Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project: Inferring the environmental context of human evolution from eastern African rift lake deposits. Scientific Drilling, 21, 1–16.https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-21-1-2016
  • Enalbes, C. J., Njagi, D. M., Luo, C., Olago, D., & Routh, J. (2025). Reconstructing historical land use and anthropogenic inputs in lake victoria basin: Insights from pah and n-alkane trends. Toxics, 13(2), 130. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13020130
  • Njagi, D. M., Routh, J., Odhiambo, M., Luo, C., Basapuram, L. G., Olago, D., Klump, V., & Stager, C. (2022). A century of human-induced environmental changes and the combined roles of nutrients and land use in Lake Victoria catchment on eutrophication. Science of The Total Environment, 835, 155425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155425
  • Njagi, D. M., Routh, J., Olago, D., & Gayantha, K. (2021). A multi-proxy reconstruction of the late Holocene climate evolution in the Kapsabet Swamp, Kenya (East africa). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 574, 110475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110475
  • Odhiambo, M., Joyanto Routh, Olago, D., J Val Klump, Stager, J. C., Njagi, D., & Kylin, H. (2017). Biomass combustion and input of black carbon and nutrients impact primary productivity in lake victoria. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.21197.44008
  • Njagi, D. M. (2014). The plio-pleistocene history of sedimentation in lake Baringo basin, Kenya-a drill core perspective (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).

Other Academic And Professional Achievements

  • Student Representative – The 6th East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition in Arusha, Tanzania, 2013.

Conferences And Workshops

  1. Workshop, Deep Drilling in Lake Turkana, July 2022.
  2. Workshop, “Simple Science” UNESCO Workshop on promoting earth sciences in Kenyan schools, March 2016.
  3. Conference, Kenyan student representative at the 6th East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition in Arusha, Tanzania. February, 2013.
  4. Conference, Attended the East African Oil and Gas Summit in Nairobi.

Honours And Awards

  • Best Environmental Blog 2013 – Won the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) awards for Best Environmental Blog 2013for rockesci.co.ke, an earth science blog.

Professional Affiliations

  • General Secretary, 2013 – 2013 The East African Association of Geoscience Students (EAAGS).

Professional Training

  • ESRI Training | GIS for Climate Action
    Esri, MOOC Feb – Apr 2025
    I attended a course on how analysis of geospatial data can help in communicating climate change.
  • Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design
    Coursera, Issued Jun 2022· No Expiration Date
    Credential ID CF69UM2FACFL
  • Start the UX Design Process:
    Coursera, Issued Jun 2022 · No Expiration Date
    Credential ID M5K5NZEHNKAD
  • Estri Training | Spatial Data Science
    Esri, MOOC Oct – Dec 2020
    Attended a course on spatial data science as a new frontier in analysis of geospatial data.
  • ICDP Training Course on Continental Scientific Lake Drilling
    International Continental Scientific Drilling Program, Ohrid, Macedonia, Sept 2015 Underwent a course on drilling lacustrine sediments from Lake Ohrid.
  • Fundamentals of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Nairobi University, Kenya . April 2012.

Computer Skills

  • Programming: HTML/CSS.
  • Applications: ArcGIS, MS Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, OneNote) , Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere ), SPSS.
  • Platforms: WordPress, Prestashop.