Joshua Sikhu Okonya

**Joshua Sikhu Okonya** muwandiisi Munnayuganda era nga munnasayansi omunoonyereza ku by'obulimi ali ku ddaala ly'ensi yonna . Ye Mukugu mu by'ettaka n'ennima entuufu era nga mukenkufu akoze ekinene mu kuzimba okumanya mu bulimi n'okukyusa enkola z'ebyobulimi mu Africa okusinziira ku nkyukakyuka y'embeera y'obudde . 

## Obuvo bwe n’okusoma kwe
Okonya yazaalibwa era n’akulira mu Uganda, yasomerako ku Katuugo Primary School mu Disitulikiti y’eNakasongola . Yeegatta ku Masaba Secondary School mu 1995 ne Wanale View Secondary School mu Disitulikiti y'eMbale . Siniya Eyoomukaaga yagimaliriza ku Caltec Academy mu 1999. Oluvannyuma yagenda mu Makerere University mu Kampala, Uganda gye yafunira diguli esooka eya Bachelor of Science, nga yayitira mu ddaala eryokubiri mu Kusoma okukwata ku Bisolo n'okusoma okukwata ku bimera  mu 2004. Ku Makerere University, yali yafuna sikaala ya diguli esooka okuva mu Gavumenti ya Uganda era nga yateekebwa mu Lumumba Hall . Yafuna omusingi mu ssaayansi w’ebiramu mu misomo gye gyonna egya diguli, oluvannyuma gye yagatta n’okwagala kwe okwokunoonyereza ku bulimi . 

Mu 2008, yasomerako mu yunivasite ya Georg-August e Goettingen,e Germany gye yafunira diguli eyookubiri mu by’obulimi mu Tropical ne International Agriculture nga essira yalissa ku soma eby’obulimi n’okukuuma ebirime. Bwe yali e Goettingen, yali muwanguzi wa bbaluwa ya diguli endala okuva mu yunivasite ya Georg-August ne German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). 

Okonya mukugu mu by’obulimi era nga yatendekebwa mu by’obutonde bw’ebiwuka mu International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology, okwekenneenya akabi k’ebiwuka mu Fera Science, ne CAB International, Okugezesa ebiwuka n’okukola maapu y’akabi mu International Potato Center, ebyobulimi eby'omulembe okusinziira ku nkyukakyuka mu mbeera y’obudde mu The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Scientific Research Writing ku INASP, Project Planning and Management  mu yunivasite y'eMakerere ne International Development Cooperation mu yunivasite y'eKassel . 

## Obulamu bwe obw’emirimu n’obw’ekikugu
Okonya yakola nga Omuyambi mu Kunoonyereza mu International Institute of Tropical Agriculture okuva mu 2005 okutuuka mu 2008. Mu kiseera kye yamala mu IITA, yakola okunoonyereza ku Biological pest control ku biwuka bi banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus ne nematodes . Mu 2010, yeegatta ku International Potato Center ng’omukwanaganya w’okunoonyereza . Mu CIP, yakwasaganya pulojekiti eziwerako ez’okunoonyereza ku by’obulimi (AR4D) mu Uganda, Rwanda ne Burundi . Mu 2021, yalondebwa okubeera Omukungu akola ku bya pulogulaamu owa Agricultural Technology and Innovation mu kitongole kya  ASARECA Secretariat mu Uganda.

Mu kifo kino, yatumbula okwettanira tekinologiya n’enkola ez'omulembe okusinziira ku mbeera y’obudde okuzimba obusobozi bw’abalimi abatonotono okugumira enkyukakyuka y’embeera y'obudde era n’ayamba okukyusa tekinologiya w’ebyobulimi mu bitongole by’eggwanga ebinoonyereza ku by’obulimi mu buvanjuba n’amasekkati ga Afrika okukendeeza ku kukyupula n’okutumbula okukola ekirungi. Yayambako mu kutuukiriza n’okukwasaganya pulojekiti eziwerako mu ASARECA omuli The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) ex Pillar IV, Strengthening agricultural knowledge and the innovation ecosystem for inclusive rural transformation and livelihoods in Eastern Africa (AIRTEA) ne The Information for Agriculture, Food and Water Security (IAFWS), n’endala.

Joshua era akoze emirimu gy'okwebuuzibwako abantu mu kunoonyereza okw'enjawulo ku by'obulimi eri ebibiina by'enkulaakulana mu Uganda, Germany ne Netherlands .  Era mmemba w’omukago gwa ASARECA Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance, Gender Equity in Research Alliance, ekibiina ekikola ku nkyukakyuka y’obudde n’ebyobulimi mu Afrika ekya DAAD Alumni Working Group, Entomological Association of Uganda, African Crop Science Society, International Society for Tropical Root Crops (ISTRC),  African Potato Association ne AuthorAID.    

### Okunoonyereza kwe
Okonya mukenkufu mu byobulimi mu Afirica ng'alina ebiwandiiko 65 n'ebijuliziddwa 811 bwe bwatuukira mu Gwomusanvu gwa 2023. Ebimu ku biwandiiko bye ebisinga okwogerwako bye byogera ku nkola y'okukozesa eddagala eritta ebiwuka, n'obulabe bw'emirimu mu balimi b'alumonde mu Uganda; Okusaasaana kw'ebiwuka ebikosa lumonde; Okumanya kw'abantu bannansi  ku kuteebereza embeera y'obudde n'enjawulo mu kwanguyirwa okufuna ebikozesebwa eri abalimi b'alumonde okusinziira ku kikula ky'abantu.

Ono era y’omu ku bannassaayansi abaawa alipoota ayasookera ddala ku kubeerawo kw’ekiwuka ekiyitibwa Potato Cyst nematode mu Uganda.  Okunoonyereza kwe kwalaga omulundi ogwasooka, okubeerawo kw’akawuka ka Tobacco Rattle Virus mu lumonde mu mawanga agali mu  bitundu ebiriraanye eddungu Saharan mu Africa.  Yawaayo essuula ssatu mu Pest Risk Atlas eya Africa, nga eno ye Atlas eyasooka erimu obubaka obukwata ku bulabe bw’ebiwuka mu bulimi mu kiseera kino n’ebiseera by'omumaaso wansi w’embeera z’obudde ez’enjawulo.  Yali mu ttiimu mu CIP eyakulemberwa Dr. Robert Mwanga eyafuna ekirabo kya 2016 World Food Prize olw’okutumbula okukola, okulya, n’okukozesa ebirime ebikoleddwa nga byamaanyi (lumonde wa langi y'akacungwa) okukendeeza ku kulya emmere embi (obutaba na Vitamin A). 

Omulimu gwa Joshua mu kufuga ebiwuka n’endwadde enkulu ennyo ezikwata RTB ( Roots, Tubers, and Bananas ) mu mbeera y’obudde ekyukakyuka gwe gumu ku bintu ebikulu bye yakola. Yakola enkola ey’obuyiiya ey’okulwanyisa ebiwuka ng’akozesa ebikozesebwa eby’omulembe eby’okukebera akabi, okulondoola, n’okukola ebikozesebwa okukuuma ebirime by’ebyobulimi okuva ku bulabe obuyinza okubaawo.    

Okugatta ku ekyo, yaleetawo obukodyo eri abalimi abalimira awatono okukwatagana n’enkyukakyuka y’obudde era n’ategeera obukulu bw’okumanya kw'abannansi mu kuteebereza embeera y’obudde mu sizoni ezenjawulo mu kunoonyereza kwe. Ebiwandiiko bye eby’eby’ensoma, ebyalimu okunoonyereza ku ngeri abalimi gye balaba n’okumanyira enkyukakyuka y’obudde, byamanyibwa nnyo mu nsi y’abayivu era ne byongera ku mutindo gw’okumanya mu ssaayansi w’ebyobulimi. 

## Ebitabo bye ebirondeddwamu

# Potato Pest and Disease Management: Okonya akoze okusoma n'okunoonyereza z'okukwasaganyamu  biwuka n'endwadde mu kulima lumonde. Omulimu gwe gugonjoola okusoomoozebwa okusangibwa abalimi b'alumonde era ne kuwa enkola ezitakosa butonde mu kukendeeza okukozesebwa kwe'eddagala ly'okufuuyira .
# Gender Differences in Agriculture: Okunoonyereza kwa  Okonya okumu essira kulissa ku kwekenneenya enjawuklo mu bikula by'abantu ne ngeri gyekileetera enjawulo mu kwanguyirwa okufuna ebikozesebwa n'okubikozesa mu balimi ba lumonde. Okusoma kwe kumulisa ku njawulo mu kikula ky'abantu ku ludda lw'eby'obulimi era naayambako kinene mu kuwa abakazi amaanyi mu kufulumya ebirime n'okubyongerako omutindo.
# Serological Survey and Metagenomic Discovery of Potato Viruses
# Okonya yeetaba mu kunoonyereza okwali ku buwuka obutawaanya lumonde mu Rwanda ne Burundi. Okunoonyereza okwo kwagerererwamu okulaga okubaawo oba obutabaawo kw'obuwuka obumu mu lumonde w'omu mawanga agaliraanye eddungu Saharan erya Africa, era naawa enkola ez'omugaso ennyo mu kulabirira n'okukuuma ebimera.
# Satellite imagery to aid Uganda farmers boost yields by solving climate change challenges.
# The role of sweet potatoes in Uganda following COVID-19.
# Ugandan entomologist overcame barriers to publication with help from the AuthorAID network.
# Determinants of Women's Decision-Making Power in Pest and Disease Management: Evidence From Uganda.
# Abakugu beeraliikirira nti okukozesa ennyo eddagala ery'okufuuyira kireetera obulabe ku bulamu bw'abantu.

## Laba ne

* Ekibiina ekinyweza omunoonyereza ku by'obulimi mu buvanjuba n'amasekkati ga Afrika(ASARECA)
* Ekitongole ky’ensi yonna eky’amatooke

## Ebijuliziddwa