Egerton University is mourning the demise of one of its distinguished scholars, Professor Peter L. Shalo.
Prof. Shalo joined Egerton College in 1968 and grew through the ranks to become a full professor when the College became a fully-fledged university in 1986. Prof. Shalo, who was born in Kakamega County, Western Kenya. He was a lecturer and long-serving Chair of the Department of Dairy and Food Science Technology at the Faculty of Agriculture, Egerton University. The distinguished scholar was one of the founders of the Guildford Dairy Institute at Egerton University.
Prof Shalo was among the founding lecturers in the Faculty of Agriculture together with the late first Vice-Chancellor Prof Musangi, the late Prof Nguyo, the late Prof Isaack Rop and Prof Mumera among others. Prof Shalo steered the department of Dairy Food Science and technology through an earlier major reforms which led to expansion and production of reknown Egerton Yogurt under the leadership of the late Vice-Chancellor Prof Richard Musangi. Prof Shalo championed several donor funded projects supported by among others USAID, EU that entailed the development of various forms of infrastructure, counterpart training for Egerton staff, and acquisition of equipment and promoting research, teaching, and service, which helped develop and expand the current diploma, degree and postgraduate programmes in the Department of Dairy and Food Science and Technology.
Furthermore, Prof Shalo was among pioneer professors who played a key role in expanding Faculty programs that led to elevation of Egerton College to University in the early 1980s for elevation to a University status in 1986 under the Leadership of the late Vice-Chancellor Prof Richard Musangi. Key factors that promoted their appeal to government was the availability of land, (including its 3000 acres Ngongogeri farm and 1000 acre Tatton Park) and physical and academic infrastructure, to start degree courses. The first approved degree programmes for Egerton University College were B.Sc. in Animal Production, Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Education, Agriculture and Home Economics, and Horticulture.
Later in his career, Prof Shalo was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science Technologists in USA (1986), member of the Institute of Biology (M. I. Biol) (1982), Chartered Biologist (C. Biol) of U.K. (1982), member of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (Kenya), member of The Society of Dairy Technology of UK (1977), member of Kenya Institute of Food Science and Technology (KIFST) (1975), and member of the New Zealand Society of Dairy Science and Technology (1969).
He was a past member of the FAO Experts Committee on Dairy Education, in which capacity he designed the Dairy Technology Curriculum for Tender Institute in Tanzania and the Dairy Institute of Gaborone in Botswana. In 1993, Prof. Shalo served as a member of the Kenya Agricultural Biotechnology Platform which monitored the development and use of biotechnology and genetically modified organisms in the agricultural industry.
His research interests were in the fields of food processing and preservation, production and utilization of camel milk, and the Safe Food Safe Dairy Project that worked on mycotoxins in cereals and milk and their implications on human health in Kenya.
Prof Shalo early educational life was grounded in Kivaywa Primary School and then successfully progressed to Friends School Kamusinga where he sat and passed his Ordinary (O-Level) and Advanced (A-Level) examinations.. He later joined Makerere College University of East Africa in 1968 and attained his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. Two years later in 1970 he was awarded a Diploma in Dairy Technology from the Massey University in New Zealand through a fellowship offered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). He obtained Master of Food Science (1978) and PhD in Food Science and Biotechnology in 1983 from the University of Reading, UK under sponsorship by the Swiss Technical Corporation through the Kenya Government. He won Full Bright Scholar in 1986 where he spent part of his research and academic life in the U.S.A. at the Universities of Wisconsin and Illinois.
Prof Shalo received the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) in 2008, a State Honour by His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki, recognizing his professional output in academic leadership in Kenya.
Over the course of his career, Prof Shalo served in various professional associations and societies including the Eastern and Southern Africa Association of Dairy and Food Science where he contributed to enormous impact to Dairy development for many countries of the African continent in East, Southern and West Africa. He retired at the age of 70 as Professor of Food science and Technolog, Department of Dairy and Food science and Technology, Egerton University. He was a Council Member at Gretsa University for the last 5 years until his demise. He was past Council Member at Kiriri Women's University of Science and Technology (KWUST). Prof Shalo was appointed as Director of Studies during the expansion of the South East Consortium for International Development (SECID), USA at Egerton University. Prof Shalo was appointed Principal Laikipia Campus College from 1994 and served a full term before he handed over to Prof Sindabi in April 1999. Some of his selected publications include P.S. Muliro, Shalo P.L and Kutima P.M. Quality assessment of raw carmel milk using dye reduction Tests – African Journal of Food Science and Technology, May 2013 (Pg 116-121); P.L. Shalo – FAO Document – Processing and Preservation of milk by Traditional Cattle keepers in Kenya; P.L. Shalo et al – Handbook on milk collection on in warm developing countries Chapter 7 – Containers for milk during collection among others.
During his professional career at Egerton College and Egerton University, Prof Shalo demonstrated impeccable competence, clear vision, and fairness and unwavering dedication to service. On his retirement he has spent most of his time in public duties as elder, community and also in the Friends Church (Quakers).
Prof Shalo is survived by wife, his children and his grand children.
