Prof. Vincent O. Onywera Ph.D, ISAK 2

Position/Status

  • Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Outreach

E-mail Address

vonywera@kcau.ac.ke

Academic Qualification

  • 2004 -2007: Kenyatta University (Ph.D)

Title of Thesis: “The African Running Phenomenon. The Role of Genetics, Nutrition and Demographic Factors in Explaining the Success of Kenyan Runners in International Distance Running”

  • 2000-2002: Kenyatta University (Master of Education: Physical Education and Health)

Title of Thesis: “Analysis of Acute Injuries incurred by Players during the 2001 Moi Golden Cup Soccer Tournament”

  • 1995-1999: Kenyatta University {B. Ed} (Physical and Health Education) – First Class Honors

Professional work and courses related to my area

  • 2011: Kenyatta University – Kinanthropometry (ISAK 2)
  • 2009: Visiting Scholar, Healthy Active Living and Obesity (HALO) Research Group – Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute
  • 2007: Stellenbosch University, South Africa
    Course: Kinanthropometry (ISAK 1)
  • 2004: University of Glasgow
    Course: Laboratory Techniques in Exercise Physiology, Literature review etc.

Membership of Professional Bodies/Associations

  • Member, International Physical Activity and the Environment Network (IPAN)
  • Member, American College of Sports Medicine(ACSM)
  • Member, International Union for Health Promotion and Education(IUHPE)
  • Member, Consortium for Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) Prevention and Control in sub-Saharan Africa (CNCD-Africa
  • Member, International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance (ICHPER·SD) Research.
  • Member, African Physical Activity Network(AFPAN)
  • Member, Canadian Obesity Network
  • Founder member, Kenya International Development Study-Canadian Activity Needs (KIDS-CAN)Research Alliance
  • Member, Africa Association of Health, PE, Recreation, Sport and Dance-(AAHPERSD)
  • Member, the Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance in Kenya (NCDAK)

Profile

Professor Vincent O. Onywera is the Pioneer Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Innovation and Outreach at KCA University, Kenya. He is a Professor of Exercise and Sports Science with over twenty-two (22) years of teaching and research experience, twelve (12) of which he has served at senior level in University Management. He holds a PhD (Exercise and Sports Science) where his research focus was on the role of genetics, nutrition and sociocultural factors in explaining the phenomenon performance of Kenyan middle and distance runners, M.Ed in Physical and Health Education and a Bachelor of Education (First Class Honors) in Physical and Health Education from Kenyatta University. He is a Physical Activity and Active Transport Researcher with extensive national and international research networks. Vincent has worked as the Director of the Center for International Programmes and Collaboration at Kenyatta University. He has served as the pioneer Registrar in-charge of Research, Innovation and Outreach at Kenyatta University for more than 8 years. He is a former Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Innovation and Outreach at Kenyatta University. Prof.Onywera was instrumental in the establishment of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Academy at Kenyatta University as well as the establishment of the blueprint for a Kenyatta University Sports Complex complete with a stadium and recreation centre. Vincent has published over 165 publications comprising 120 articles in refereed journals, 3 book chapters, 4 conference proceedings, and 35 conference abstracts. He has competitively secured over Ksh. 150,000,000 (Ksh.150 million) worth of research and development grants from various international funding agencies. As Director for the Centre for International Programmes and Collaboration, he was successful in fundraising over 3,999,125 Euros (Approximately Ksh. 519,886,250) jointly with other collaborating institutions through the European Union Intra-ACP academic mobility scheme. Vincent is involved in a number of national, regional and international academic endevours aimed at capacity building, surveillance and research focusing on healthy active living in the greater Eastern Africa and Great Lakes Region (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi and Southern Sudan) and beyond. He is/was involved in various research endeavors and collaborations such as:

Research Interest

  • Physical Activity and active transportation for health and well-being
  • Kinanthropometry
  • The remarkable performance of Kenyan runners
  • Fitness Testing and Exercise prescription for various populations

Area of Specialization:

  • Exercise and Sports Science

Project / Research Grants

S/No. Researcher Year Title Granting Body Funding US$/CAN $/€
1. Gareth Stratton, Vincent Onywera, Joy Wachira, George Owino, Sinead Brophy, Huw Summers and  Nils Swindell. 2019-2021 Kenya healthy diet and active Lifestyle Infrastructure for the NeXt generation (Kenya-LINX) British Academy   £299,429
2. Mikael Fogelholm and Vincent Onywera 2017-2020 Building higher education and research capacity to address the physical activity and nutrition transition in Kenya: the Kenya-Finland education and research alliance (KENFIN-EDURA) Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland   € 517

Selected Publications: Books, Refereed publications & Non Refereed publications

  • Lang JJ, Zhang K, Agostinis-Sobrinho C, Andersen LB, Basterfield L, Berglind D, Blain DO, Cadenas-Sanchez C, Cameron C, Carson V, Colley RC, Csányi T, Faigenbaum AD, García-Hermoso A, Gomes TNQF, Gribbon A, Janssen I, Jurak G,
    Kaj M, Kidokoro T, Lane KN, Liu Y, Löf M, Lubans DR, Magnussen CG, Manyanga T, McGrath R, Mota J, Olds T, Onywera VO, Ortega FB, Oyeyemi AL, Prince SA, Ramírez-Vélez R, Roberts KC, Rubín L, Servais J, Silva
    DAS, Silva DR, Smith JJ, Song Y, Stratton G, Timmons BW, Tomkinson GR, Tremblay MS, Wong SHS, Fraser BJ. Top 10 International Priorities for Physical Fitness Research and Surveillance Among Children and Adolescents: A Twin-Panel
    Delphi Study. Sports Med. 2023 Feb;53(2):549-564. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01752-6. Epub 2022 Aug 24. PMID: 36001291; PMCID: PMC9399984.
  • Ramírez Varela, A., Hallal, P. C., Mejía Grueso, J., Pedišić, Ž., Salvo, D., Nguyen, A., Klepac, B., Bauman, A., Siefken, K., Hinckson, E., Oyeyemi, A. L., Richards, J., Salih Khidir, E. D., Inoue, S., Amagasa, S., Jauregui, A.,
    da Silva, M. C., Lee, I., Ding, M., Kohl, H. W., III, Ekelund, U., Heath, G. W., Powell, K. E., Foster, C., Memon, A. R., Doumbia, A., Rather, A. R., Razzaque, A., Diouf, A., Hino, A. 6 A., Damasceno, A., Abebe, A. D., Florindo,