Polycarp Andabwa
Agricultural environmental engineer · EASA drone pilot · founder, ShambaIQ
I built ShambaIQ because precision soil data existed at farm-level resolution across all of Kenya — but no tool made it usable for a farmer on a basic smartphone or an extension officer in the field without a lab. ShambaIQ closes that gap: science-based soil scores, crop-specific fertilizer plans, and agronomic advice grounded in real spatial data for all 47 counties.
Credentials & qualifications
MSc agricultural environmental engineering
University of Debrecen, Hungary · 2026
Bachelor of business administration
Accounting · finance · HR management · marketing · —
SEO expert certification
Coursera · 2023
EASA licensed drone pilot
European Union Aviation Safety Agency · Active
Areas of expertise
Soil science
MSc Thesis: AI-assisted Geostatistical and stochastic mapping of heavy metal contamination in urban soils, Debrecen Hungary, 493 samples, seven parameters, using IDW, Kriging, and Sequential Gaussian Simulation. Deep understanding of soil chemistry, nutrient cycling, and agronomic interpretation. Built an interactive WebGIS Dashboard to monitor hotspots, uncertainty, and probability of exceedance.
GIS and remote sensing
Geospatial analysis of soil and environmental data at county and farm scale. Proficient in spatial interpolation, raster analysis, and satellite-derived land use interpretation across Kenyan agroecological zones.
Environmental impact assessment
Trained in EIA frameworks, baseline data collection, stakeholder engagement, and mitigation planning. Familiar with Kenya NEMA regulatory standards and EU environmental assessment directives.
Environmental monitoring
Field and laboratory monitoring of soil, water, and atmospheric parameters. Experience with heavy metal analysis, soil nutrient profiling, and environmental quality reporting.
Precision agriculture
Built ShambaIQ — a precision soil intelligence platform providing science-based soil quality scores and crop-specific fertilizer recommendations for all 47 Kenyan counties using high-resolution satellite soil data.
Hydrology
Understanding of watershed dynamics, soil water retention, and drainage design relevant to dryland and irrigated farming systems across Kenya's diverse agroecological zones.
EASA licensed drone pilot
Licenced to operate UAVs for aerial surveying, crop scouting, and environmental monitoring under EASA regulations. Enables field-level data collection beyond what satellite resolution provides.
Search engine optimisation
Coursera SEO Expert Certified. Designed the full ShambaIQ SEO architecture: 1,380+ auto-generated pages, complete structured data stack (BreadcrumbList, Article, FAQPage, HowTo, HowTo, Person, Organization), Kiswahili content strategy, and a zero-budget backlink outreach plan.
About ShambaIQ
ShambaIQ is a precision soil intelligence platform covering all 47 Kenyan counties. It provides science-based Soil Quality Index scores, crop-specific fertilizer recommendations with bag-per-acre budgets, and agronomic guidance in both English and Kiswahili — built on high-resolution satellite soil prediction models and validated against field data.
The blog applies the same rigour to content: every article is grounded in real soil nutrient values for the county being discussed, certified variety data, and agronomic advice specific to Kenyan farming systems — not generic content recycled across African markets.