The origin of Environmental and Bio-systems Engineering at the University of Nairobi can be traced back to 1965 when the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering introduced a section in Agricultural Engineering focusing on Agricultural Process Engineering.The Department of Agricultural Engineering of University of Nairobi was established in 1975 originally as the Department of Agricultural Mechanization and Farm planning. The name was then changed in 1976 to Department of Agricultural Engineering.

Dr. Eric Verploegen, a  Research Engineer in  Food, Water and Energy  together with three students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (D-lab) visited department of Environmental and Biosystems Engineering from 6th to 26th January 2020 to construct and install a room sized Evaporative Cooling Chambers. Chambers."

Engineering Design Project is one of the units taken by undergraduate students during their final year.  It requires the application of knowledge gained for the last five years of studies in degree programe BSc. Biosystems Engineering. It provides the opportunity to apply knowledge gained to improve independent design skills, and to address the impact of specific engineering work on a larger process and/or society