The mission of socio economic research programme is to apprehend, impart and integrate socio-economic information on circumstances affecting the farmer, to the biological scientists, extension workers and other interested stakeholders in order to ensure generation of appropriate technologies.  The programme is implemented in the following major research thrusts:
1.  Farming systems Diagnosis and priority setting.
•    Diagnosis of constraints, opportunities and target group definition of farming systems.
•    Priority setting at the center level
2.   Impact assessment studies
•    Impact assessment of developed and adapted crop production technologies.
•    Impact assessment of developed and adapted pasture/fodder and livestock production technologies.

3.   Socioeconomic evaluation of technologies in various programs
•    Cost-benefit analysis of developed and adapted agricultural technologies.
•    Social/farmer evaluation of selected crop and livestock technologies developed and adapted
4.  Participatory methodologies evaluation
•    Evaluation of different methodologies of agricultural technology development, adaptation and dissemination.
5.    Policy analysis
•    Analysis of effects of existing policies on crop technology adoption in the North Rift.
•    Analysis of effects of existing policies on adoption of selected livestock production systems and Veterinary services
•    Analysis of effects of existing policies on dairy and shoats production
6.    Marketing studies
•    Evaluation of input–output markets of selected crops,
•    Evaluation of input –output markets of pasture/fodder and livestock production technologies

7.    Environmental studies
•    Impact of climatic changes: Adaptation and mitigation

8.    Biometrics.
•    Design of experiments, analysis of experimental data
•    Establishment of KARI Kitale research database