____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: Email: valeriepalapala@ymail.com; American Journal of Experimental Agriculture 5(4): 306-319, 2015, Article no.AJEA.2015.030 ISSN: 2231-0606 SCIENCEDOMAIN international www.sciencedomain.org Genetic Diversity of Dry Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Accessions of Kenya Using SSR Markers Nyakio Kithinji Maryrose 1 , Katherine Andrea Steele 2 and Valerie A. P. Palapala 3* 1 Biological Sciences Department, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 190, Kakamega, Kenya. 2 Bangor University and Centre for Advanced Agricultural Research International and Development (CARIAD), Wales. 3 School of Science and Engineering, Rongo University College, P.O. Box 103, Rongo, Kenya. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration between all authors. All authors designed the study. Author NKM performed data collection, statistical analysis and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Author KAS oversaw the sample preparation for SSR analysis of the study in the laboratory and looked into manuscript correction. Author VAPP managed the literature searches and correction of the manuscript as the corresponding author. All authors read and approved the final manuscript Article Information DOI: 10.9734/AJEA/2015/10284 Editor(s): (1) Lanzhuang Chen, Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Environment and Horticulture, Minami Kyushu University, Miyazaki, Japan. Reviewers: (1) Anonymous, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Brazil. (2) Anonymous, University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Croatia. (3) R. Najafzadeh, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehra, Iran. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history.php?iid=737&id=2&aid=6511 Received 22 nd March 2014 Accepted 13 th August 2014 Published 11 th October 2014 ABSTRACT Aims: To determine the genetic diversity existing within the Kenyan dry bean using SSR markers. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in Western Kenya and Bangor University, North Wales, between September 2010 and December 2012. Methodology: Thirty five (35) marketable dry bean samples collected from farmers, market centers as well as seed stockists were subjected to SSR analysis. Data generated was subjected to analysis with the GenAlEx 6.4 software assuming Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to determine gene diversity index, number of polymorphic loci and alleles, genetic distances, analysis of molecular Original Research Article