Original ResearchPublished 19 August 2026Edaphic heterogeneity shapes bacterial microbiome composition and rhizobial diversity in smallholder cowpea farms of semiarid eastern KenyaAhmed Kassem Khater · Ezekiel Mugendi Njeru · Stephen Mwangi GithiriFrontiers in Soil Sciencedoi 10.3389/fsoil.2026.1911455