Dr. Indeje Wanyama
Member
Dr. Indeje Wanyama was appointed a member of the Board on 24th November, 2021. He is a skilled finance professional with more than 10 years of corporate finance and management. The finance guru has a PhD in Management Science, having studied in Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Further, he holds an MSc in Economic Policy Analysis from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, has a BA (Economics) and is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya.
Dr. Wanyama is an expert in financial systems development, fiscal management and financial reporting, with proven record of developing and implementing financial and operational controls. He’s knowledgeable in application of economic principles and procedures for analyzing financial information in relation to supply and demand, investment, industrial productivity, taxes, among other policy related issues.
The seasoned professional started out as an Economist/Planning Officer in the Ministry of Education, and rose to become Deputy Director –Financial and Sectoral Affairs Department in the Ministry of Finance/The National Treasury. He previously served as Deputy Chief Finance Officer at the State Department of Livestock for two years; Assistant Director of Budget-Budgetary Supply Department in the Ministry of Finance/The National Treasury for a period of six years; and as Senior Finance Officer in the Ministry of Finance-Budgetary Supply Department for five years.
He has worked as a lecturer at the United States International University, and was a Lead Consultant in the development of the Strategic Plan for the Office of the Controller of Budget 2012-17, and in the recruitment of staff for the same office. Other key accomplishments include preparation of Strategic Plan for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation for the Government of Southern Sudan.
Dr. Wanyama has also authored and co-authored research publications in finance and policy related areas. Other special assignments include his appointment as a member of Inter-Ministerial Task Force responsible for organizing the United Nations Public Service day. He was also a member of secretariat of Public Administration Sector Working Group (PA SWG). The PA SWG, outlines sectoral policy priorities for the Public Administration Sector, and gives the budgetary estimates to be included in the overall Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the annual budget.
Dr. Wanyama was also a representative on Inter-Ministerial Committee, Design and Development of Border Control Points for the Ministry of Finance, 2006.
Dr. Tonny Omwansa PhD
Member
Dr. Tonny K. Omwansa is a member of the Board by virtue of being the Chief Executive Officer of Kenya National Innovation Agency (KENIA). He is the co-author of “Money, Real Quick: Kenya’s disruptive mobile money innovation”. He holds a PhD in Information Systems in which he researched on the adoption of mobile financial services at the base of the pyramid in Kenya.
Besides consultancy in technology issues, he has conducted extensive research in mobile transactions in Africa and published various reports including use of airtime transfers, mobile banking, virtual currencies as well as regulation of mobile transactions. His research interests are in the design, adoption and impact of low-cost technologies in developing countries.
His various research assignments have been commissioned by organizations like the GSMA, Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and Economic Commission of Africa. He is a recipient of the prestigious Bellagio Fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation where he worked on the book on mobile money, published in 2012.
Prof. Dickson Andala
Member
Prof. Dickson Andala is a member of the Board by virtue of being the Chief Executive Officer of National Research Fund (NRF). He is an Associate Professor of Materials / Inorganic Chemistry, Multimedia University of Kenya; PhD in Materials Chemistry from Binghamton University and Postdoctoral Fellowship Pennsylvania State University, USA. He is Lead Expert with NEMA; DOSH and CBRN and a reviewer of several local and international journals.
Prof. Andala has served in various senior leadership/management positions including having been the Director to the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA), African Materials Research Society (AMRS) boards, Executive Committee Member to Africa Crystallographic Association (AfCA); Chairman Chemistry Department, Multimedia University of Kenya. Membership to various Professional Associations including African Academies of Science (AAS), Kenya National Academy of Sciences (KNAS); Materials Research Society of Kenya, Kenya Chemical Society (KCS). He is endowed with vast experience in research/scholarly work, as evidenced by extensive publications in peer reviewed journals, several awards and research grants mobilization, keynote lectures and conference papers, and supervision of numerous postgraduate students. His research interests lie in the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology and its applications in remediation, sensors, catalysis.
Dr. David Ngigi
MEMBER/SECRETARY
Dr. David Ngigi is a distinguished Entomologist with over 22 years of professional experience in both Public and Private Sectors. He is a known Champion for Science, Technology and Innovation in Kenya. He has served as the Head of the Institutional Registration and Accreditation Department at NACOSTI. In that capacity he has successfully spearheaded national initiatives towards attainment of aspirations of STI Act of 2013 that include mainstreaming STI in Government Agencies, strengthening research ethics oversight in the country, and facilitating the establishment of new research institutions.
Earlier, Dr. Ngigi successfully coordinated NACOSTI’s initiatives to operationalize the Government Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Fund that was set to intensify innovations and promote uptake of STI output in priority areas in line with Vision 2030 aspirations. Through his leadership the STI Fund grew to nurture and support over 1,800 research and Innovation projects, solidifying his commitment to propelling Kenya’s scientific landscape forward.
He was one of the pioneer members of the secretariat that was tasked to operationalize the current National Research Fund (NRF), the successor of the STI Fund. He made a significant contribution in supporting the Board of Trustees to set-up organization structures, build linkages and spearheaded resource mobilization to support research and Innovation in Government priority areas.
Science, Technology and Innovation ACT No. 28 OF 2013 – The Commission shall be governed by a Board which consist of nine persons appointed by the Cabinet Secretary as follows—
(a) the Chairperson, who shall be an eminent scientist in any of the scheduled sciences set out in the Second Schedule;
(b) the Principal Secretary in the Ministry for the time being responsible for research, science and technology;
(c) the Principal Secretary in the Ministry for the time being responsible for finance;
(d) the Director of the Kenya National Innovation Agency established under section 28;
(e) the Director of the National Research Fund established under section 32;
(f) three persons, appointed by virtue of their knowledge and experience in science, technology and innovation.
(g) one person nominated by the body currently recognised as representing the private section;
(h) the Director-General, who shall be an ex officio member and the Secretary to the Board.