Prof. Martin Onani

Prof Martin O Onani is a full professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Nano chemistry at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town South Africa. And an Adjunct professor at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), Bondo, Kenya, He is the head of the Inorganic Division at the Department and holds a C3 NRF scholarly rating of South Africa. He is also the Chair of the now very important portfolio in research institutions-Health and Safety committee. He is a holder of SACI SASOL postgraduate medal for innovative PhD work, which produced ordered crystal structures of polymethylene bridged transition metal complexes for the first time since the time of Michael Bruce and this type of work in early 60s. He has graduated several PhD, MSc and honours students at UWC. His research work is in the area of both inorganic and nanochemistry targeting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, diabetes, cancer and Catalysis in South Africa. He is the designated chemist for the DST/Mintek NIC Biolabels Platform, which is tasked with the development of diagnostic and therapeutic nanotechnology-based systems. This is a South African national initiative in nanotechnology started over 15 years ago. He has previously served as a lecturer at both the Jomo Kenyata University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya and Walter Sisulu University of Technology and Science (WSU), South Africa. He holds BSc (Hons) from Kenyatta University, Kenya, MSc Kenyatta University and PhD in the then University of Natal, South Africa. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemists (RSC), South African Chemical Institute (SACI), African Academy of Sciences (FAAS), and Catalysis Society of South Africa (CATSA). Professor Onani has published well over 80 peer-reviewed articles and shared his work in both local and international conferences. He is also a special reviewer of several journals in Elsevier and Royal Society Chemistry.

Dr. Steve Akoth Ouma

Dr. Akoth interests in ethnography, urban studies, pedagogy of humanities, social life of human rights and discourse of modernity bridges his joint participation in the Institute of Social transformation at the Tangaza University College and Department of Applied Economics at the Kenyatta University. With 20 years combined experience in research, policy making, management and teaching, Dr. Akoth has strong skills in Legal & social science research and writing, Programme development and management , Policy and human rights advocacy, Government and civil society liaison, International relations, Community Animation and Ethnography[1], Human Rights and Social Justice porgramme Conceptualization and Designing. His interest in dialectical anthropology and social policy has been expressed in his teaching as well as work with the judiciary and the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in developing the County Strategy for Countering Violent Extremism. His current research project is in collaboration with Thomas Asher, a Colombia University based Scholar. The project focus on Mobility in Southern Urbanism. This work we explore how our cities and neighborhoods are fashioned in ways that do not readily accommodate this constant movement, not least because we do not know adequately how to read this churn of people and goods. To understand this, they pose the following questions: Why is our sociological imagination so impoverished? What might we gain if we were to become fluent in reading mobility and how might this reshape both our understanding of urban life and how we design for those informal spaces that increasingly make up our cities?

Peter Mwashi Litonde

I am an experienced and passionate Community Development professional with an unmatched passion for social justice, child education, development, rights and protection, community engagement, advocacy, empowerment and human rights. Since 2001, I have been engaged in participatory community projects and programs serving children, youth and general communities in the Kenya’s informal settlements. I am the founder of Child Peace Kenya, Smiles Africa and a founding member of Miss Koch Initiative. I leverage my skills in communication, storytelling, listening, and my passion for social justice to facilitate a participatory approach to all these programs that ensure sustainability, community ownership, and reasonable impact. I enjoy working in environments that challenge me to create and innovate.

Jennifer Masawa

A transdisciplinary ecologist, social impact advocate, women advancement champion with passion for community progress, elaborate social development infrastructure and sustainability science models. Currently MSc. Thesis candidate at Tel Aviv University, serves as board member at Malaika Foundation, a social justice lobby group with a national profile for creating safe spaces for opportunities and capabilities for the past 7 years. YALI-RLC leadership academy and AICAT-Manna Center for Food Safety and Security Fellow. Masawa holds bachelor’s degree in Food science and Technology from University of Nairobi where she equally actively served in the student council as Gender Affairs secretary. As an undergraduate student, she led several community interventions to enhance women's capacities, voice for young single mothers, and mentoring schoolgirls in Western Kenya.

Lucy Ng'ang'a

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