Judi Wangalwa Wakhungu is a Kenyan politician and diplomat who was appointed by President

Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. Kenyatta was chosen by Daniel Arap Moi as his preferred successor, but Kenyatta was defeated by opposition le ...

as ambassador to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

on 26 January 2018. Immediately prior to her present position, she served as the cabinet secretary for environment and regional development authorities from 25 April 2013 until 17 January 2018.

Background and education

Professor Judi Wakhungu is the daughter of Grace and the Late Mathew Wakhungu. She received a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

from St. Lawrence University in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in 1983. She also holds a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

degree in

petroleum geology Petroleum geology is the study of origin, occurrence, movement, accumulation, and exploration of hydrocarbon fuels. It refers to the specific set of geological disciplines that are applied to the search for hydrocarbons (oil exploration). Sedime ...

from

Acadia University Acadia University is a public, predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level. The enabling legislation consists of the Acadia ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, Canada, awarded in 1986. Her

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

degree in energy resources management from was obtained from

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

in 1993.

Career before politics

Wakhungu was the first woman hired as a geologist in the Ministry of Energy and Regional Development, where her duties entailed exploring for geothermal energy in Kenya’s Rift Valley. She was also the first female petroleum geologist to serve in the

National Oil Corporation of Kenya The National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK), is a state corporation of Kenya founded by Act of Parliament in 1981, with a mandate of participating in all aspects of the Kenyan petroleum industry. The company was incorporated in 1981 and began o ...

. She was also the first woman faculty member at the Department of Geology at the

University of Nairobi , mottoeng = In unity and work , image = Uon emblem.gif , image_size = 210px , caption = Coat of Arms of the University , type = Public , endowment ...

. Prior to joining the Kenya cabinet in 2013, Wakhungu was the executive director of the African Center for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Nairobi, Kenya. She has been an associate professor of science, technology, and society at Pennsylvania State University, where she also served as the director of the Women in the Sciences and Engineering (WISE) Institute. She has also served as an energy advisor to the Energy Sector Management Program of the World Bank and advisor at the Legatum Centre at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

. She also serves as a member of the scientific advisory board of the UN Secretary-General.

Political career

She is credited with the ban on the manufacture, importation and distribution of plastic bags in Kenya, by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Kenya Ministry of the Environment, while she was the cabinet secretary for the Environment.

Other considerations

She is a "designated energy expert" for the Gender Working Group of the United Nations Commission of Science and Technology for Development. She has also served as the executive director of the African Technology Policy Studies (ATPS). She has served on many boards and committees, both nationally and internationally. She was the research director of the Global Energy Policy and Planning Program of the International Federation of Institutes for Advanced Study (IFIAS), which is based in Toronto, Canada. She has also served as the project leader of the Renewable Energy Technology Dissemination Project of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Her research interests include energy resources management, materials, energy policy and development, science, technology, and development; and gender issues in science and technology policy.

References

External links