Judi Wakhungu: A leader who uses her power to protect Africa's wildlife
When Kenyans head to the polls on 8 August they will be voting in an election that matters not just to Kenya but to the rest of the world. While its capital Nairobi has long been a trade and economic hub, it is also home to most of the region’s humanitarian agencies, as well as wildlife conservation NGOs which often positively influence other African nations.
The country’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources, Professor Judi Wakhungu, has long understood that what happens in Kenya has a far-reaching effect, and has made the most of that platform.
A former Executive Director of the African Centre for Technology Studies and a Professor of Science, Technology and Society, Prof Wakhungu was appointed to her political post by President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013. Since then her mission has been to prove that protecting biodiversity and developing a nation can go hand in hand - and to prove that to a global audience.
Ann Dabney