Dr. Wenwa Akinyi Odinga
Dr. Wenwa Akinyi Oranga has built a career in Kenya’s government and academia. She has served as the Chief Chemist at the Pyrethrum Board of Kenya, where she led the Chemical Laboratories Department from December 1987 to 1993, overseeing the quality analysis, processing, and research of pyrethrum-based products. Her career in education started at the University of Nairobi (UoN), where she served as a senior lecturer from 1996 to 2009. Between 1993 and 1996, Dr. Oranga also worked as a Senior Assistant Commission Secretary at the Commission for Higher Education (CUE), where she was responsible for curriculum development, university accreditation, and preparing charter documents for private universities.
Dr. Oranga’s contributions have extended into leadership roles on various boards. In May 2021, she was appointed to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) board by the then Health Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe. She was also nominated in January 2023 by Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga to serve on the County Revenue Board, a role that highlights her continued influence in public service. A trailblazer in her field, Dr. Oranga became the first Kenyan woman to earn a PhD in chemistry, specifically in Organic/Natural Products Chemistry, from the University of Nairobi in 1989. She holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc), a Master of Science (MSc), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), with her doctoral research focused on natural products. Dr. Oranga is also part of the prominent Odinga family, with her lineage including the late former Vice President Oginga Odinga.