Walter O. Oyawa, is currently the Director General of the National Commission for Science, Technology & Innovation (NACOSTI), and also the Chairman of the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO), which was established as a semi-autonomous institution of the East African Community. He is a member of several international and national Governing Boards of institutions/corporations that include; the International Science Council (ISC), the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) Board, the Joint UK-Kenya Oversight Board, Kenya National Innovation Agency (KENIA) Board, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Board, and the National Research Fund (NRF) Board, among others. At academic/professional level, Oyawa is a Full Professor of Civil (Structural) Engineering, and a holder of a PhD in Civil Engineering, MSc in Civil Engineering, BSc in Civil Engineering, and Executive MBA, amongst others. He is a Registered Professional Engineer, and a Lead Expert on Environmental Management-NEMA.
In addition to his current position as Director General of NACOSTI, Oyawa has served in various senior leadership/management positions including having been the first substantive Principal/CEO of Multimedia University College-Kenya, and thereafter as the first Ag. Vice Chancellor/CEO of Multimedia University (MMU) following its upgrading from a Constituent University college of JKUAT to a fully-fledged University. He has also served as the Deputy Commission Secretary/CEO (Administration & Finance) at the Commission for University Education (CUE), the first Ag. Principal of the pioneering College of Engineering & Technology (COETEC) at JKUAT, the first Director of SMARTEC-JKUAT (a Research & Technology Centre for Sustainable Construction Materials), the Chairman of Management Board of SMARTEC-JKUAT, the Chairman of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering Dept.-JKUAT, and a member of the Project Implementation Team (PIT) for the upcoming Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), among others. Oyawa is a holder of several other Certificates that include; Strategic Leadership Development Program, Corporate Governance for Directors, Project Management, Financial Management.
He has vast experience in research/scholarly work, as evidenced by extensive publications and presentations in peer reviewed journals, conferences, reports, and lead presentations. He has been a convenor of conferences, a keynote speaker, and a reviewer for several international journals, as well as being an engineering consultant on several projects. He has supervised a large number of PhD and Master’s degree students. His core area of research embraces Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies.
The page was updated in May 2024.
