Team & Partners

Dr. Bérénice Bon is a geographer at IRD, the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development currently based in Kenya. She studies urbanization dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on land governance, urban expansion, and the social and economic processes shaping peri-urban areas. Her research examines land transactions, land-use conversion, and the regulation of land markets, as well as the sociology of property and financial flows in emerging urban frontiers. She also investigates environmental and climate-related changes linked to urbanization, including soil degradation, water access, and air pollution. Her analyses connect land and environmental governance to broader reflections on capitalism and the urban forms it produces.

Dr. Paul M. Njogu is the current Director of the Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology (IEET) of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). He is the Co-PI for the Urbancare Project and heads the research team JKUAT. He is a holder of BSc (Moi), MSc (Chemistry) and PhD Environmental Chemistry from JKUAT. Dr. Paul is a Senior Researcher at IEET and is a registered Lead expert with National Environmental Management Authority and a practicing Environmental Consultant. He is a member of the Nairobi Air Quality Working group, Research and Data Committee. His research interests are in Air Pollution Monitoring and Control, Greenhouse gas monitoring, emission inventory development and assessing the health impacts of Environmental Pollution on Human Health. He has more than 50 Publications in Peer refereed journals.

Dr. Margaret Wachu Gichuhi is a Senior Research Fellow (Environment and Climate Change) and holds the Chair Climate Change at the Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology (IEET), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya. She has a PhD in Environmental Management and graduated in July, 2015 at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), a Master of Arts in Environmental Planning and Management (University of Nairobi), Post-graduate Diploma in Population studies and Development and a Bachelor of Education, Geography (University of Nairobi). She is a Senior Research Fellow/Consultant in Environmental Management and Climate change. She has extensive experience of over 17 years in Environmental and Social safeguards and is a NEMA Lead expert in ESIA/EA. In April 2017, she assessed and reviewed Mt. Kenya World Heritage Site for IUCN. She also undertakes baseline surveys, stakeholder engagement and Needs assessment. She has been trained in Involuntary Resettlement (RAP) training at Hanoi, Vietnam and in Monitoring and Evaluation (M& E), JKUAT. She also has a Certificate in Geo-Spatial Database and Management Using ArcGIS 9.x, Remote Sensing (Erdas IMAGINE) and GPS. She has developed an Msc in Climate Change Management and the first cohort of students were admitted in September 2025.

Margaret Masara is a career nurse and community health advocate with over 50 years of experience, having begun her service in 1973 after training at St. Claire Mission School, Kaplong. She built her career providing care in underserved communities across Bomet, Chepalungu, Litein, and Longisa, developing a lifelong commitment to community outreach. Throughout her career, she has led and participated in numerous medical outreach programs, community health trainings, and charitable initiatives. After retiring from public service in 2001, she founded the Mawepi Centre to advance health education and community support. Margaret is particularly passionate about preventing non-communicable diseases through education on nutrition, exercise, rest, and healthy lifestyles. Her work is driven by both professional experience and personal encounters with lifestyle-related illnesses. She continues to mentor community health workers and support preventive health initiatives.

Susan Syombua holds a Bachelor's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Nairobi. Her work focuses on sustainable urban development, land use change, and community-centered planning in rapidly growing urban areas. She has experience as a Research Assistant and field researcher, contributing to data collection, analysis, and stakeholder engagement across urban and environmental studies. She conducts spatial analysis of study sites in the periphery of Nairobi and develops GIS databases to support evidence-based planning.

Muthukia Wachira is a Kenyan film photographer working in urban spaces, observing and documenting how people live, build, and relate to their environments. Through his sensitive and engaged eye, he captures urban life, residents' portraits, and the dynamics of local economies and urban boundaries. He believes photography can offer a different way of seeing and feeling these spaces, and he actively engages with the artistic community, creating accessible works that blend photography, video, and sound. As part of Urban Care, he carries out a photographic exploration that questions urban spaces and residents' practices, allowing us to reflect more broadly on the links between visual production and scientific research, and to offer a sensitive experience. His work considers how these photographic narratives can be situated within a wider visual history of the studied environment and how photography can highlight a plurality of perspectives. His artistic projects can be viewed on https://www.behance.net/Brikicho# and https://www.instagram.com/thukiia/?hl=fr

Elizabeth Mwihaki Kamande is a 4th-year PhD candidate researching the floristic composition and ethnobotany of the Kikuyu Escarpment Forest in the Aberdare Range. She is a dedicated specialist in floristics and ethnobotany, with over 12 years of hands-on field experience in plant taxonomy. Her expertise is grounded in advanced training from world-leading institutions, including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Wuhan Botanical Garden. Driven by a strong commitment to biodiversity conservation, Elizabeth works at the intersection of traditional knowledge and scientific classification to help safeguard natural heritage. Her research focuses on documenting plant diversity and understanding the vital relationships between people and plants to inform sustainable conservation strategies. Within the Urban Care Project, she is responsible for conducting biodiversity inventories, contributing her taxonomic expertise to assess and document urban plant diversity.

John K. Muchuku is a researcher, taxonomist, and conservation botanist with an MSc in Botany and over 10 years of experience in habitat restoration, ethnobotany, and the conservation of native endangered plant species. He has contributed to plant inventory work under the Flora of Tropical East Africa (FTEA), including the collection of rare and endangered species for conservation at the JKUAT SAJOREC Botanical Garden. His work has supported the propagation of threatened species for future restoration programs. He works on vegetation survey design, rangeland and arid land invasive species mapping, and invasive plant management strategies. He is also a published author in plant ecology and taxonomy and has contributed to conservation action plans for endangered plant species. Within the Urban Care Project, he will be responsible for biodiversity inventories.

Catherine Serah Murambi is currently completing her MSc in Environmental Legislation and Management at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology. She serves as Deputy Government Chemist in charge of toxicological assessments within the Government Chemist Department, under the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, State Department for Internal Security and National Administration. She works in the Forensic and Clinical Toxicological Assessment Section. In 2014, she played a key role as part of the Government Chemist Department team investigating the severe lead contamination crisis in Owino-Uhuru informal settlement in Mombasa County, linked to a lead-acid battery smelting plant. Her work contributed to confirming extremely high lead levels in soil, dust, and water—far exceeding WHO safety limits—and documenting the major public health impacts on affected communities. Her current research in Kitengela focuses on assessing borehole water quality, evaluating physicochemical and biological parameters, and analyzing soil contamination in identified environmental hotspots. Master thesis: Assessment of quality borehole water as a source of domestic water & soil contamination in Nairobi Metropolitan region; Kitengela Municipality, Kajiado County.

Peter Waithaka is an Environmental Technologist at the Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology of JKUAT. He earned his degree in Water and Environment Management from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). Right now, he's diving into a Master's program in Environmental Engineering and Management, where he's focusing on finding sustainable solutions to the urban environmental issues we face today. His research is all about determining air pollution caused by open waste burning in Noonkopir Dumpsite, Kitengela Town, Kenya. He aims to understand its health and environmental effects while suggesting ways to tackle the problem. With a solid foundation in environmental management, Peter is truly passionate about pollution control, waste management, and building climate resilience. His work is geared towards shaping policy and enhancing urban air quality for the benefit of healthier communities.

Ismail Sarro is an environmental researcher with a strong interest in air quality and public health in rapidly urbanizing areas. His research focuses on air pollution assessment in Kitengela Municipality, examining particulate matter and gaseous pollutants and their potential health impacts. He is particularly interested in linking environmental monitoring data with community health outcomes. His work contributes to evidence-based approaches for improving air quality management and protecting vulnerable populations in urban settings. Master thesis: Assessment of the temporal, spatial variations and chemical composition of airborne particulate matter and selected gaseous air pollutants in Kitengela Municipality, Kajiado County.

Josphat Mbogo a BSc in Plant Ecology and Environmental Science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (2018–2020) and has completed coursework for an MSc in the same field at JKUAT. His MSc research examines the impacts of urbanization and climate on the flora of Kitengela and Isinya in Kajiado County, Kenya. He previously earned a Higher National Diploma and a Diploma in Applied Biology and received specialized training in horticulture at Wuhan Botanical Garden. He also completed biosafety training at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). Professionally, he serves as Acting Chief Technologist in the Botany Department at JKUAT, where he supports undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and practical training. He also managed the Botanical Garden and laboratories during the establishment of the Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre (2014–2019), a collaboration between JKUAT and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Master thesis: Impact of urbanization and climate change on the flora of Kitengela and Isinya in Kajiado County, Kenya.

Based in Nairobi, Njung'e Wanjiru is an illustrator, graphic recorder, animator, and filmmaker. Through visual communication, he tells stories focused on social issues and African culture. As a freelance professional, he has experience working with international organizations, nonprofits, and the cultural sector. Within the Urban Care project, Njung'e participates in workshops and field visits, creating live visuals and illustrations that help communicate ideas across disciplines and between researchers and non-academic audiences, including residents and professionals.