BOARD OF NATIONAL BIOSAFETY AUTHORITY

Chair NBA Board

Dr. Mary Amuyunzu-Nyamongo holds a PhD (Social Anthropology) from Cambridge University, UK and a BA (Anthropology) from The University Of Nairobi, Kenya.

Dr Amuyunzu-Nyamongo is currently the Executive and Founder Director of the African Institute for Health and Development (AIHD), a non-governmental organization based in Nairobi, Kenya. AIHD conducts research, training and advocacy on health and development issues.

Prior to joining the AIHD, Dr. Amuyunzu-Nyamongo worked for the African Population and Research Center (APHRC), Population Council (PC), the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). She is also an Adjunct Faculty Member of Strathmore University.

Dr. Amuyunzu-Nyamongo has provided technical services to the Government of Kenya and international development partners on various activities, including the development of a National NCD Strategy, National Social Protection Policy, Poverty Social Impact Analysis, and the Kenya Country Social Analysis.

Dr. Amuyunzu-Nyamongo has published widely in the areas of health and development, focusing on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), nutrition, HIV/AIDS, gender, youth, children under-five, rural and urban poverty, and health promotion in general.

Dr. Amuyunzu-Nyamongo serves on various international committees and boards, including:

i. Member, Working Group on alignment of International Cooperation with National Plans on NCDs, World Health Organization Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of NCDs (WHO GCM/NCD) (2016-16).
ii. Committee Member: Mectizan Expert Committee (MEC) and the Mectizan Donation Program (2014-2016).
iii. Advisory Member: Immunization and Vaccines related Implementation Research Advisory Committee Members (2014-2016).
iv. Independent Advisory Board Member on the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Health (2012-2014) by the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Secretary to the Board & Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Willy Kiprotich Tonui, EBS is Chief Executive Officer at the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), Nairobi, Kenya. He is responsible for the day to day management of the Authority. The role of NBA is to regulate research and commercial activities involving GMOs in Kenya.

Before joining NBA he helped to establish a Biorisk Management and Dual Use Research (BIORISK-DUR) programme and Office of Health Safety and Environment (OHSE) at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).

Dr Tonui currently serves as the Chair of the newly formed Association of National Biosafety Agencies in Africa (ANBAA). He has also served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the global International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA), and he is the only recognized Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) in Africa. He is also the Founder Member and Past President of African Biological Safety Association (AfBSA) a professional association that seeks to congregate practitioners of biological safety, promote biosafety and biosecurity as a discipline through awareness and to facilitate the sharing of biosafety and biosecurity information in the African region.

Willy studied for his BSc (Biological Sciences and Chemistry) at Kurukshetra University (India), MSc and PhD in Immunology (specialty in vaccine development) from Kenyatta University (Kenya) and did his Post-doctoral training at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University, USA.

Willy has a career-long history of consistently supporting national programmes, regulations and policies in Kenya. He is a registered Expert on Environmental Impact Assessment and Audit (EIA/EA) by the National Environmental Authority (NEMA); and a Registered Biosafety Professional (RBP) ABSA. He is also an author of Laboratory Safety Handbook and three other books on Fire Safety and Prevention.

For his distinguished service he was recently decorated with The “Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS)” by the President of Kenya.