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Dr Henry Wamwayi

Dr Henry Matukho Wamwayi is a Kenyan research professional with over 35 years’ experience in animal health and agricultural research. He holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Veterinary Microbiology from the University of Surrey, UK and a PhD in Livestock Virology from the University of Hertfordshire, UK.

Henry has worked in various capacities including research, consultancy and advisory roles. He served as the Acting Centre Director and Deputy Centre Director for the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) – currently known as Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), National Veterinary Research Centre at Muguga. He also served as the Head of the KARI Livestock Virology Research Programme and led several Rinderpest and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) vaccine development and testing projects that were implemented in partnerships with different organisations.

He also worked for the NGO Terra Nuova as the Project Advisor for the Pan African Control of Epizootics (PACE) Project Somali Component and as the Chief Technical Advisor for a series of EU funded development projects that contributed to the re-establishment and improvement of the national Veterinary Services and the final eradication of Rinderpest from Somalia.

Henry has coordinated and provided extensive technical support to a number of programmes at AU-IBAR, including Sustainable Livestock for Livelihoods (Live2Africa Project); Improving Animal Diseases Surveillance in Support of Trade in the IGAD Member States (STSD); Reinforcing Animal Health Services in Somalia (RAHS); Development of Improved Control Interventions for Peste des Petits Ruminants; and Livestock Emergency Interventions to Mitigate the Food Crisis in Somalia (LEISOM). He contributed to the formulation of the Livestock Development Strategy for Africa (2015-2035) and led AU-IBAR’s initiative to support African Union Member States to develop and implement national strategies for the control and eradication of PPR in line with the pan-African and global strategies for the eradication of the disease by 2030.

He has authored and co-authored several publications, and has been awarded certificates of appreciation from organisations like AU-IBAR, FAO and the Government of Kenya, for his contribution to the eradication of Rinderpest.

Henry served as a member of the OIE ad-hoc Group on the Evaluation of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) Status of Members from 2011 to February 2021. He is a member of the Kenya Veterinary Association, and is a registered Veterinary Surgeon by the Kenya Veterinary Board. He joined GALVmed’s Board in September 2021 and is the chair of the Technical Scientific Advisory Committee and a member of the Finance & Risk Committee. He lives in Kenya.

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