Ruth Oniang'o  

Hon. Professor Ruth Oniang’o, a Kenyan with a PhD in Food Science and Nutrition. She has taught at the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. She is also Adjunct Professor at Tufts University in the USA. Founder and leader of the Rural Outreach Programme, a Kenya-based non-governmental organization that supports resource-poor farmer groups.

As a member of Kenya’s Parliament (2003-2007), she worked to alleviate poverty and hunger, with special focus on science and technology, agricultural research and   productivity, food security, nutrition, bio-safety legislation, use of fertilizer and other inputs, HIV/AIDS and gender issues.  Served as Shadow Minister for Education for 5 years, while in parliament and advocated for reforms in the education sector. Currently working as a strong advocate of resource mobilization towards food and nutrition policies and attendant programs, and emphasizes the need to practice good governance and political will to address hunger and child malnutrition in Africa. 

Served on the boards of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Agriculture Strategy Advisory Committee, International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). While at IRRI, she got involved with the CGIAR Change Process at the Board Level.  In Kenya, she has government appointments to Chair the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Board of Trustees and Food Security Programmes and Nutrition Thematic Group.

Founder of the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (AJFAND), an online peer-reviewed journal as a capacity building initiative.  Ruth believes that so long as she is still alive and healthy, she must be a voice for the hungry child; she says: "one hungry child is one too many; it just is not right". She also believes:  "Education is the key to the realization of a happy and fulfilling life".