Date/Place of Birth
May 14th, 1967, Machakos Kenya

University degrees
• MSc. Agricultural Economics, University of Nairobi, Kenya 2008
• BSc. Agriculture, University of Nairobi, Kenya 1990

Current Position
Junior Researcher, Center for Development Research (ZEF), Bonn, Germany
PhD candidate, International PhD Program for Agricultural Sciences in Göttingen (IPAG), University of Göttingen

Studies
• Feb 2004 – June 2008: MSc. Agricultural and Applied Economics
• Field work in Kenya leading to a Master thesis titled ‘An Economic Analysis of Forest Extraction and its Linkage to Community Livelihoods: The Case of Kakamega Rainforest’

Work Experience
• Program Officer, Poverty, Environment and Climate Change Network, CARE International, Nairobi (2007- 2008)
• Research Assistant, Hephzibah Development Ascendancies, Nairobi (2006)
• Farm Manager ( 2002- 2003)
• Secondary School teacher (1990- 2002)

Topic of dissertation
Leakage Effects of REDD Policy Adoption in East and Central African Countries on Kenya’s Forest Resources
Abstract
The REDD policies under development have the potential to deliver multiple benefits which include biodiversity conservation, enhance livelihoods and ecosystem benefits. Like any other forest conservation policies, their adoption can also result in negative impacts on biodiversity conservation and livelihoods through displacement of deforestation, while achieving reduced emissions. Kenya relies on forest product imports to bridge its production gap. Based on the current levels of forest stock and deforestation rates, the tropical countries currently exporting forest products into Kenya have an incentive in adopting REDD policies. Some of these countries are already preparing to adopt these policies once in place. This is likely to reduce the level of exports of all forest products from these countries into Kenya, whether Kenya adopts any REDD policies or not. The problem is that it is not clear how forest conservation measures in neighboring countries may affect Kenya’s forest resources. While public forests are regulated by the government, the private forests and other tree systems are not. The proportion of Kenya’s forest owned by private sector may respond to the changing market conditions, but even if the Kenya government is committed to protecting its public forests, it is possible that rising prices for forest products will intensify illegal forest extraction. Part of the price pressure may be cushioned by utilization of substitutes like steel, plastics or fossil fuels. But illegal forest extraction can be a particular problem in the fuelwood sector, which accounts for 80% of Kenya’s energy use as disperse and small scale activities are difficult to monitor.
The leakage effects of forest conservation is analyzed through three approaches; a macroeconomic partial equilibrium model for the country, a demand model for the community living next to the Kakamega forest and a mapping of the charcoal trade in the Kakamega municipality for a spatial identification of leakage effects of conservation measures on the forest.
The results of this study will therefore help in understanding the effect on Kenya of REDD adoption by other countries and suggest possible intervention areas at the national and forest level to avert the loss of forests and forest biodiversity in Kenya.

Field research
Field research was carried out from July 2009 to January 2010 at two levels, the national and Kakamega forest level. At the national level, data collected related to the domestic production, consumption and import/export of the main forest products in quantities and prices. Such data was obtained from the Kenya Forest Service, KFS, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, KNBS, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute, KEFRI, and the FAO forestry statistics data base (FAOSTAT).
At the Kakamega forest level, field research was carried out within the BIOTA Africa project. Data was collected from a cross-sectional survey of about 300 households living within 5Km from the forest edge and a further survey of charcoal traders within Kakamega Municipality.

Funding institutions
KAAD, BMBF through BIOTA

Time horizon
October 2008 to September 2011