On 2 January 2022, Kenyan professor Robert Mokaya became the latest recipient of a prestigious award in the United Kingdom.
Professor Mokaya received the second-highest ranking Order of the British Empire award (OBE) for his outstanding service and career in the UK and the entire teaching profession.
As the only black professor of Chemistry in the UK, Mokaya has built an extensive 16-year career at the University of Nottingham, where he is currently professor of Materials Chemistry and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement.
With a background in chemistry, Mokaya graduated from the University of Nairobi in 1988 and spent a year working for Unilever in Kenya before pursuing his academic career.
He is currently a Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award holder and has been instrumental in pushing for other African nations to have access to chemical knowledge.
Professor Mokaya's work has been at the forefront of developing affordable energy solutions, strengthening and building capacity through the Capacity Building in Energy Storage Materials programme.
His research has been used to provide bio-rural energy in Ghana and GCRF-funded safe and affordable low energy cooking solutions for South Africa and Namibia.
Kenya's High Commissioner to the UK, Manoah Esipisu, shared the news of Mokaya's milestone, congratulating him for putting the country on the global map.
"Congratulations to Professor Robert Mokaya who has been awarded an OBE in the UK New Year Honours for services to the chemical sciences," Esipisu stated.
Professor Mokaya accepted the award, appreciating his family's support, saying, "This is an unexpected honour. I am however very pleased that the work that I and many colleagues, including my students past and present, have done over the years has been recognised in this manner. I recognise that this honour would not have been possible without the support of my wife, Edna, and my family to whom I am particularly thankful,"
