Yvonne Mathenge
Environmental Manager
Summary
Highly skilled Professional with a strong technical background in environmental planning and management and over 12 years of experience leading and strengthening capacities of teams and institutions in climate change and the environment to develop sustainable solutions and resilience building seeking to leverage the same to add value within a new team, project or organization. I have fostered positive and effective working relationships with the government and other local and international partners while serving both the government and iNGO sectors. Among the relationships effectively nurtured and managed include internal teams, a wide range of project partners, external stakeholders, and major donors at all stages of the project cycle from planning, design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
County Director, Climate Change
County Government of Nyeri
3 2021 - Current
- Led the development of county climate change legislation – Nyeri County Climate Change Act, 2021 and Nyeri County Climate Change Fund Regulations, 2021.
- Led the development of the Nyeri County Climate Change Action Plan( 2023 -2027) and the Nyeri County Participatory Climate Risk Assessment Report, 2023.
- Participated in the development of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2023- 2027
- Spearheaded the securing of climate change grant, under the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) World Bank program,that has led to significant funding for vital county climate change related programs and projects amounting to Kshs.120,455,027 so far (2022-2024) under a PfR model (Kshs. 98,455,027 for climate change resilience investments and KShs. 22,000,000 for institutional support).
- Prepare and mange annual budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility and efficient use of resources within the county.
- Overseeing successful design and implementation of directorate's and annually prioritized County Climate Change action Plan's (Nyeri CCAP 2023-2027) programs and projects county-wide such as Installation of energy saving stoves in institutions, drilling and equipping, rehabilitation and solarization of county boreholes, community forest management programs including training on CFA formation, spring protection, water distribution to ensure last mile connectivity.
- Undertaking numerous capacity building and awareness creation on climate change adaptation, mitigation and resiliency building for communities, institutions and other stakeholder
- Preparing county communications and other national reporting requirements on climate change
- Liaising with and supporting relevant sectors and other climate change stakeholders on various programs and projects
- Built strong relationships with elected officials at the county government to advance key climate change policy priorities benefiting constituents.
- Secretary to the County Climate Change Steering and Planning Committees.
Director, Environment, Natural Resources and Solid Waste Management
County Government of Nyeri
10.2018 - Current
- Leading the formulation of legislation governing environmental planning and management in the county – Nyeri County Environment Management Act, 2022; County Forest Management and Conservation Act and Policy, 2021; County Solid Waste Management Act; 2021 and the Nyeri Municipality Solid Waste Management Plan, 2021.
- Spearheading collaborations with relevant institutions on environmental management in the county including MOUs with WEEE center on e-waste management in the county, Awesome Concepts on litter bin distribution, KEFRI on Karima Forest rehabilitation and the Nature Conservancy on riparian protection among others, were signed with the county.
- Preparing and implementing directorate programs and projects, annual budget requirements and work plan – County Greening (increased forest cover from 38% in 2017 to 40% in 2021 and a tree cover of 45% in 2021), Wangari Maathai Greening Programme, Riparian conservations, Green park establishment, fencing of dumpsites, introduced consistent dumpsite management, procured skips bins, trucks, and bulldozer, and decommissioning of Asian Quarters dumpsite etc..
- Coordinating environmental education and awareness programs in the county through sensitization forums, celebration of environmental days, development and distribution of IEC and BCC material
- Providing environmental technical guidance in all county programs and projects through project screening and ensuring compliance to set standards
- Coordinating solid waste collection, transportation and disposal, and infrastructure development in the county up until March 2021 (The Solid Waste Management Unit was made a directorate under a different team lead)
- Coordinating environmental monitoring and inspections for compliance of devolved environmental functions such as noise and air pollution.
- Overseeing successful implementation of sustainable forest management and county greening programs
- Liaising with and supporting relevant sectors and other environmental management stakeholders on various programs and projects
- Successfully fundraising and resource mobilization for environmental programs in the county particularly for legislation development , environmental awareness and sustainable forest management.
- County Environmental Safeguards Focal Person for Kenya Devolution Support Programme (KDSP I -2018 to 2023) - with Kshs. 413, 000, 000 development funds (used to construct Narumoru Level 4 Hospital) and approximately Kshs. 14,000,000 for capacity building under Environment and Social System Key Result Area and
- County Environmental Safeguards Focal Person for Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP I and II - 2018 to present)- with Kshs. 534,579,777 development funds (used to construct Field Marshall Muthoni Kirimi Bus Termini)
- County Environmental Safeguards Focal Person for Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP II- 2023 to present)
- Member of the County Programme Coordinating Committees for Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Programme (KCSAP) - 2018 -2023 and Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP) - 2018 to 2023.
- Member of the County Intergovernmental County Committee and County Antimicrobial Interagency Stewardship Committee
Adjunct Lecturer
Maasai Mara University
01.2017 - 10.2018
- Taught undergraduate students in the Department of Environmental Studies, Geography and Agriculture on various modules
- Supervised undergraduate research students.
Intern
Kenya Forest Service
03.2016 - 08.2016
- Participated in tree nursery management in the station
- Undertook in forest patrolling and forest health site inspection
- Assisted in sale of forest products and produce, compiled monthly reports and revenue returns from forest produce
- Participated in promotion of eco- tourism products in exhibitions and workshops
- Educated community members on the importance of forestry conservation through outreach programs and presentations.
Administration Officer
Galana Oil Kenya
10.2013 - 10.2014
- Handling the Managing Director's correspondences with the highest degree of confidentiality and providing administrative support to MD's office.
- Ensuring that the company's filing system is kept current, ensure safe custody of legal documents
- Supervising messengerial and cleaning services
- Managed company schedule to coordinate calendar, booking fo venue meetings (both internal and external) and arrange travel
- Procurement, purchase and management of office supplies including stationery, ensuring administrative costs for purchasing are kept within the budget, co-ordinate the assessment and engagement of suppliers, process accurate L.P.Os using Oracle, purchase office stationery and equipment.
- Provide administrative support to the HR function, candidate recruitment support, assist in the management of the NHIF and medical facility, organizing staff trainings, and assist in organizing team buildings, CSR events, and other staff function.
- Screened and transferred incoming calls, took down messages, and transmitted information and documents to internal personnel.
- Provided exceptional customer service, addressing inquiries professionally and in a timely manner.
- Participated in planning and engaging team-building activities throughout the year, to boost employee morale.
Research Assistant
International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology
10.2012 - 05.2013
- Prepared samples for analysis by performing complex sample preparation tasks.
- Conducted thorough statistical analyses on collected data sets to derive meaningful conclusions from research findings.
- Recorded and analyzed data to produce reports of results.
- Streamlined data entry processes for increased efficiency and accuracy in results reporting.
Intern
Kenya Organization of Environmental Education (KOEE)
05.2011 - 08.2011
- Actively participated in team meetings, offering insightful suggestions that led to innovative problem-solving strategies.
- Assisted in the planning and execution of WATSAN (Water and Sanitation) training programme in schools in Kibera and 'Eco-Festivals' among other programmes, resulting in increased engagement and satisfaction.
- Assisted in monitoring the success of implemented environmental programs by collecting and analyzing data on school-wide performance and sustainability initiatives.
- Prepared educational and awareness materials for use during environmental education workshops and presentations
- Supported staff members in their daily tasks and administrative duties such as filing, report writing and others, reducing workload burden and allowing for increased focus on higher-priority assignments.
Intern
National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA)
4 2010 - 8 2010
- Aided in the facilitation of community engagement events, promoting greater awareness about local environmental issues and solutions.
- Prepared technical reports summarizing findings from review of various environmental impact assessments and audits.
- Participated in environmental site inspections and assessments, and provided remediation recommendations, where necessary.
- Supported clients in permit application processes, ensuring compliance with relevant environmental regulations.
- Assisted with data registration and management for regulatory and operational reporting.
- Performed environmental site assessments and
Education
Master of Science - Environmental Management
Pan African University, University of Ibadan
Bachelor of Environmental Studies - Planning and Management
Kenyatta University
Diploma - Community Development
Nairobi Institute of Business Studies
Skills
Climate Change Resilience Sustainability Initiatives Program Design & Management Governance & Policy Development Project Planning & Administration Budget Development & Oversight Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Stakeholder Mapping Networking & Collaboration Representation Advocacy Resource Mobilization, Fundraising & Donor Liaison Monitoring & Evaluation Compliance & Audit Public Diplomacy Disaster Risk Management Natural Resource Management Environmental Impact Assessment & Audit Waste Management Research: Data Collection & Analysis Technical Writing & Publication Training & Capacity Building Team Management & Leadership Training & Capacity Building Proposal Development & Report Writing Government relations Partnership Building Staff Management Presentation Skills Excellent Communication and Interpersonal Skills Computer Proficiency
Affiliations
Environmental Expert, NEMA and Member, Environmental Institute of Kenya
Additionaltrainingandresearchwork
- Certificate in Senior Management Course, Kenya School of Government (2022)
- Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety, DOSH (2020)
- Certificate in Social Risk Management, Kenya School of Government (2019)
- Certificate in Sustainable Urban Land Use Planning, World Bank Institute (2015)
- Certificate in Street Addressing & Management of Cities, World Bank Institute (2014)
- Certificate in Introduction to Remote Sensing, Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development (2010)
Communityserviceandleadership
- Ag. Director – Environment and Natural Resources, County Government of Nyeri: March 2021
- Ag. Director – Climate Change, County Government of Nyeri: October 2020 to March 2021
- Ag. Chief Officer – Department of Environment, Natural Resources and Sanitation, County Government of Nyeri: October 2019 – October 2020
- Convener- #bemorebefaithful Program 2016
- Co-Led Constitution Team in African Union Club- PAU Edition: 2016
- Founder and Technical Member of PAIR-C (Pan African Interdisciplinary Research Consortium): 2015
Trainingandconsultancywork
- EIA Course Trainer, African Nazarene University, 04/2017, 10/2018, Trained course participants on environmental mainstreaming in organizations, EIA project management, environmental reporting, and environmental auditing.
- Lead, Technical Working Group, Nyeri Participatory Community Risk Assessment Report, 2023
- Lead, Technical Working Group, Nyeri County Climate Change Plan, 2023-2027
- Technical member, Inaugural TWG for Kenya's REDD+ Readiness Project, under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Kenya, 10/2020, 03/2022
- Technical member, Technical Working Group for Project for Strengthening Forestry Sector Development and Community Resilience to Climate Change through Sustainable Forest Management and Landscape Restoration (SFS-CORRECC) under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Kenya, 02/2023, Present
Timeline
Director, Environment, Natural Resources and Solid Waste Management
County Government of Nyeri
10.2018 - Current
Adjunct Lecturer
Maasai Mara University
01.2017 - 10.2018
Intern
Kenya Forest Service
03.2016 - 08.2016
Administration Officer
Galana Oil Kenya
10.2013 - 10.2014
Research Assistant
International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology
10.2012 - 05.2013
Intern
Kenya Organization of Environmental Education (KOEE)
05.2011 - 08.2011
County Director, Climate Change
County Government of Nyeri
3 2021 - Current
Intern
National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA)
4 2010 - 8 2010
Master of Science - Environmental Management
Pan African University, University of Ibadan
Bachelor of Environmental Studies - Planning and Management
Kenyatta University
Diploma - Community Development
Nairobi Institute of Business Studies
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