Kenyan-born professor Robert Mokaya has landed a prestigious role in the United Kingdom. According to a statement published by Kenya's High Commissioner to the UK Manoah Esipisu, on Wednesday, February 21, Professor Mokaya has been appointed as Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Sheffield.  

Esipisu indicated that Professor Mokaya will assume the leadership position in June this year, where he will work closely with the university's top decision-makers.  

"Kenyan-British Prof Robert Mokaya has been appointed Provost and DVC at Sheffield University. He will work closely with the President and Vice-Chancellor, and have oversight of the effective delivery of Vision and Strategy," the former State House spokesperson announced.

Key to note, Prof. Mokaya was the first black full professor of chemistry in the UK and was awarded the Order of the British Empire OBE in last year's King's honours.  

He will take up the leadership role after leaving the University of Nottingham. Mokaya has been at Nottingham for 23 years, taking up the role of PVC for Global Engagement in 2019.

He joined the School of Chemistry in Nottingham as a lecturer in Materials Chemistry in 2000, was promoted to Reader in 2005, and to Professor of Materials Chemistry in 2008. He is a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holder (2017-2022) and from 2016 to 2018 was Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement. 

Before moving to the UK, received his B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Nairobi in 1988 after which he spent a year working for Unilever in Kenya. 

Mokaya then received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in 1992. In 1992, he was elected to a Research Fellowship at Trinity College.

Following his new leadership role, Professor Mokaya said: “I am looking forward to joining the University of Sheffield and the new responsibilities and challenges my role will bring. Of course, having worked at Nottingham for more than two decades, it is sad to be leaving. I will especially miss the many friends and colleagues who have been part of my journey and to whom I am very grateful.  

“We can be proud of what we have achieved at Nottingham in our international outlook and activities. Over the past five years, I have had the support of a great team here, with drive and ambition. I look forward to seeing how things progress over the months and years ahead and know that Nottingham has a bright future in this area.” By Jerry Njomo, Nairobi.Leo.co.ke