Martha Nyagaya is Nutrition International’s Country Director in Kenya. In this role she leads program planning and development at the country level, and manages relations with the Government of Kenya and other key local stakeholders. To enhance the profile of Nutrition International and its work in Kenya, in the region and globally, she engages in policy advocacy, both directly and in partnership with others to influence Government policies and investments by partners and donors. As the Chair of the SUN Civil Society Alliance she convenes partner meetings and facilitates implementation of multi-sectoral nutrition actions in a coordinated way, to ensure that Nutrition International program activities are in step with those of others and partner activities are implemented in a complementary manner.
Martha has more than 15 years’ experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa in a range of programs including food security, nutrition, health and HIV/AIDS. Prior to joining Nutrition international, she worked as a nutrition portfolio manager for the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and as a regional nutrition advisor for Irish Aid. She has also worked as a regional research fellow for East and Central Africa with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, a specialized research center of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), Harvest Plus, and the Kenya Medical Research Institute.
Martha holds a Master’s of Science degree in Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics and a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Home Economics from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya.