DIRECTOR
Dr Fredrick Otieno is a seasoned epidemiologist with over 20 years of clinical, administrative, implementation, and research experience in Kenya. Dr Otieno is the current Director of Nyanza Reproductive Health Society (NRHS), overseeing the organization’s administration, research and programming. Over the years, Dr Otieno has established a reputation of excellence in project leadership, strategy development, research, and monitoring and evaluation in HIV/AIDS, STIs, infectious diseases, adolescent health, LGBTI health and reproductive health. He provides comprehensive strategic and operational leadership to ensure that all NRHS programming and research is quality, compliant, and technically sound. Dr Otieno has an in depth understanding of Kenya’s and regional health and development landscape, having collaborated closely with national governments, NGOs, and donors across the region. He is the current chair of the MSM Health Research Consortium and has also conducted several trainings in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa and Zambia. Dr Otieno is published in peer reviewed journals, presented in local and international conferences and worked in technical working groups and round tables to formulate, design and disseminate policies and best practices. He also has a passion for emergency medicine and is a certified Advanced Trauma Life Support trainer by the American College of Surgeons and is also an adjunct Faculty at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in the School of Public Health teaching post graduate courses and also an external research thesis supervisor in various universities. Dr Otieno earned his MPH and PhD in Public Health Epidemiology from the University of Western Cape, South Africa.
FIELD OFFICER
Caroline Adhiambo Agwanda is A highly effective professional with over 20 years of diverse and broad experience in Program Management, Capacity Building and Management of HIV Programs for Key Population. Ms Agwanda currently is the Field Officer for Nyanza Reproductive Health Society. She supports the Anza Mapema Centre of Excellence where there are a number of LGBTI research studies and programmatic activities.
She has the proven ability to provide effective program management oversight while building and maintaining strong collaboration with key stakeholders and implementing agencies. Ms Agwanda has core competencies in programme design, programme management, capacity building and training, monitoring and evaluation, budgeting, networking and collaboration and quality assurance. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Community Development and Project Management with additional training as a professional Counsellor.
is credited with the establishment and running of sex worker support groups for prevention with positives in several areas in Kenya, pioneering the mapping of key populations hot sports in Lower Eastern Province and organising several successful trainings on Income generating activities for Female Sex workers and Men who have sex with Men.
HEAD OF FINANCE
CPA Kevin Jamal is a seasoned public accountant and finance professional with over 10 years of experience managing the financial and administrative aspects of complex donor funded programming in Kenya, including for PEPFAR, EC, CDC, USAID, JHPIEGO, GLOBAL FUND, UKAID, KFW and Bills & Melinda Gates programming. CPA Jamal is the current Head of Finance of Nyanza Reproductive Health Society (NRHS), where he implements and develops financial and administrative processes and policies of NRHS to ensure that they are relevant and functioning efficiently and effectively, uses financial reports as a tool to monitor and proactively detect risks and opportunities and bring these to the attention of management, to ensure that administrative and financial services support to program is adequate and timely, develop staff to acquire adequate skills to perform tasks assigned to required standards and oversee procurement functions to ensure compliance and efficiency ensuring value for money.
CPA Jamal has relevant experience overseeing and maintaining financial management practices and operations with expertise in financial reporting and analysis, accounting, grants and budget management, internal and external audit management and procurement & logistics administration. Prior to his current role, he served in a variety of senior roles, including as a Senior Accountant for NRHS and a Senior Accountant for Marie Stopes International, Kenya Program. He is a certified public accountant and hold MBA in finance as well as Bachelor of Commerce, both from Daystar University inKenya.
HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER
Prudence Afandi Olesha is an HR Professional with 4 years of Human Resource Management experience.
She has notable expertise in policy formulation and implementation, strategic HR Planning, recruitment, onboarding, benefits and compensation, performance management, employee relations, HR legal compliance, and training & development. Currently, she works at Nyanza Reproductive Health Society as the Human Resource Officer. She is in charge of the day-to-day running of the Human Resource Department as well as supporting the organization in general strategic planning and administration.
Ms. Afandi holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Moi University and has previously worked in the Hospitality industry, consulting, higher education, and Banking. Ms. Afandi is an Associate Member of the Institute of Human Resource Management- Kenya.
Walter Agingu Otieno is a Medical Laboratory Technologist, with over 34 years of continuous practice in Kenya. He has a lot of experience in the field of laboratory medicine having managed: 1) public hospital laboratories, under the Government of Kenya’s Ministry of Health for a period of 10 years; 2) Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) laboratories, working with Family Planning Association of Kenya, currently Family Health Options Kenya (FHOK) for a period of 5 years; and 3) Research laboratories, working with Nyanza Reproductive Health Society (NRHS) and Impact Research and Development Organization (IRDO), over the last 19 years. During the long experience in the laboratory, Walter has participated in numerous studies with laboratory components. Just a few of the many are: 1) A Randomized Controlled Trial of Male Circumcision to Reduce HIV Incidence; 2) A Phase III, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that enrolled HIV-negative women from 4 sites in 3 countries of Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa; 3) A cross-sectional study aimed at initiating surveillance of HIV and STI infection among MSM in Kenya; 4) A study of the microbial diversity of genital ulcer disease (GUD) among women in Kenya; 5) A prospective cohort study to measure the effect of the penile microbiome on BV, GUD, and genial epithelial trauma; 6) A study of the characteristics of the penile and rectal microbiomes and mucosal immunology among men who have sex with men; 7) An open label, single arm study of the safety and efficacy of dolutegravir/lamivudine (DTG/3TC) in therapy-naïve HIV-1 infected adolescents; 8) A study of molecular and microbiologic surveillance for antimicrobial resistant N. gonorrhoeae for more effective containment in Kenya. Walter is currently the Laboratory Manager for UNIM Research and Training Center (UNIM-RTC) Laboratory at Nyanza Reproductive Health Society (NRHS). His main roles are to oversee day to day management of the laboratory and to direct laboratory procedures for various projects and studies being conducted to ensure quality results are achieved. He is also a trainer at The Kisumu National Polytechnic (TKNP), where he teaches courses in medical laboratory sciences like: microbiology and immunology, hematology and blood transfusion, parasitology and entomology, histology and cytology, clinical chemistry, and research methods and biostatistics. He has also mentored, and still mentors, local and international students in areas related to laboratory medicine in particular and research practice in general.
NURSE CORDINATOR
Carolyne Akinyi Oketch is a trained Community Health Nurse Counsellor who aspires to achieve excellence in community health nursing and to utilize her management skills effectively and efficiently to sustain a responsive diversity in the field of nursing. Ms. Oketch has over 15 years’ experience in outpatient and inpatient nursing as well as research nursing.
She holds a Diploma in Kenya Registered Community Health Nursing as well as a Diploma in project management. Currently she is a Nurse Coordinator with Nyanza Reproductive Health Society where she oversees clinical trials as well as providing nursing services in programmes. Her research interests are in HIV/AIDS and its comorbidities and STIs with a focus on Key population and women’s health.
PROGRAMMES COORDINATOS
Duncan Okall has over 18 years’ experience in management, operations, and research in Kenya. He is fascinated about project development, management, and research with specific interest in HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, infectious diseases, and LGBTI welfare. Currently he works at Nyanza Reproductive Health Society (NRHS) as Programs Manager and a research coordinator, and also provides technical oversight to the organization’s HIV program, that includes PrEP for HIV.
He supports research development, implementation and analysis, serves as a Principle Investigator to a project, and Co PI in a number of protocols. Duncan contributes majorly to the overall strategic planning and implementation of Key population HIV prevention and treatment programming for the LGBTI through one of the most effective organization’s projects – Anza Mapema. To ensure success in operations, he embraces a close working relationship with NRHS strategic partners including the Ministry of Health, NASCOP, NACC and other government of Kenya institutions, not to mention other implementing partners with strict adherence to ethical and professional standards.
Duncan previously worked at KEMRI/CDC’s HIV Research Branch, starting as a Community technologist, to research assistant and team lead in most scientific projects within the branch. He also worked with LVCT-Health as a HIV Testing Services provider charged with counselling supervisory role, and is also a psychological counsellor in good standing with the Kenya Association of Professional Counsellors (KAPC). Mr Okall has publications most of which are in peer reviewed journals, presented in local and international conferences with the aim of influencing policies and practice.
Duncan has a Bachelors in Community Health and Development from the Great Lakes University, Kisumu – Kenya, and an ongoing Master’s of Science in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is an active participant and advocate for an empowered and healthy community in embracing the spirit of participation, reativity and self-reliance.
