If there was ever a ministry that can turn around Kenya’s economy, Agriculture, Livestock Development, Fisheries and Co-operatives takes the trophy. Perhaps it is at the back of this that the Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya decided to appoint a serious and highly experienced individual to raise the ministry’s profile.
Mary Njeri Mungai, a retired Commissioner of Co-operative Development, is the new chairperson of the Ethics Commission for Co-operative Societies (ECCOS) – the ECCOS’s objective is not only to collect wealth declaration forms from societies but also investigate on any matter that raises suspicion, or any conduct that constitutes a breach of integrity.
Before attaining the age of retirement in the civil service, she was the Commissioner for Co-operative Development in the State Department for Co-operatives for three years. It is interesting to note that she was the first woman to hold that position.
Over the years she has gained skills in the fields of policy analysis, policy development, project planning, project design, project evaluation, preparation of project implementation plans, agricultural marketing and information systems, agricultural trade policy, agribusiness development, training, extension and capacity building.
Ms Mungai is a member of the Institute of Directors of Kenya, and has also been involved in the implementation of projects funded by the Ministries of Agriculture and department of Co-operatives as well as other organizations such as World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Fund for Agriculture Development and the European Union.
With a Master of Science degree (MSC) in Agricultural Economics from USA’s Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science degree (BSC) in Agriculture from the University of Nairobi, it is only a matter of time to determine if she will raise the agency’s profile especially now that it is very unlikely that societies are aware of its existence.
