Prof. Collette A. Suda, PhD, CBS, EBS

Prof. Collette Akoth Suda is a seasoned academic and public servant with over 40 years of experience in research, education, policy, and leadership. Prof. Suda has held highlevel positions in public service, including Principal Secretary in the State Department for Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs, and Special Programmes (2020–2022) and also University Education and Research (2018-2020). She also served as the Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Energy respectively. In addition,

Prof. Suda held senior roles in the Ministry of Gender including serving as a Commissioner in with the National Commission on Gender and Development and the Women Enterprise Fund Advisory Board.

In academia, Prof. Suda rose to the rank of full Professor of Research at the University of Nairobi’s Institute of African Studies. She also served as Director of the Institute and coordinated various gender and development research projects. She has published 26 academic works and secured numerous international research grants.

She holds a PhD and Master’s degrees in Rural Sociology and Community Development from the University of Missouri, USA, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Nairobi. Her professional affiliations include membership in UNESCO’s Inter-Governmental Committee on Social Transformation (MOST), the Kenya National Academy of Sciences (KNAS), and the Pan African Association of Anthropologists, among others.

Prof. Suda’s exemplary service has earned her several national and international honors, including the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS), Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS), and France’s Ordre des Palmes Académiques. She is also a former recipient of prestigious fellowships from UNDP, Winrock International, and others.