Meet the ESRC Team
One team behind every ethics review — an administrative Secretariat and an independent Reviewers Committee, working together to keep research safe, sound and on time.
20
Team members6
Secretariat14
ReviewersReviewers Committee
Independent experts who assess the scientific and ethical merit of every protocol.
Prof. Omondi Ogutu
Committee Chair — Obstetrics & GynaecologyObstetrician-gynaecologist and professor at the University of Nairobi with nearly three decades in maternal-foetal medicine; chairs the committee and safeguards its ethical and scientific standards.
Dr Samuel Muhula
Deputy Chair — Epidemiology & BiostatisticsEpidemiologist and biostatistician with over 15 years in global health research; reviews study design, sample size and quantitative methods across public health and infectious-disease protocols.
Prof. Peter Gichangi
Member — Human Anatomy & Reproductive HealthProfessor of human anatomy and obstetrician-gynaecologist; reviews protocols in sexual and reproductive health, maternal health and HIV/AIDS, drawing on extensive multi-country research.
Prof. Joyce Olenja
Member — Medical Anthropology & Community HealthProfessor of community health and medical anthropologist; assesses the socio-cultural and contextual dimensions of protocols, especially in maternal, adolescent and reproductive health.
Dr Jane Y. Carter
Executive Committee Member — Internal Medicine & LaboratoryPhysician specialising in internal medicine and clinical haematology and a founding committee member since 2008; reviews clinical and laboratory-based studies.
Dr Alice Lakati
Member — Epidemiology & NutritionEpidemiologist and public health leader; reviews research design, evaluations and nutrition-focused protocols across the region.
Secretariat
The administrative team coordinating submissions, communication and decisions.
Yvonne Opanga
Secretariat MemberLeads the ESRC Secretariat, overseeing ethics review operations, policy compliance and strategic partnerships with investigators and institutions.
Paul Maleya
Secretariat MemberOversees continuing review, renewals and post-approval monitoring to ensure ongoing regulatory compliance.
Brian Okada
Secretariat MemberSupports day-to-day Secretariat operations, coordinating protocol reviews and liaising with committee reviewers.
One ESRC team
The Secretariat coordinates submissions, communication and decisions, while the Reviewers Committee independently assesses the scientific and ethical merit of every protocol. Different roles, one shared commitment — protecting participants and upholding the integrity of research reviewed by the ESRC.