Policy Manager, ORP – Kenya
Leah Mainye hails from the Kenyan highlands, far away from the ocean in the Coastal region. Despite this, she loves marine wildlife – a fact she attributes to watching National Geographic documentaries.
Leah’s initial training as a Supplies Management graduate equipped her with theoretical and technical resource management skills. However, her love for marine life did not dim and Leah enrolled in a graduate course in Marine Biology at the University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines. Leah focused parts of her thesis project on by-catch species in fisheries; this practical training further fostered her enthusiasm for marine life protection and conservation. She successfully completed her Bachelor Degree in 2018.
After returning to Kenya, Leah put her training to practice by volunteering as an intern in different conservation organizations, namely A Rocha Kenya and Reefolution Foundation. Here, she took part in Elasmobranchs, Echinoderms and microplastics and coral restoration projects.
Leah joined ORP – Kenya in December 2019 as a Sea Turtle Monitoring assistant. With her growing leadership skills, Leah has taken on roles such as Project Coordinator, Assistant Programme Manager, and now her current role is that of a Policy Manager. In addition, she also serves as the first Chairperson of ORP – Kenya, having played a key role in establishing the NGO.
As the Policy Manager, Leah focuses on translating important field data into national marine policy, strengthening government relations, and securing strategic growth to support ORP – Kenya’s expanding conservation initiatives along the coast.
