A Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) official is among key speakers at a high-profile conference on Africa’s economic development and good governance to be held in South Africa next month.
Paul Udoto, the KWS Corporate Communications Manager, will speak about the contribution of Kenya’s wildlife and tourism to national development and governance at the three-day conference next month in Johannesburg.
The conference, running from Friday, September 14 through Sunday, September 16
will be marking the 40th anniversary of the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program entitled: “Africa Humphrey Voices: Building a Better Future for Our Continent”
The meeting, funded by the U.S. Department of State, will honour the legacy of over 5,700 Humphrey alumni and the communities enriched by them through the twin themes of economic development and good governance in Africa. Through high-level speakers, topic panels, and networking events, the program will highlight the expertise and impact of Humphrey Alumni over the last 40 years while exploring current international trends and shared global challenges.
Udoto resumed duty at Kenya Wildlife Service recently having spent one-year of professional enrichment and leadership development at the Arizona State University’s (ASU) Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in Phoenix City. He was the first Kenyan fellow to be based at the school and the only Kenyan to win the prestigious and globally competitive award in 2017. No Kenyan was selected this year. Udoto also spent six-weeks of professional affiliation at the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US National Park Service, US Geological Survey and the Smithsonian Institution, all in the greater Washington DC area.
The Humphrey Program brings young and mid-career professionals from designated countries to the United States for a year of non-degree graduate-level study, leadership development, and professional collaboration with U.S. counterparts. It is a Fulbright academic and cultural exchange activity funded by the US Congress.
The Program provides 10 months of non-degree academic study and related professional experiences in the United States. Humphrey Fellows are selected based on their potential for leadership and their commitment to public service in either the public or the private sector. The Humphrey Program fosters a mutual exchange of knowledge and understanding about issues of common concern in the United States and the Fellows’ home countries.
The Program offers Fellows valuable opportunities for leadership development and professional engagement. It also provides a basis for establishing long-lasting, productive partnerships and relationships between citizens of the United States and their professional counterparts in other countries, fostering an exchange of knowledge and mutual understanding throughout the world.
More than 5,600 men and women from 161 countries have been honored as Humphrey Fellows since the program began in 1978. Approximately 200 fellowships are awarded annually. More than 70 Kenyans have benefited from the program in the last 40 years.
Past beneficiaries include academician Prof Judith Bahemuka, Vihiga Governor Wilbur Ottichilo, former permanent secretary Dr Margaret Chemengich, public relations consultant Lawrence Gikaru, researcher Ceasar Handa, Kibisu Kabatesi, communications consultant Jemimah Mwakisha, politician Angelina Mwau, communications consultant Rose Lukalo-Owino, lawyer-cum-politician Ababu Namwamba, broadcast journalist Rachael Nakitare and the late actress Ashina Kibibi.
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Humphrey fellowships are awarded competitively to candidates who are mid-career professionals in many fields. The Humphrey Program is a Fulbright exchange activity whose primary funding is provided by the U.S. Congress through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. The Institute of International Education (IIE) assists the U.S. Department of State in administering the Humphrey Fellowship Program.
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