Dr. Eng. Festus K. Ng’eno is the current Principal Secretary in charge of the State Department for Environment and Climate Change, in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry in Kenya.
As the Principal Secretary responsible for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Eng. Ng’eno is the Focal Point of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (UNCBD), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Global Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environmental Fund (GEF), the Adaptation Fund, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) and the Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).
Dr. Eng. Ng’eno is also the Chairperson of the Environment Protection, Water & Natural Resources (EPW & NR) and the Co-chair of the Environment, Climate Change & Forest Donor Coordinating Group.
He’s a Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), Environment & Climate Change Expert with more than Seventeen (17) years’ experience in the Public, Private and the Non-Governmental Organization sectors.
Dr. Eng. Ng’eno holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Environmental & Biosystems Engineering, Master of Science (MSc.) Degree in Environmental & Biosystems Engineering and a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) Degree in Environmental & Biosystems Engineering, all from the University of Nairobi. He also holds Post Graduate Diploma Certificate in Leadership & Corporate Governance from KCA University, Strategic Leadership Development Program (SLDP) from the Kenya School of Government (KSG) and the Green and Circular Economy Leadership Course under the Danida Fellowship Centre (DFC) from Technical University of Denmark (TUD), Denmark.
So far, as the Principal Secretary responsible for Environment and Climate Change Department in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Forestry, Dr. Eng. Ng’eno has led the development of key legislations and policies on Environmental Management and Climate Action including; the overhauling of the Environment Management and Coordination Act (EMCA), 1999 and its regulations to incorporate current environmental issues (on-going); review of the Climate Change Act, 2016 to incorporate legislation on Carbon Markets; development of the Carbon Markets regulations to provide a framework for development of Carbon Projects, operationalization of the Designated National Authority (DNA) to handle the Carbon Markets Projects (on-going) and the development of the Circular Economy Strategy for Sustainable Waste Management and co-ordinate the establishment of 5No. Material Recovery Facilities (MRF’s) and the Meteorological Bill and Act, 2024 to provide for modernization and monetization of meteorological services to enhance climate information under the National Framework of Climate Services and oversaw the ratification of 4 Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs); 1. Minamata Convention on Mercury; 2. Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol; 3. Bamako Convention on the Ban on the Importation into Africa & the Control of Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Waste in Africa and; 4. The Amended Nairobi Convention for Protection, Management and Development of Marine & Coastal Environment. Under the Presidential Directive on the 15Bn Tree Growing Initiative (growing 15Bn Trees by 20230), Dr. Eng. Ng’eno is leading his State Department in implementing the directive through the Ministry’s National Landscapes & Ecosystems Restoration Strategy with a keen focus on the Wetlands Restoration Ecosystem (9,300 Wetlands mapped) and also the Riparian Ecosystem.
Dr. Eng. Ng’eno also oversaw the successful execution of the inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS) – a unique Summit to galvanize African Leaders’ voices on climate change which led to the African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action. He also led Kenya’s organization of the successful UNEA 6 Summit and was the Technical Lead in Kenya’s participation in COP 28 in UAE.
Furthermore, Dr. Eng. Ng’eno has mobilized financial resources of over KShs 50Bn from various Multilaterals and Bilaterals including the World Bank, German Government (GIZ), Government of Italy, Global Environment Facility (GEF), Global Climate Fund (GCF), Climate Investments Funds (CIF), Adaptation Fund and IUCN among others.
Prior to his appointment as Principal Secretary in the State Department for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Eng. Ng’eno served as County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in Charge of Water, Sanitation, Environment, and Energy & Climate Change at the County Government of Nakuru. In the same period, he held the same position in Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries and also Health Services at the County Government of Nakuru in an acting capacity.
At the Council of Governors Dr. Eng. Ng’eno served as the Chairman of Committee on Water, Sanitation, Environment, Forestry, Climate Change and Mining CECMs Caucus. He has also served as Board of Director at World Vision Kenya (WVK), Vision Fund Kenya (VKF), Nakuru Water & Sanitation Services Co. Ltd, Nakuru Rural Water & Sanitation Co. Ltd (NARUWASCO) and Naivasha Water & Sanitation Co. Ltd (NAIVAWASCO).
As the Group Water Treatment Manager at Davis & Shirtliff Ltd – provided leadership and management to a team of Engineers and Technicians within the Group and was responsible for Group Support Strategies, Maintaining Customer Relationships, Growing Sales, Project Pipelines and Achievement of Profitability Targets.
Dr. Eng. Ng’eno is a registered professional with the Engineers’ Board of Kenya (EBK) and is a Corporate Member of the Institute of Engineers of Kenya (IEK). He is also an active Member of the Kenya Society of Environmental, Biological & Agricultural Engineers (KeSEBAE) and Environment Institute of Kenya (EIK). Furthermore, he is a registered Lead Expert on Environmental Impact Assessment and Audit (EIA, EA) and Full Member at the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM).
He is currently the Chairman, Board of Management at Baringo Secondary School, Kuresoi North Sub County, Nakuru County.