Speaker Bio

Dr. Vincent G. Gaitho (Ph.D) is a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D) holder in Tourism and Recreation Geography and a holder of a Master of Arts degree in Population and Settlement Geography; Bachelor of Education degree holder in Geography and Philosophy & Religious Studies. As a career educationist, he has taught in various high schools in Kenya culminating as a faculty at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) where he taught Geography. At CUEA, he also served as the Chair of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies; was a member of the University Senate; was engaged in supervising students’ academic projects, organizing and overseeing students’ research expeditions and report writings and supervision. 

He is a registered Lead Expert in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Audit (EA) by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) in accordance with the Environmental Management and Coordination Act of 1999 of the Laws of Kenya where he has undertaken various consultancy services in both EIA and EA. In the years 2015-2017, he was engaged in a group tasked with development the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment curriculum for NEMA.

Currently, he is serving as the Pro-Chancellor and Vice – Chairman of Council of Mount Kenya University; he is the preceding Governor of the Higher Education and Research Sector Board of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) and the Secretary General of the National Association of Private Universities in Kenya (NAPUK). He was a founder member of the Board of Trustees of the State’s National Research Fund, where he Chaired the Technical Committee. 

Outside the academic circles, he engages in community activities as a way of giving back to the society and also as a contribution towards sustainable development and dignified lives of people. He does this as the Founder and Patron of Gichuru Gaitho Foundation whose principle is focused on enhancing popular participation for trans-formative and sustainable development.