UPPER TANA-NAIROBI WATER FUND TRUST
Meet The Team
staff values
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” – Helen Keller
Our incredible staff are the foundation upon which our success depends, and we are up to the challenge! The staff produce the conservation science for the Upper Tana-Nairobi watershed through years of education and experience and by working closely with partners both upstream and downstream.
They also work closely with our stakeholders and partners to ensure that the critical resources needed are available to restore and strengthen a watershed on which millions of people depend.
Joyce Mwangi
Joyce Waiyego Mwangi is the Finance and Administration Officer at the Upper Tana Nairobi Water Fund Trust (UTNWFT), bringing over twelve years of experience in financial management and administration. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Certified Public Accountant (CPA). At UTNWFT, Joyce oversees financial operations, compliance, and administrative management, ensuring efficient processes and robust governance. She also supports strategic planning, auditing, and business development initiatives, contributing to sustainable water and conservation projects in the Upper Tana region.
Antony Kariuki
Conservation Programme Manager
Anthony Kariuki is the Conservation Programme Manager at UTNWFT, where he leads strategic planning and implementation of integrated watershed restoration, sustainable land management, and community livelihood initiatives across the Upper Tana Basin. With over 28 years of experience in environment and natural resources management, institutional strengthening, grants management, and multi‑stakeholder programme leadership, he is recognized for advancing conservation solutions that unite communities, government, and the private sector.
Anthony has played a pivotal role in UTNWF’s evolution from a project to an independent Kenyan charitable Trust, guiding strategic development, partner capacity enhancement, and long‑term conservation planning. His career spans senior technical and leadership roles at The Nature Conservancy (TNC), ACDI/VOCA, Act! (formerly Pact Kenya), and Pact Inc., where he championed localisation, public–private partnerships, local organization capacity building, and community‑driven environmental governance across Eastern Africa.
His expertise includes integrated watershed and natural resource management, institutional development, program design and execution, policy and governance support, and climate resilience programming. Anthony has successfully managed donor‑funded initiatives, facilitated organizational transitions, and supported over 100 civil society and community organizations to enhance their institutional performance and sustainability.
George Kigamba Njugi
Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Officer
George, based in Sagana Office, is the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer for the Upper Tana Nairobi Water Fund, where he supports evidence-driven conservation initiatives that protect watersheds and benefit local communities.
Being a Hydrologist and with over 25 years in the conservation sector, George has deep technical expertise in MEL systems, impact measurement, and adaptive management. He is passionate about driving real, measurable environmental and social change, translating data into lessons that strengthen programs, inform partners, and scale sustainable outcomes for people and ecosystems.
Grace Muchemi
County Extension Assistant - Nyeri County
An agricultural officer working in collaboration with Nyeri county departments, partners and communities supporting efforts to ensure environment, soil and water conservation initiatives are implemented in the farmlands and forests enhancing productivity while safeguarding the environment through conservation strategies that are effectively tailored to local needs creating sustainable solutions in both agriculture and environment.
MARK KARAU
County Extension Assistant - Nyandarua County
Mark Karau is a dedicated forest officer with extensive experience in forest management, soil conservation and water resource protection. He has been actively involved in the planning and implementation of soil and water conservation initiatives aimed at reducing land degradation, improving watershed health and promoting sustainable land use practices. Supports ecosystem restoration, climate resilience and sustainable management of forest resources.
Peter kihungu
Based in Laikipia-Solio sub-watershed, Peter works with farmers, partners, volunteers and agencies in promoting dryland farming technologies in the semiarid Solio in the application of nature based solutions to address environmental and social economic impacts of climate change in the region.
With a background in agribusiness, Peter is able to engage farmers on emergent climate smart technologies towards livelihood improvement.
CAROLINE WANGARI
Caroline Wangari Nguru is a seasoned Agricultural Economist and Climate Finance Specialist with over 18 years of experience in nature-based solutions, sustainable land management, and rural community engagement. She currently serves as a County Extension Assistant with the Upper Tana Nairobi Water Fund (seconded by Murang’a County Government), where she leads conservation coordination across the catchment, reaching over 200,000 farmers.
Caroline is an expert in carbon project development and validation, with hands-on experience in EX-ACT carbon balancing tools, Plan Vivo methodologies, Project Idea Notes (PIN), and Project Design Documents (PDD) for carbon markets. She has played a key role in drafting farmers’ Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) agreements and developing farm-specific action plans currently used by Water Funds.
Her work bridges conservation, climate finance, and agricultural value chains. She has supervised over 80 technical staff across catchments, strengthened agroforestry systems, promoted avocado value chains, and built strong partnerships between farmers, NGOs, and government agencies. Caroline is also experienced in gender mainstreaming, participatory rural appraisal, and institutional capacity building.
Previously, as a Program Officer under the DANIDA-supported DASS project in the Ministry of Agriculture, she managed conservation programs with an annual budget of Ksh. 30 million. She also served as a Graduate Assistant at Mount Kenya University, teaching agricultural economics, farm planning, and entrepreneurship.
Caroline holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from Egerton University and is certified in EX-ACT Carbon Balancing Tool and Corporate Governance. She is fluent in English and Kiswahili and a native Kikuyu speaker.
Her passion lies in integrating climate action, community livelihoods, and sustainable agricultural systems for long-term environmental and economic impact.
PAULINE NYAMU
Hydrological Monitoring Assistant (HMA)
Pauline Nyamu is a Senior Hydrologist at the WRA, currently seconded as a Hydrological Monitoring Assistant (HMA) to the Upper Tana Nairobi Water Fund (UTNWF). She is based at the Sagana field office. She specializes in hydrological modelling, GIS-based environmental systems and River basin planning, supporting data-driven, climate-resilient water management. Her work advances Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and strengthens hydrological monitoring systems to enhance healthy, sustainable catchments and water security for Nairobi and its environs. Her expertise in project management, monitoring, evaluation, capacity building and growing interest in digital environmental storytelling further enhance her. Additionally, she works closely with communities to promote sustainable water use, strengthen local governance structures and support the implementation of catchment conservation initiatives. She has collaborated with Government agencies, development partners and international stakeholders to support impactful, data-driven solutions in water resource planning and ecosystem restoration.
DENNIS NYABWARI
Office Caretaker
Denis Nyabwari serves as the Caretaker at the Upper Tana Nairobi Water Fund Trust (UTNWFT), overseeing the daily upkeep and security of the organization’s facilities. He ensures that operations run smoothly, maintaining a safe, clean, and well-organized environment for staff and visitors.
