
Our Team.
Gamos East Africa brings together professionals with diverse experience to tackle issues relating to energy access, gender equality and social inclusion.

Co-Director Gamos East Africa Dr Jon Leary
Jon is an eCooking specialist with extensive international experience, having lived and worked in over 20 countries across 6 continents. He is a Senior Researcher with the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) programme and holds a MEng in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Energy Futures.

Co-Director Gamos East Africa Karen Chepkurui
Karen specializes in Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and holds a MA in Gender and Development from the Institute for and is also the Founder and CEO of Wonder Woman Elgon a community-based organisation focusing on violence prevention and advancing sexual and reproductive health rights.

Research Associate Beryl Onjala
Beryl is a researcher in the energy access space working at the intersection of electrification and clean cooking; and on the sustainability, inclusiveness, and governance of mini-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa. She holds an MA in Economics from the University of Nairobi and has worked as a researcher and programme officer at several key institutions.

Research Associate Syprose Ochieng
Specializes in energy access and clean energy transitions and is currently supporting Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) initiatives in Kenya. Her work encompasses research and innovation, policy advocacy, and behavioral shifts to promote sustainability. She holds a Master’s degree in International Studies and has contributed to programs in energy, climate change, and building resilient cities and communities.

Research Assistant Joseph Kariuki
He specializes on Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional clean cooking research. This role involves collaborating with various stakeholders and partners nationwide to promote the transition to clean cooking solutions while conducting research to assess the efficiency of clean cooking devices. He also supports the Sunsafe project to develop a mobile application aimed at ensuring accurate sizing and configuration of component-based solar systems.

Technical lead Emmanuel Cyoy
An experienced professional in sustainable energy, with over 17 years of specialized expertise in energy planning, energy access, renewable energy, and clean cooking initiatives. He has a proven track record of designing and implementing transformative energy projects. Notably, he has collaborated with more than eight county governments in Kenya to develop comprehensive, costed clean cooking solutions and implementation strategies, seamlessly integrating these into their energy plans

Programmes Coordinator Lilian Maina
An accomplished Project Manager with extensive experience leading operations for NGOs and overseeing donor-funded projects across Africa. She excels in strategic planning, team leadership, and fostering partnerships to deliver measurable and sustainable results. Lilian has experience leveraging various project management tools and uses data-driven approaches to inform decision-making and achieve impactful outcomes. Passionate about community empowerment, she designs programs and oversees projects that drive social change and create lasting impact.