Ms Nancy Kagau was appointed to the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute BoM on 9^th June 2017 as an alternate member of the PS. She is a Senior Assistant Director of Fisheries in the State Department for Fisheries Aquaculture and the Blue Economy. She rose to the position in 2014, having served ably as Assistant Director (AD) of Fisheries from 2010 to 2014. 

The fisheries expert is pursuing a Masters of Arts Degree in Project Planning and Management at the University of Nairobi. She holds a BSc (Hons) Degree in Zoology and Geography from the same institution. 

As Fisheries AD, she supervised Fisheries County Director in Embu and Provincial Fisheries Officer (Eastern) whose roles included fisheries extension, law enforcement, conservation and protection of aquatic resources, capture fisheries management, value addition and market development. At the provincial level, she managed fisheries resources and was involved in the development of aquaculture, personnel administration and financial management. 

Ms. Kagau’s career took off in 1985, after she landed a job as Fisheries Officer III at Busia District and Fisheries Headquarters where she served until 1987, and then climbed up career ladder to become Fisheries Officer 1&11 at the District Fisheries Office in Malindi, a position she held from 1987 to 1993. In this capacity, she managed fishing activities on Kenyan territorial and EEZ waters, and was the officer in charge of Ngomeni Mariculture Project. 

Her exemplary performance saw her promoted to Senior Fisheries Officer, a position she held from 1999 to 2010. Ms. Kagau’s role expanded to include supervision of fisheries activities in Mwingi, Machakos and Makueni districts. She also supervised Nakuru District Fisheries Officer, whose duties included coordination and implementation of fisheries development programmes, management of Lake Naivasha fishing activities at Ramsar Site, setting up co-management units, enforcing ‘closed’ fishing seasons, demarcating and mapping fish breeding site. 

The highly seasoned fisheries expert has participated in programmes on Water Infrastructure Traded-Offs: Enhancing Capacity for Dialogue and Water Use Decisions WISE-UP; Agripreneurship Among Farm Women at Manage, India; and leadership for the Management of Coastal and Marine Environment workshop by NEMA all in 2017. Ms. Kagau also took part in the development of Fisheries Technology Policy for African Countries KOICA in 2011, Strategic Leadership Development Programme at KIA in 2010, and was also involved in the implementation of ISO 9001:2008 for KEBS in 2009.  Besides doing a comprehensive Fisheries Officers Induction Course at Naivasha Wildlife and Fisheries Training Institute, she attended a Senior Management Seminar at KIA in 2006, Lake Naivasha Catchment Conservation Workshop KWSTI (2001), Project Planning and Proposal Writing Seminar at KIA in 2000, and Integrated Environment Management at KWSTI in 1997. Ms. Kagau also participated in Fish Feed and Feeding programme in Tehag-Hungary in 1988.