Mr. Ali Juma Mafimbo (HSC) was appointed to KMFRI Board of Management by Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary via a gazette notice No 13245 of 21st December, 2018. Mafimbo has over 35 years’ experience in Government policy formulation, programme design and implementation, which he gained as County Executive in charge of Lands, Physical Planning and Natural Resources in Kwale Government from 10th May 2013, to October, 2017; and at the Kenya Meteorological Department from 10th October, 1981, to 30th June, 2013, where he rose to the rank of Senior Assistant Director.

Mr Mafimbo obtained Applied Ocean Sciences Master’s Degree (Physical Oceanography) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in 2008. He had earlier graduated with Bachelor of Science Honours (BSc. Hons.) degree in Meteorology from the University of Nairobi in 1981.

Mr. Mafimbo did professional courses in ISO 900 Quality Management and Auditing for Marine Services in Melbourne, Australia, in 2010, Strategic Leadership Development Programme (2011) and a Senior Management Course in 2009 both at the Kenya School of Government.

The highly seasoned professional has in-depth experience and exposure in international representation and promotion of Kenya's interests in scientific agreements, gained while representing Kenya in various capacities within the World Meteorological Organization, and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. His active participation in community development programmes throughout his life earned him the HSC award in 2008.

While working at Kwale CEC, he established a GIS Centre, developed a Resource Map for the county and a geo-referenced database for socio-economic planning. He also developed the County Quarrying and Forest Bills, planned 11 towns in Kwale and completed digitisation of survey data in the county.

While working at the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD), he established an operational Port Meteorological Office at the Kenya Ports Authority Headquarters in 1986. Mr. Mafimbo also supervised the transformation of the Marine Services in KMD from 2003, and established the Marine Section under the Forecasting office of KMD, which was later in 2005 transformed into an Oceanography and Marine Meteorological Services (OMMS) division under his watch. He is a member of Kenya Meteorological Society and a Life Member of Red Cross.

Mafimbo has undertaken several consultancy jobs for and with World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC), Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), Coastal Oceans Research and Development - Indian Ocean (CORDIO)-East Africa, and Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA).

Among global seminars, trainings and workshops he attended include representing Kwale County in the mining governance study tour and 2014 Africa Down Under Mining Conference-Perth, Australia, between August 24 and September 5, 2014. He also represented Kenya in the JCOMM 10th Management Committee meeting in Paris, France, in May 2013.