Kagwiria Koome

Kagwiria Koome is an international development practitioner with extensive experience in design and execution of programs that advance improved livelihoods. At the Rockefeller Foundation, she manages a high-impact grant portfolio in agriculture with a focus on transforming food systems to deliver nutritious foods while protecting the environment. Kagwiria’ s previous work at the Foundation included a focus on the health sector and has worked in East and West Africa. Prior to joining the Rockefeller Foundation, Kagwiria was a management consultant advising development institutions and governments on strategy planning, program design and investment across Africa with a focus on the health sector. Kagwiria received an LLB from Keele University and a Master’s in International Development from University of East Anglia.

Authored Content

Oct 18 2023

Perspective How We Collaborated to Implement Holistic Solutions Tackling a single challenge frequently unveils a complex web of interconnected issues. And though we know we can’t solve everything, it’s also clear that holistic solutions are needed to create transformative change. Recently, we had an opportunity to expand our impact in two projects in Burundi, an East African country of about 13.2 million people […] Kagwiria Koome
Sep 21 2021

Perspective A Waste of Watermelon and a Toolkit To Help End Food Loss I grew up in a small farm in eastern Kenya. My family planted various crops, hoping to boost our income. On one occasion, an extension agent brought us some seeds in a sophisticated package. I later learnt from my mother that they were watermelon seeds. “Plant these; they will make you rich,” the extension agent […] Betty Kibaara, Kagwiria Koome
Jul 31 2020

Perspective Inspiring Glimpses of Tomorrow's African Food Systems Visionaries from across Africa—including Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Tanzania—responded to an invitation to imagine a more nourishing and resilient food future for 2050. The Rockefeller Foundation launched the Food System Vision Prize to enable people and communities to be protagonists in their own food futures. Of the 1300 visions submitted, 76 […] Kagwiria Koome, Peiman Milani
Jun 11 2020

Perspective How Kenya Plans to Safely Dispose of Waste During the Covid-19 Pandemic Covid-19 has reached Kenya, with more than 3,000 cases recorded as of June 10, 2020. Since the first case was confirmed on March 13, Kenya has taken multiple steps to stem the spread of the virus: instituting a nationwide curfew, isolating the Nairobi Metropolitan Area and three coastal counties, introducing various hygiene measures such as […] Kagwiria Koome
May 13 2020

Perspective In Kenya, Two Heroes Weathering the Covid-19 Storm Together Billian Okoth and Alloys Mbogo live 125 kilometers apart in Kenya and have never met each other. However, they are fighting the effects of Covid-19 together, through an unusual partnership between farmers who cannot bring their fruit to market and a hungry community in need. They say, “To whom much is given much is expected.” […] Kagwiria Koome