David Okwembah
Deputy Director of Research Programs
David is a journalist of long standing, and a communications specialist, with in-depth knowledge having served as a reporter, investigative writer, News Editor in Standard newspapers. Managing Editor of the BBC in East Africa and a strategic communications consultant with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
Besides journalism, David is a consultant on media training, governance and public policy advocate. He has facilitated several forums involving journalists, policy makers and leading industrialists in East Africa.
As a writer, David has made contribution to various platforms including in science. He is a founding chair of the health reporters association. He also mentors journalists and is a trained media awards judge under the Media Council of Kenya.
David is also an accomplished columnist who for more than two years penned a weekly column in the Standard newspaper analyzing regional events and puts politics into perspective under a pen name, Dawud Osman.
David is very passionate about environment and has been an advocate of green spaces as well as championing climate change issues.
He is also the founding editor of an online investigations publication, The Gazette Weekly. David is a trained media judge and for the last four years he has been a member of the judging panel for Media Council of Kenya’s Annual Journalists Excellence Awards (AJEA).