PROF. BAKI, O. PAUL
Prof. Baki was born in Rageng’ni Sub-location of East Uyoma Location of the then Siaya District. Prof. Baki attended Rageng’ni Primary School, Cardinal Otunga High School (Mosocho) for O-Levels, St. Mary’s Yala for Advanced Level before proceeding to the University of Nairobi for his degree: Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics (1992), Masters of Science in Physics (1994), and Doctor of Philosophy in Theoretical Physics (1999). In the University system, he was first appointed Graduate Assistant (1993), and rose through the ranks to become an Associate Professor (2009) in the Department of Physics, University of Nairobi and thereafter to full Professor of Physics (2014) at the Technical University of Kenya. He has served as Associate Dean (2011- 2013) and Director of the School of Physical Sciences and Technology (2013- 2018) at the Technical University of Kenya. Professor Baki is an accomplished space physicist with extensive international networks and good publications record, supervision of graduate students and serves as a reviewer with top notch journals in Space Physics, which includes inter-alia, Advances in Space Research, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar Terrestrial Physics. Baki is affiliated to many professional organizations, namely: International Astronomical Union (IAU), East African Astronomical Society, Physics Society of Kenya, African Geophysical Society, among others. He sits on many international committees: Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP), Chair, Inter-ministerial Committee on Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and is an accomplished policy maker e.g. member of the African Union Space Working Group, which developed the African Space Policy & Space strategy as well as Statutes for the African Space Agency; member, United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS)- specifically Expert Group C (Space Weather) on Long term sustainability of Outer Space Activities; chair of committee that drafted Kenya Space Policy & Strategy, which paved way for the establishment of the Kenya Space Agency. He has participated in the development of key Government of Kenya strategic documents such as Medium Term Plans (MTP) for the Ministry of Education , namely ( MTP II 2013- 2017 & MTP III 2018-2022), and the strategy for the establishment of National Physical Sciences Research Laboratory. Prof. Baki appeared in the 2014 edition of Marquis Who’s Who in Physical Sciences in the World and has been awarded certificate of excellence in peer review of the Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (2015 & 2017). Prof. Baki joined Kenya National Academy of Sciences as a Member in 2003 and became a Fellow in 2011. His Vision is to see Kenya become a key player in the Global Space Industry in the same league as NASA and ROSCOMOS of Russia.