Lorna Muthamia-Ochido
Dr. Lorna Muthamia-Ochido is a Kenyan speech-language therapist transforming paediatric communication services across East and Central Africa. Trained at the University of Cape Town (BSc SLT) and the University of Sheffield (PhD, Language & Literacy), she founded Speech Therapy Totos in Nairobi in 2014 after a decade of clinical practice in South Africa and Australia. The practice has grown into the region’s largest private speech-language clinic, with a team of 18 clinicians and satellites in Mombasa, Kisumu, and Kampala.
Specialising in early intervention for speech delay, autism-spectrum disorders, and dyslexia, the clinic has provided assessment or therapy to more than 15,000 children. Muthamia-Ochido pioneered a hybrid model that pairs evidence-based teletherapy with parent-led home programmes, cutting wait-times by 60% and extending reach to refugee settlements and remote counties. In 2023 she launched Totos Academy, an e-learning platform that has trained 3,500 teachers and community health workers in screening, augmentative communication, and inclusive classroom strategies.
Her research on Kiswahili phonological awareness informs Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum, and she advises the Ministry of Health on the forthcoming national allied-health policy. A recipient of the 2024 African Union Innovation in Education Award, she also hosts the “Talking Totos” podcast, demystifying speech therapy for parents across the continent. Dr. Muthamia-Ochido’s mission remains clear: give every child the power to communicate and thrive. challenges.