Victor Mwongera
Dr. Eng. Victor Mwongera is a Kenyan aerospace engineer, educator, and STEM champion whose career bridges advanced research, professional regulation, and youth mentorship. Born and schooled in Meru County, he earned a BSc. in Mechanical Engineering from JKUAT before completing an MSc in Aerospace Dynamics and, at just 28, a PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol, becoming one of Kenya’s youngest doctorates in the field.
After returning home in 2016, Mwongera joined Kenyatta University, rising to Head of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. There he forged a landmark partnership with the Kenya Space Agency, guiding student teams that built the KUSat series of CubeSats and pioneering drone-based crop-monitoring systems now used in two counties. Concurrently, he served as CEO of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK), where he digitised member services, expanded professional development programmes, and oversaw Kenya’s accession to the Washington Accord pathways.
In 2023 he was appointed National Director of Young Scientists Kenya, a public-private initiative that has mentored 18,000 secondary-school innovators and sent national finalists to compete at the Regeneron ISEF Global Fair. Mwongera also advises the African Union’s Space Working Group and chairs the Aeronautical Society of Kenya’s research committee, underscoring his mission to propel Kenya into the forefront of continental aerospace innovation while nurturing the next generation of STEM leaders.