Bioethics from the Global South

Lillian Omutoko holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Nairobi, a PhD degree in educational administration and leadership from Catholic University of Eastern Africa, a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Ethics from Stellenbosch University, a master’s degree in Global Bioethics from Anahuac University, and a certificate in Responsible Conduct in International Research from the University of Washington. Lillian is an Associate Professor at the Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies, University of Nairobi. She is an Educationist and a Bioethicist. She has been in the Bioethics field for the last 14 years and has a  keen interest in health Research Ethics, Research Integrity, and pandemic ethics.   Lillian has been part of the collaborative team supporting the setting up of Hospital Ethics Committees in Kenya. She participated in developing a training guide for Research Ethics Committee members, facilitated numerous trainings in Africa, and developed ethical guidelines in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya.   She is a member of the National Scientific Ethics Research Committee and Kenyatta National Hospital-University of Nairobi Ethics Research Committee (KNH-UoN ERC). She was previously the Secretary of the Bioethics Society of Kenya (BSK), a member of the International Association of Ethics Education (IAEE), and the Vice-Chairperson of the Research Ethics Association of Southern Africa (REASA).

Walter Jaoko holds a bachelor’s degree in medicine and a PhD degree in medical microbiology from the University of Nairobi, a master’s degree in Tropical Medicine from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Ethics from Stellenbosch University as a Fogarty Scholar, and a master’s degree in Global Bioethics from Anahuac University. He is also a Fellow of the Africa Academy of Sciences. Walter is a physician and professor of Medical Microbiology and Tropical Medicine, the Director of the KAVI-Institute of Clinical Research (KAVI-ICR), at the University of Nairobi, an Extraordinary Professor of Medicine at Stellenbosch University, and a Visiting Professor at the School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has conducted clinical research for the past 30 years in various aspects of infectious diseases. He also has an interest in health research ethics and the promotion of ethical standards in the conduct of health research in developing countries. In this regard, he has conducted training in research ethics in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Botswana, and serves as a research ethics committee member at Strathmore University, a private university in Nairobi.