Winnie holds a Master’s degree in Rural Sociology and Community Development and has over 35 years of experience in public service, including 15 years dedicated to social protection policy and programming. During her tenure with the Government of Kenya, she played a pivotal role in rethinking, reconceptualizing, and institutionalizing social protection as a key component of the country’s development agenda. She led the design and piloting of Kenya’s cash transfer programmes for older persons and persons with disabilities, laying the foundation for some of the country’s flagship social protection initiatives.

Winnie spearheaded the establishment of the National Social Protection Secretariat (NSPS), which she headed for approximately eight years. Under her leadership, the Secretariat achieved significant milestones, including the development and adoption of Kenya’s first National Social Protection Policy.

She also championed the development and strengthening of key accountability and quality assurance systems, including the Single Registry System and the Beneficiary Complaints and Grievance Mechanism, which have improved the transparency, inclusivity, and effectiveness of social protection programme delivery. In addition, she contributed to the development of numerous social protection guidelines, frameworks, and operational protocols. Winnie further led the transition from manual to electronic payment systems, significantly enhancing the efficiency, reliability, and accountability of cash transfer delivery.

Recognizing the evolving global social protection landscape, Winnie was instrumental in redesigning Kenya’s poverty graduation programme to promote economic inclusion and strengthen resilience among vulnerable households. She led the conceptualization, modelling, and piloting of the Kenya Social and Economic Inclusion Programme (KSEIP), an innovative initiative aimed at moving social protection beyond cash transfers toward sustainable livelihoods, productive inclusion, and resilience-building.

Winnie also played a leading role in institutionalizing Social Risk Management (SRM) in Kenya, providing strategic coordination and technical guidance for the development of a national SRM framework.

An experienced international Trainer of Trainers (ToT) in social protection, Winnie has extensive expertise in capacity development and knowledge sharing. She serves as one of the master trainers for the TRANSFORM programme, a flagship social protection learning initiative for Africa supported by multiple development partners.

Beyond her national contributions, Winnie served for more than five years as Vice Chairperson of the Community of Practice on Conditional and Unconditional Cash Transfers for the Anglophone and Lusophone Africa Chapter. She has also co-authored several publications on social protection policy and programming.

In December 2018, Winnie was awarded the Head of State Commendation (HSC) by the President of the Republic of Kenya in recognition of her outstanding contribution to advancing social protection policy and programming in the country.

Winnie currently serves as a Social Protection Specialist with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), supporting programmes in Kenya and Malawi. Her work focuses on initiating, designing, and overseeing the implementation of FAO-led social protection initiatives, particularly those targeting informal and rural economy workers. She also supports interventions that contribute to agrifood systems transformation, improved livelihoods, and enhanced resilience among vulnerable populations.