Melissa Nkapiani

Melissa never gave it a second thought while she was growing up in a small Kenyan village that she would be responsible for advancing the nation's use of clean energy. She works for Kenya Electricity Generating Company, one of Kenya's major energy providers, as a Principal Geoscientist. She likes to use her expertise as a geoscientist to help Kenya develop sustainable energy, especially geothermal energy so that her fellow citizens and, more especially, the communities where she lives have access to affordable, clean energy and can lessen the effects of climate change.

Melissa received the 2015 KENGEN Innovation Award for her constant display of problem-solving skills. Coming from a local community where girls are adversely affected by Female Genital mutilation and early marriages, she has actively been involved in mentorship programs that mentor young girls to take up STEM courses through the KENGEN Foundation and Murua Girl Child Education program.

For the past ten years, she has enjoyed her career as a geoscientist. When she is not working to develop geothermal energy in Kenya or mentoring young girls, she loves spending time with her four children, taking pictures, and trying out African delicacies.