Mary Otieno
Mary Melicer Mwabani Otieno is an experienced administrative professional with over a decade of expertise in project management, stakeholder coordination, gender mainstreaming, logistics, procurement, inventory management, and event coordination. She possesses exceptional interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills, ensuring seamless administrative operations while maintaining a high level of confidentiality. Her ability to coordinate diverse stakeholders and facilitate multi-stakeholder platforms has been instrumental in enhancing organizational effectiveness and fostering collaboration. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Communication at the University of Nairobi. Her academic journey also includes a Graduate Diploma in Business Management from Compuera College, along with multiple diplomas and certificates in business management from the Kenya Institute of Management and Strathmore Secretarial College. She has also acquired extensive computer system expertise, including proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, various operating systems, and email management, enabling her to streamline administrative functions efficiently.
Mary has held the role of Administrator and programme assistant at the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) since 2011. In this capacity, she manages administrative, logistical, and office support activities, oversees staff attendance and leave records, and coordinates training workshops, meetings, and regional forums. She is responsible for organizing board meetings, facilitating minutes, handling travel logistics, and ensuring efficient inventory and procurement management. Her role extends to representing the organization at conferences, exhibitions, and networking events, where she plays a key role in advocacy and partnership development. Additionally, she is actively involved in the monitoring and evaluation of projects, particularly in the Networking and Partnerships Pillar, ensuring the successful implementation of initiatives that promote sustainable organic agriculture.
Before joining KOAN, she served as an Administrative Assistant and Secretary at Kemboy and Company Advocates from 2009 to 2011, where she was responsible for legal documentation, correspondence, appointment scheduling, client relations, and office management. Prior to that, she worked with Katwa and Kemboy Advocates and T.T.M. Aswani Advocates, where she provided high-level administrative and operational support, maintained legal records, and facilitated lawyer-client communications. Her career began at Akhaabi & Company Advocates, where she gained foundational experience in legal administration, document management, and office coordination.
Mary has undertaken various professional training programs, including Monitoring and Evaluation for Project Professionals at AMREF International University, an international course on Facilitating Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and specialized training in project and finance management. She has also participated in capacity-building programs on fundraising, gender policy development, result-based management, and value chain development in organic agriculture. As an enumerator for market surveys and baseline regional surveys, she contributed to enhancing the coordination of organic product access to markets in East Africa.
