Dr. Abdillahi Saggaf Alawy is a Rockefeller Fellow and an accomplished Kenyan professional in land governance, agriculture, and institutional reform, with over 20 years of experience designing, managing, and governing complex national and international programmes. Born and raised on Kenya’s southern Coast and educated in Kwale County, he was exposed early to land and livelihood challenges, which shaped a career focused on equitable land management, agricultural productivity, and accountable public institutions.

He holds a Diploma in Agriculture from Egerton University and a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, with academic specialisation in agriculture, environmental sciences, performance measurement, and programme impact evaluation. His work consistently addresses the nexus between land use, governance systems, productivity, and evidence-based decision-making.

Dr. Alawy previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), where he provided strategic oversight of large-scale, land-based enterprises critical to Kenya’s food security. These include seed multiplication, livestock breeding, and crop diversification initiatives. During his tenure, ADC recorded its strongest seed-maize enterprise performance in 2024, exceeding KSh1 billion in sales and demonstrating the viability of domestically driven seed production. He has also played a central role in mobilising and facilitating multi-billion shilling partnerships and investments for large-scale food security programmes at the ADC–Galana Ranch, strengthening its position as a national strategic agricultural asset and a platform for climate-resilient public–private collaboration.

He was the Founder and Lead Consultant at Alawy Consultancies for Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (M.E.R.L.), where he led high-level assignments across Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. His work supported governments, civil society, and international development partners through rigorous research, evaluation, and policy-relevant analytics.

In addition, Dr. Alawy served as Global Director of M.E.R.L. at CABI (Kenya), overseeing impact systems across 43 countries and contributing to global research on food security, agricultural extension, plant health, and invasive species management.

Dr. Alawy is recognized for strengthening governance frameworks, integrating research into policy and practice, and leading institutional transformation. His professional focus includes land-use planning, food systems resilience, public-sector performance measurement, and inclusive development. He remains committed to advancing transparent, accountable, and people-centred land governance in support of Kenya’s ongoing land and agricultural reforms.