Dr. Eng. Festus K. Ng’eno, is the Principal Secretary in charge of the State Department for Environment and Climate Change in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry.
Dr. Eng. Ng’eno serves at the forefront of Kenya’s environmental and climate leadership. In his current role, he is the Operational Focal Point for several major global environmental frameworks, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the Convention to Combat Desertification. He also represents Kenya in key climate financing and environmental mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Adaptation Fund, as well as the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions. Through these roles, he plays a pivotal part in positioning Kenya within the global sustainability and climate action agenda.
With over 18 years of professional experience across the public, private and non-governmental sectors, Dr. Eng. Ng’eno is a distinguished expert in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Environmental Management and Climate Change. He has led the development and review of landmark policies and legislation, including the Environment Policy, the Climate Change Act, Carbon Markets Regulations, and the Circular Economy Strategy for Sustainable Waste Management. He has also overseen the ratification of key Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), strengthening Kenya’s international environmental commitments.

Dr. Eng. Ng’eno holds a PhD, MSc and BSc in Environmental and Biosystems Engineering from the University of Nairobi, complemented by advanced training in Leadership, Corporate Governance and Green Economy Transformation from leading institutions in Kenya and Denmark.
Before his appointment as Principal Secretary, he served as County Executive Committee Member in Nakuru County, where he oversaw portfolios spanning Water, Sanitation, Environment, Energy, Agriculture and Health, demonstrating a strong record of public service and transformative leadership.
A Registered Professional Engineer and active member of several professional bodies, Dr. Eng. Ng’eno brings both technical depth and strategic vision to his work.