Dr Isaac Kalua Means Green-Think Green, Act Green

Dr Isaac Kalua/Profile Photo

By Reporter

He is a renowned environmentalist who has had a prominent presence on Africa’s environmental scene for almost three decades now.

Dr Isaac Kalua has articulated a sustainable way forward not just for Kenya, but also for Africa. In this quest, his primary platforms has been the Green Africa Foundation where he is the Founding Chairperson and the Kenya Water Towers Agency where he served as Chairperson Emeritus for the period between 2013 until March 2019.

On the international scene, he has provided exemplary service as a member of the International Association of Athletics Federation’s (IAAF) Sustainable Development Commission since 2009. Dr Kalua is a Honorary Game Warden appointed by the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Dr. Isaac Kalua is also an innovative entrepreneur of international repute with interests in the automotive sector. He is the Chairperson of Honda Kenya. He is also a Board Member of various local and international establishments. Through these entrepreneurial interests, he has been able to create thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly. More specifically as Chairperson of the Motorcycle Assemblers Association of Kenya (MAAK) and Chairperson of Kenya Association of Manufacturers Motorcycle sub-sector he has contributed to the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs for Kenyan youth from all the 47 Counties. This has in turn reduced the allure of unsustainable livelihoods means like charcoal production and many more activities that lead to destruction of the environment.

Dr. Kalua is a strong believer that decent jobs are a critical cornerstone for Africa’s sustainable economic growth. This is why he is the greatest proponent of the Green Africa Villages a model that he invented. It has since been embraced by many across the Continent as a hands-on solution for a Development Agenda that leads to the attainment of the Global Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr. Kalua’s vast experience spans more than three decades. During this time, he has provided exemplary service in different capacities that include: CEO of the 35th IAAF World Championships, The Founding Chair of Cricket Kenya, National Patron of the Kenya Christians Choirs Association (KCCA) among many others. He has also founded various thriving international establishments and leading social and economic initiatives for communities.

His peers often refer to Dr. Kalua as a thought leader owing to his passionate and innovative leadership in the sustainable, economic and social domains. His transformative applied leadership in these three areas has seen him scoop several awards chief among them being The Head of State Commendation (HSC) by the President of Kenya for exemplary work in Sports and environment Management. This award was also in appreciation for great leadership during the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championship held in Mombasa, The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Awards on Sports & Environment, Vancouver, Canada in 2009. This global recognition was in respect to implementation of Sustainable Sport Initiatives through The Green Africa Foundation that have since been replicated globally.

Dr. Kalua was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities for carving a niche for himself internationally in Rural Development through the Green Africa Foundation. The United Graduate College and Seminary of USA granted this award in 2010. In 2011, Dr Kalua bagged the respected Millennium Development Goals (MDG) award, which was bestowed upon him and the Late Prof Wangari Maathai for remarkable leadership on matters Climate Change.

Dr Kalua was awarded The Order of the Moran of the Burning Spear (MBS) by the President of Kenya for his practical solutions towards the attainment of the Global Sustainable Development Goals and Kenya’s Vision 2030 through The Green Africa Villages Model. This award was bestowed upon him in 2017.

In 2018, Dr Kalua received yet another prestigious acknowledgement by the President of Kenya when he was bestowed upon as a Chief of the Order of The Burning Spear (CBS). This award was in recognition for his efforts in advocating the populace on matters of Green Growth through writing articles in Kenyan Newspapers, Great leadership in Steering the Conservation of Kenya’s Water Towers and his tangible Job creation efforts through guiding the growth of Motorcycle sector in Kenya to unprecedented growth.

Dr Kalua is also a proud recipient of the TOTAL Tree Ambassador Award for his efforts in advocating for planting of Millions of trees in Africa and beyond.

He however considers his greatest reward to be the young people that he continues to empower through his diverse mentorship initiatives, his hands-on approach to issues and media outreaches