Mr Laichena is a researcher and public policy analysis expert on environment and natural resources issues. He has over 17 years of professional experience, having worked most recently as a policy analyst with the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) and previously as an economist for the National Treasury and Planning, census supervisor for the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, and senior research officer and head of department at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
His policy analysis and research interests mainly cover policy issues in environment and natural resource management, particularly the sustainable use and management of natural resources, exploitation of mineral resources, and the link between economic and ecological issues and the poverty-environment nexus. Other areas of interest include Environmental Resources valuation; climate change issues and disaster risk management; disaster risk management and agriculture; and food security.
Mr. Laichena has supported the development and review of various government laws, strategies, and policies – including the Medium-Term Plans, the Climate Change Act, the Mining Act, development of a Country Mining Vision, and the Kenya Extractive Policy. He has published on various research topics, including forest management; climate change and resource conflict; and the impact of Covid-19 on the economy, agriculture, and food security.
