Dr. Karanja Mwangi, MKIP FKIP

Chairman, Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Dr Karanja Mwangi is a distinguished scholar and Senior Lecturer of Planning at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Nairobi. He is widely published in planning and connected matters with two of his scholarly refereed journal papers highly regarded internationally, namely; “The Nature of Rental Housing in Kenya” (1997), and “Tracks and Levels of Planning Methodology” (2007). His latest paper titled “A Case for Comprehensive Urban Regeneration in the Eastlands’ Ten Oldest Housing Estates, Nairobi City County – Kenya” (2015); has for the first time illuminated conceptual realms of the “Eastlands”, the actual area it covers and its practical relevance to successful urban regeneration in the city of Nairobi.  His ongoing research focuses on substance and context of “county planning methodology”. Dr Mwangi is the current serving Chairman of the Kenya Institute of Planners (KIP) where he is a founder member and fellow of the Institute. He is registered and Certified Planner (K) and a Director at Mipango Institute, a consultancy and training entity. He has over ten years practical experience as researcher, technical support and advisory services expert in planning which he acquired at the Uninvited Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD). As a practicing planner Dr Mwangi was the national planning expert for Ewaso Ngiro North Integrated Regional Development Plan, Mombasa Mainland South and Kwale District Regional Physical Development Plan and Nyandarua District Integrated Regional Development Plan. More recently he was a Lead Expert in integrated planning for TARDA and ENSDA, and a consultant planner for UNDP and Marsabit County Government in county integrand development plan (CIDP). He has also consulted as Lead EIA and Audit (EIA & Audit) expert for China Wu Yi (K) Ltd among others. These attributes which he acquired over the years makes him a balanced planning scholar and practitioner. Dr Mwangi earned his B.Sc. (Hons) and M.A. (Planning) from University of Nairobi and PhD (Planning) at School of Planning, University of Waterloo, Ontario Canada. He briefly worked for the Government of Republic of Kenya as Planner for the old greater Meru District which today forms Meru County and Tharaka Nithi County before he joined academia.