Professor Faith Njoki Karanja is the first Kenyan woman to earn a PhD in Geoinformatics—a field that combines technology and data to analyze and understand geography, maps, and spatial locations.
She is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Nairobi’s Department of Geospatial and Space Technology in the Faculty of Engineering, and the first woman to hold that position.
Professor Karanja has made remarkable contributions in mentoring women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Her specific area of specialization is Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), with a focus on acquiring data through Earth observation satellites, conducting digital image analysis, and integrating remote sensing with GIS.
Her research generates actionable insights for tackling real-world challenges such as natural and man-made disasters, food security, poverty, urbanization, and the effects of climate change.
Prof Faith Njoki Karanja was One of Two Women in a Class of 27
Karanja says her interest in geoinformatics began in high school when students were required to choose their career paths.
Surveying was among the listed options, but she noticed that very few girls selected it.
Driven by curiosity, she decided to pursue it, and over time, her interest evolved into geoinformation.
She acknowledged that entering the field without female role models was challenging. However, her determination, self-belief, and support from male colleagues helped her persevere.
As an undergraduate student, she was one of only two girls in a class of 27, but their male classmates were generally supportive and encouraging—a sense of allyship she says was instrumental in her journey.
“We were only two girls in a class of 27. Whenever we went to the field or lab, the boys would say, ‘Why don’t you take the paper and write?’ implying our role was to take notes, not make observations,” she recalled.
“I had to put my foot down and say, ‘No! I’m here by right, and I want to qualify as a geospatial engineer.”
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Professor Karanja said her parents were her greatest inspiration. Her father was a teacher and her mother a farmer.
“They firmly believed in girls’ education and constantly encouraged their children to pursue their dreams,” she said.
She credited their unwavering support as the foundation of who she is today.
Balancing Motherhood, Marriage, and a PhD Dream
Balancing family life with career advancement was a significant challenge for Professor Karanja, but her husband, a medical doctor, provided steadfast support.
His moral and emotional encouragement gave her the strength she needed to stay steady and focused.
Just a year after earning her master’s degree in surveying from the University of Nairobi, she received a postgraduate scholarship to study in Germany—at a time when her son was only 18 months old.
“I had to make a decision whether to go or not. But earlier on, my husband and I had jokingly discussed the possibility of me going to study abroad,” she said in a past interview.
“I had told him, you know I am a career person and an academician, so if I get a scholarship, remember I have to go for my studies, and my husband said ‘Yes! What is the problem? That is fine.”
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Education and Membership
Karanja holds a PhD in Geoinformation from the University of Hannover, Germany.
She also earned a master’s degree in surveying and Photogrammetry, a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science, and a BSc in Surveying and Photogrammetry from the University of Nairobi.
Additionally, she holds a master’s in business administration (MBA) with a focus on Project Management from Kenyatta University.
Outside her academic work, Professor Karanja is a member of the GIS committee at the Kenya Bureau of Standards, where she helps ensure that all maps adhere to both domestic and international standards.
She is also a full Member of the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) and a licensed surveyor, African Women in Science and Engineering (AWSE) and serves on the Engineering Sciences section of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).
Njoki serves as an examiner for the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya and sits on the Land Surveyors Board, which oversees the licensing of surveyors.
Internationally, she serves as Kenya’s point of contact for the Mission Idea Contest, an initiative of the University Space Engineering Consortium-Global (UNISEC), a non-governmental organization that promotes innovation in space science and technology.
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