Walter Mugedo: An Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Specialist

Published on Dec. 23, 2024, 7:31 p.m.

Walter Mugendo is an Occupational Health, Safety, and Environment (ESG) specialist with over 12 years of experience across various industries, that is manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, construction, and contact centre management. He leverages his expertise in training, motivating, and influencing multi-disciplinary teams to cultivate a positive safety culture at the workplace and improve the worker experience while minimizing any negative impact on their health and wellbeing. *What was your Chevening Cohort?* What did you study at, and in which university? I was part of the 2017/2018 Cohort and studied for my MSc in the Science of Occupational Health, Safety, and Environment at the University of Birmingham (UK). How was your Chevening experience and how did it or has it changed/impacted your life? ‘It was amazing,’ As one of my close university friends and a Chevening alumnus from India, Saubhik Gosh, would put it. The opportunity to study at a world-class Russel Group university was just ‘Amazing.’ The coursework was structured to be very practical and delivered by various UK industry experts and professionals from the construction and chemical industry to electrical and power grid engineers. This gave us more solid exposure to current trends and best practices in the UK's occupational health and safety management. Also, we had a chance to visit small, medium, and large enterprises to get a feel for how they structured workplace safety and health management, which was good exposure. I had the opportunity to travel in the UK and Europe. I went to France, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, so I got to interact with various people, immerse myself in their culture, and live in the moment. This exposed me to the beauty of diversity, cuisine, and, most importantly, how they have preserved their cultures and ways of life; you can experience the past to present and in a day as I did on visiting the St. Fagans National Museum of History in Wales. As a Chevening Leader, what would you consider your proudest moment or most significant achievement? I trust every achievement, impact, or change I’ve made to myself and others at work and in social spaces. Securing the Chevening scholarship in 2017 will top up because it was my second attempt and the previous six attempts of other international scholarships. Who or what has had the most significant influence on your life? I believe it is my parents. My late dad was the fountain of knowledge, a professor of analytical chemistry, and a Commonwealth Scholar at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. Every reason and inspiration equal the same, but I’m still a work in progress. My mother is the epitome of love, resilience, and unwavering support; credit her for who I am, and she never gives up on us, even in adulthood. What is the most important lesson you have learned in life? ‘Victory loves preparation’ is a phrase I live by. Every success in life requires focused preparation and sacrifice. How would you like to be remembered? As someone who positively influenced people's lives in my interactions at the workplace and social spaces.