Richard Muraya (he/him)

How are you using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities? Tell us about your EE work and impact.

I strongly believe that humanity cannot act on the existential threat that is climate change if we do not truly understand what climate is. As such, I am using proven citizen-science techniques, indigenous knowledge, and civic technology to democratize information on weather and climate, thus raising practical awareness on our planet. Through the Infrastracker project implemented by my non-profit tech startup, I am installing smart weather stations in schools and communities across Kenya to enable students to interpret weather data and inspire STEM uptake as part of environmental education. I have deployed the country’s largest network of portable air quality monitors to further raise awareness on the dangers of air pollution in both urban and rural households. 

Additionally, the link between the global climate crisis and freshwater crisis is undeniable. Through the Maai Makwa project, my team has distributed over 8,500 easy-to-use water quality test kits amongst 6,000 climate-vulnerable, water-scarce and disenfranchised households in Kenya to enable informed decision-making towards reducing domestic water footprints and remedial measures against the consumption of contaminated freshwater resources for sustainable freshwater resource management.

Tell us about your journey to where you are today. What inspired you? What has your path been like?

My passion for climate science really started in Grade 4 when my father helped me create a wind vane and windsock for a science class demonstration. Assembled over a weekend, it was a simple yet accurate contraption that was awarded best in class. This inspired me to take an interest in weather monitoring. As with many boys at that age, science class became a clever & convenient excuse for outdoor adventure and experimentation including fishing for guppies (Poecilia reticulata), low voltage electrical projects, and other DIY projects. 

I built my first complete 3D printed weather station (sharecode IKIKUY3P) during the COVID-19 pandemic and have since assembled 13 more which have been distributed to various schools countrywide for environmental education programs through my non-profit tech startup. Over the next few years, I plan to assemble & distribute at least 250 smart weather stations to public schools to share weather data with their host communities and global services including WeatherCloud and Weather Underground. Additionally, I am installing smart domestic water meters and distributing easy-to-use water quality test kits through my Maai Makwa project for water-scarce households and communities across Kenya. 

And thus, a boyhood hobby became a career!

How can people learn more about or support your work?

I curate my EE work through my non-profit tech startup – The Demography Project; accessible on our website here. 

A Little More About Me

What is your superpower? Which of your qualities best fuels the work you do?

Inquisitiveness has been the spark that has kept me interested and engaged in exploring & learning more about various topics in my field. That curiosity is behind my lifelong struggle to strike a healthy balance between knowing something about everything and knowing everything about something. 

What book, film, or art piece has had the greatest impact on you?

Few pieces are as humbling and awe-inspiring as the Pale Blue Dot photograph from NASA's Voyager I space probe and the accompanying excerpt by the late Professor Carl Sagan in the Family Portrait series. It is a perfect depiction of humanity’s dwarf position in the solar system, let alone the universe, and it demonstrates why each of us needs to coexist peacefully and responsibly on this beautiful planet. 

What’s a passion project of yours outside of your work?

I’m currently building a collection of vintage travel posters from across the world as well as helping my wife curate cultural artifacts from the African continent.

Do you prefer sunrise, sunset, midday, or midnight?

Nothing beats the tranquility at midnight