Makueni County CECM Trade, Marketing, Industry, Culture and Tourism Dr. Sonia Nzilani passed on at her Makindu home on 22nd November 2025.
She previously served as CECM Lands, Urban Planning and development, Enviroment and Climate change.
Dr. Sonia Nzilani was born in 1980 at Masaku Ndongo, Masongaleni – Kibwezi East. Nzilani is a mother of 2. She started school at Masaku dNogo primary and then proceeded to Darajani secondary school from 1996 to 1999.
She thereafter proceeded to Moi University to study BSc in Fisheries and aquatic sciences. Sonia started work thereafter in Nairobi until 2012 when she got a scholarship to go do a Masters in Environmental Assessment from Bolognia University Italy and proceeded to Spain to do another Masters degree in water and coastal management from Cadiz university.
She returned to the country in 2014 and was employed by SEKU where she worked for 3 years before returning to class to undertake her Ph.D. She was lucky enough to secure a second scholarship to study at the University of Natural resources and Life sciences Austria. Sonia also did short courses abroad.
She previously worked with Dominion farms Siaya which was doing rice farming and aquaculture. In 2020 at SEKU, she was promoted to a lecturer and in 2021 was promoted again to the Head of the Department of Hydrology and aquatic sciences.
Sonia also did consultancy on climate adaptation and improving agricultural yields. She trained extension officers and fish farmers from Makueni. She is also a researcher and has done a lot on climate change.
From her early days championing community development initiatives to her rise into the County Executive Committee, Dr. Nzilani had built a reputation for competence, integrity, and hands-on leadership. Her tenure at the Trade docket has seen renewed focus on strengthening cooperatives, expanding market infrastructure, and positioning Makueni as a hub for value addition
In January, Dr. Sonia was suspended over her remarks that women are more vulnerable to crocodile attacks during their menstrual periods. This statement sparked widespread criticism, which led to her suspension. She apologized and was reinstated.
