STEPHEN CHEGE

Dr. Stephen Chege is a distinguished wildlife veterinarian and a One Health advocate with over 15 years of experience advancing One Health approaches in Kenya. He currently serves as the Director of Conservation Programs for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Kenya, where he leads integrated conservation, research, and animal health initiatives that bridge community needs with biodiversity protection.

Dr. Chege holds a Master of Science in Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics and a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Nairobi. His expertise is further reinforced by advanced training from global institutions including the Durell Conservation Academy, University of Edinburgh and EcoHealth Alliance specializing in wildlife disease surveillance, outbreak response, and transboundary animal disease control.

A core pillar of Dr. Chege’s work is the implementation of evidence-based disease prevention strategies at the wildlife-livestock-human interface. In his role at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Kenya and as founder of VetinWild, a mobile veterinary initiative in northern Kenya, he has spearheaded efforts to improve access to animal healthcare in remote rangelands. These programs target rabies, anthrax, canine distemper, and PPR (Peste des Petits Ruminants), reducing disease spillover and strengthening community resilience.

Dr. Chege is particularly recognized for his leadership in mass dog vaccination campaigns against rabies, aligning with WHO’s goal to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030. His campaigns have reached thousands of households across Samburu and Laikipia with a planned expansion to Isiolo and Marsabit counties, directly benefiting public health, livestock productivity, and wildlife conservation. 

In his conservation work, Dr. Chege has conducted hundreds of wildlife health interventions for species including black rhinos, African wild dogs, lions, hIROLA, Grevy’s zebras, and elephants. 

Together with other partners, they have developed community-based disease syndromic surveillance systems that train and equip wildlife rangers, community scouts, and youth to identify and report disease outbreaks. These decentralized early warning systems are a key innovation in areas with minimal veterinary infrastructure, enabling rapid response to disease threats and supporting national reporting systems.

Dr. Chege is the immediate past Chairman of the Kenya Veterinary Association Wildlife Branch and President of the Wildlife Disease Association – Africa and Middle East Chapter. In these capacities, he promotes science-informed policy, cross-sectoral collaboration, and regional capacity-building in wildlife health and One Health.