Verah Okeyo

Verah Okeyo is an award-winning global health journalist and media and communications strategist with over 15 years of experience across mainstream media, research institutions, and international health organisations in East and Central Africa. Before founding Defrontera, Verah honed her journalism career at Nation Media Group, where she served in senior reporting and editorial roles and became the founding editor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). During her tenure, she attracted and managed journalism grants from organisations including Microsoft, International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, strengthening newsroom innovation and impact-driven reporting. She has also served as Communications Manager for Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, where she led strategic communications across public health programmes. Over the years, Verah has collaborated with institutions such as the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Africa CDC, and Aga Khan University on science journalism, health communication, and capacity-building initiatives.

Verah holds a BA in Media Communication and Technology (Electronic option) with IT and a minor in Creative and Performing Arts from Maseno University in Kenya. She earned an MSc in Global Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is currently a PhD candidate in Anthropology at the University of Nairobi.