Mary Abungu

Mary Abungu is a Transportation Engineer with experience spanning transport planning, policy advisory, and sustainable mobility in Kenya and across Africa. She serves as Project Manager (Africa) with the Global South Center for Clean Transportation at the Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, where she supports engagement with ministries, government agencies, regional institutions, and universities to advance zero-emission transport policies, capacity building, and clean transportation partnerships across Africa. Her role includes supporting implementation of programs under the California–Africa Climate and Economic Partnership, and strengthening strategic collaborations across the region.  

 

Prior to joining UC Davis, Mary worked as a Transportation Engineer at TIMCON Associates, where she led and supported projects in traffic and transportation planning, road safety audits and assessments, collision analysis, traffic calming, and project management. She has also served as Programs Director at Sustainable Mobility Africa (SUMO Africa), a regional nonprofit she founded to advance sustainable mobility through policy dialogue, multi-stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and applied projects. Earlier in her career, she worked with the Kenya National Highways Authority and the Institution of Engineers of Kenya, contributing to road works supervision, standards review, and institutional strategy.  

 

Mary holds a Master of Science in Transport Engineering, Planning and Management with Distinction from Newcastle University, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Nairobi. She is a Chevening Scholar, founder of Sustainable Mobility Africa, and was recognized as Kenya’s Road Safety Champion of the Year in 2025 for her contributions to advancing sustainable transport.