Mary is a highly accomplished professional as the Founder Director of the African Institute for Health and Development (AIHD), Mary has been instrumental in promoting health promotion and education in Kenya and beyond.

Prior to founding the AIHD, Mary worked for several prominent organizations, including the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), Population Council, and African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC). She is also an Executive Board Member of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), as well as a member of the Steering Committee for NCDI Poverty Network. She also chairs the Advocacy Communication and Social Mobilization Technical Working Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the Ministry of Health (MoH) and holds a similar position for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Kenya.

Mary is a prolific author, having published numerous articles and papers on topics ranging from gender, gender-based violence (GBV), reproductive and child health to NTDs and NCDs, as well as poverty. She is also an Adjunct Faculty Member of Strathmore University in Nairobi. Mary holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge (1994) and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Nairobi (1989).