Hon. Dr. Michael Roberto Kenyi Legge is a distinguished agricultural scientist, policy expert, and national food security specialist currently serving as Undersecretary for Food Security in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS). With decades of experience spanning academia, senior government leadership, policy development, and international consultancy, he is widely respected for his technical depth and strategic leadership in advancing South Sudan’s food and nutrition security agenda.

Dr. Kenyi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Juba, within the School of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, and a member of the University’s Graduate College Board. His academic foundation includes a Master of Science in Food Security (Cum Laude) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, African Centre for Food Security (South Africa), and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Genetics) with Honors from the University of Alexandria, Egypt.

His public service career predates South Sudan’s independence. Prior to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Dr. Kenyi served with the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Association (SRRA) as Chief Coordinator for Agriculture, where he coordinated agricultural assistance projects under highly complex humanitarian conditions. Following the establishment of the Government of Southern Sudan, he held several senior leadership roles, including State Minister of Agriculture (two terms) in Central Equatoria and Chairperson of the State Vision 2040 for the former Jubek and Central Equatoria State governments.

Dr. Kenyi has also served as Director General for Planning and projects at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, where he coordinated national policy development, planning, and budgeting processes. In parallel, he has worked extensively as a consultant for regional and international institutions, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), IGAD, WFP, IFAD, and CARE. His consultancy portfolio includes leading nutrition capacity assessments, post-harvest loss studies, agricultural extension reviews, value chain analyses, and the design of South Sudan’s National Home-Grown School Feeding Strategy and School Health and Nutrition frameworks.

Across these roles, Dr. Kenyi has demonstrated strong competencies in policy analysis, strategic planning, project management, research, and institutional capacity building. He is recognized for his ability to bridge evidence-based research with practical policy solutions, supporting government institutions to design and implement sustainable agricultural and food security interventions.

As Undersecretary for Food Security, Hon. Dr. Michael Roberto Kenyi continues to provide technical and strategic leadership to national efforts aimed at strengthening agricultural systems, improving nutrition outcomes, and building resilience among farming and pastoralist communities across South Sudan, in alignment with regional and global food security commitments.

He has developed strong practical expertise in policy formulation and analysis, strategic planning and budgeting, teamwork and institutional capacity building, as well as sound organizational and communication competencies. His experience also includes research and training, project oversight and management, strong conceptual and analytical thinking, and effective decision-making.