Peter Owenga Kwengu : 10 March 1961–12 October 2015

Peter Owenga Kwengu died in the Aga Khan hospital in Nairobi at 10.00 am on Monday 12 October after a short illness. Peter and Simon Kuebler, seen here together in the field in 2014, formed the nucleus of the Kenya Disperse project. Together they developed our understanding of the relations between bedrock, active tectonics and soils and their ability to provide the necessary trace nutrients to support animals in the past and present.

Peter played a key role through his knowledge and expertise in soil analysis and was planning to continue fieldwork in our most recent field trip to Kenya before he was taken ill. He was co-author on the recent publication on the Kenya Rift in Nature Scientific Reports, and was planning to come to Europe for a PhD.

From time in the field and in Paris and Munich, Simon Kuebler, Sally Reynolds, Stephen Rucina and Geoffrey King developed a warm friendship with Peter and are greatly saddened by his loss. Peter leaves a wife and children.