Elvis Cosmos – Policy Fellow
Elvis is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a member of the Aerospace Committee of the East Africa Law Society. He has taught space law at Strathmore University Law School since 2023 and coached students for the 34th Manfred Lachs Moot Court Competition 2025. The students represented the African continent at the world finals in Sydney, Australia. In 2023, he served as an ILINA Fellow at the inaugural ILINA Program where he developed an introductory workshop on outer space governance and the long-termism theory for undergraduate students. Outside the space field, he uses his legal expertise for pro bono and legal aid work for vulnerable communities in Kenya.
Saphirah Kubakurungi serves as the Programme Associate for ASLI Education. In this role, she coordinates and oversees academic programmes, including courses, workshops and trainings.
Saphirah is a lawyer with over five years of experience contributing to the growth of the space sector in Africa and beyond. Her work spans space law, policy, governance and education. She is strongly committed to institutional-building, knowledge-sharing and the development of emerging space ecosystems. Saphirah has also been actively involved in shaping Uganda’s emerging space sector. In 2024 the Ugandan Space and Aerospace Bureau appointed her into a task-force, to draft Uganda’s space legal and policy framework. Alongside these efforts, Saphirah is an active member of various international organisations including the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) and the Space Generational Advisory Council (SGAC).
Felistus Macharia – Policy Fellow
Felistus’ work has centered on building awareness of space capabilities across diverse audiences and sectors, emphasizing the importance of adopting space as a strategic tool for driving growth and innovation on the continent. She has engaged with multiple space startups across different niches, including youth-led ventures, gaining insight into the evolving dynamics of Africa’s space ecosystem. With the rapid evolution of the NewSpace ecosystem and the increasing commercialization of space, her interests are expanding toward understanding how Africa can strategically navigate this shift. She is particularly interested in contributing to policy conversations that move Africa from fragmented space development toward a coordinated, regionally specialized ecosystem. In particular, she aims to explore how regional specialization can be leveraged to build a more sustainable and integrated African space ecosystem. This includes examining the policy frameworks, governance structures, and collaborative models required to support complementary regional strengths, while ensuring that space-driven growth translates into meaningful socio-economic impact across communities and regions.
Etim Offiong is Co-founder of ASLI. He oversees the operations of the Institute. Etim participated in the drafting of the African Space Policy and Strategy which was adopted by African Heads of States in 2016, and led to the establishment of the African Space Agency (AfSA) in 2018. He also participated in the validation of the ECOWAS Space Science and Geomatics Strategy.
Mary Okoth – Policy Fellow
Mary is a GIS Specialist, Climate Activist, and Environmental Policy Analyst with strong expertise in geospatial analysis, remote sensing, and spatial data management. She applies geospatial technologies to address complex environmental and climate challenges, translating scientific data into actionable insights for policy and decision-making. Her work sits at the intersection of science and policy, advancing climate resilience, sustainable land management, and ecosystem conservation. As a youth climate advocate and emerging voice in global environmental diplomacy, she engages in climate negotiations, policy development, and community-centered approaches to adaptation and mitigation. Mary is particularly interested in leveraging space-based technologies and Earth observation to inform decision-making and strengthen policy frameworks. Her work reflects a strong dedication to environmental justice, spatial equity, and transformative climate action.
Dr. hafayat Yetunde Olatinwo – Adjoint Fellow
Khafayat is an Associate Professor of Law at Kwara State University, Nigeria. With over a decade of academic and policy-oriented experience, her work focuses on space security, legal regimes governing outer space activities and dispute resolution mechanisms for space-related conflicts. Her research critically engages issues of equity, sustainability and access within the global space order with particular attention to the position of emerging space nations in Africa. Khafayat currently leads and contributes to policy-oriented research projects aimed at articulating strategic frameworks for Nigeria’s space policy and advancing Africa’s participation in the global space economy. She serves as Vice-President of the Space Law and Arbitration Association and is a member of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL).