Consultant Team

The people behind the work

eCRG is co-led by an internationally recognised engineer-academic and a cybersecurity-and-networks researcher, supported by engineers and specialists who combine field-proven delivery with a commitment to building for the Malawian context.

Associate Professor Chomora Mikeka holds a PhD from the Division of Physics, Electrical and Computer Engineering at Yokohama National University, Japan, where his research focused on power-autonomous sensor radio based on cellular and digital-TV RF energy harvesting. He brings deep research experience across ICT for business, agriculture, health and education.

He is an inventor and patent holder (Malawi patent MW/P/2015/00003) for a multi-functional antenna able to receive a wide spectrum of signals for DTV, TVWS internet and DTT services, and has collaborated on an ultra-low-power DC-DC buck-boost converter for sub-milliwatt RF energy harvesting with colleagues at the Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC), Spain.

His world-class work on TV White Spaces for rural broadband in Malawi led to the drafting of MACRA regulations opening the technology to commercial use from 2019. In 2013, eCRG was named the national Centre of Excellence in ICT. He was elected first Secretary-General of the African Network on Nuclear Education, Science and Technology (AFRA-NEST), reporting to the IAEA.

Education

2012D.Eng (PhD)— Physics, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Yokohama National University, Japan

2009M.Eng (MSc)— Physics, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Yokohama National University, Japan

2005Certificate in Digital Radio — ICTP, Trieste, Italy

2002BSc in Electrical Engineering — University of Malawi

Selected Honours & Awards

2017Best Young Scientist, Regional Universities Forum (RUFORUM), representing 66+ universities

2014–19Junior Associate, International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy

2011IEEE RWW Second Best Paper (Phoenix, USA) & IEEE RFID-TA Third Best Paper (Sitges, Spain)

2010IBC Top 100 Engineers; Yokohama National University International Science Exchange Award

2009European Microwave Association Student Challenge Prize, Rome, Italy

Professional Memberships

Member of the IEEE (USA); the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE, Japan); the ICT Association of Malawi (ICTAM); and Founder and President of the Registered Trustees of the Inventors' Association of Malawi.

Selected Publications

D. L. Johnson and C. Mikeka, Bridging Africa's broadband divide. IEEE Spectrum, vol. 53, no. 9, pp. 42–56, 2016.

C. Mikeka et al., Preliminary Performance Assessment of TV White Spaces Technology for Broadband Communication in Malawi. Procedia Engineering, vol. 78, pp. 149–154, 2014.

C. Mikeka and H. Arai, Energy-Harvesting in the Vicinity of a Cellular Base Station for Sensor Radio Applications. IEICE Transactions on Communications, vol. J95-B, no. 2, 2012.

M. Zennaro, E. Pietrosemoli, C. Mikeka et al., An assessment study on white spaces in Malawi using affordable tools. IEEE GHTC, 2013 (Award paper).

C. Mikeka and H. Arai, Design Issues in Radio Frequency Energy Harvesting System (book chapter). InTech, Sustainable Energy Harvesting Technologies.

Thomson Junior Kaisi is a network engineer and researcher operating at the frontier of telecommunications, where production IP infrastructure meets next-generation wireless systems. He has configured and maintained live BGP routing in an ISP environment, and now conducts research on physical-layer security for 6G networksat one of Africa's leading graduate engineering institutions.

He is a Research Associate in 6G Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) Networks at Carnegie Mellon University, and also works as a software engineer and technology business-intelligence consultant. He combines deep protocol-level networking knowledge with strong academic discipline, wireless-modelling expertise and a growing publication record, and is equally effective in the field and in the lab, with cross-border professional experience across Malawi and Rwanda.

Alongside his research he has led graduate-level recitations in Fundamentals of Telecommunications and Wireless & Mobile Networks, designed and graded graduate assessments, and contributed to research on the Integrated Community Health Information System (iCHIS).

Education

2024–26MSc, Information Technology— Wireless Networks & Cybersecurity, Carnegie Mellon University, College of Engineering

2018–23BSc, Computer Network Engineering & Electronics — University of Malawi, Zomba, including joint research on LAN monitoring from an Android device outside the LAN

Certifications

CCNPCisco Certified Network Professional — in progress

CertRedwood Leadership Certificate

Selected Publications

T. Kaisi, E. Mugume and T. Ssettumba, PHY Security Analysis for 6G Dual-Hop ISAC Networks in Presence of Co-Channel Interference. Submitted to IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM), 2026 (Lead author).

Technical Skills

RoutingBGP / eBGP peering (production) · IPv4 / IPv6 addressing & subnetting · OSPF, EIGRP · static, dynamic & inter-domain routing

NetOpsNetwork monitoring & configuration · Cisco IOS router and switch configuration · data-center network operations · fault resolution and on-premises support

CodePython, C++, MATLAB · network automation

RFRF planning · wireless network mathematical modelling · signal processing · Monte Carlo simulation · 6G ISAC and physical-layer security

Paul Stone Brown Macheso is an electronics engineer, researcher and educator with a doctoral specialisation in optics and photonics and a strong record across IoT systems, smart sensing and embedded hardware design. He lectures in electronics at the University of Malawi.

He has contributed to 19 peer-reviewed publications, spanning journal articles and IEEE conference papers, covering fibre Bragg grating sensors, IoT-based health and environmental monitoring, smart-factory systems and precision agriculture. He combines deep theoretical grounding with practical engineering experience, and brings the same rigour to teaching as to research.

Education

2022–25PhD, Engineering Sciences— Physics, Optics & Photonics, Euro-Mediterranean University of Fes (UEMF), Morocco

2018–20MSc, Internet of Things— Wireless Intelligent Sensor Networking, University of Rwanda, College of Science & Technology

2012–18BEd Science— Physics & Electronics (minor in Mathematics), University of Malawi, Chancellor College

2010Malawi School Certificate of Education — Michiru View Boys Secondary School

Research & Teaching

PhotonicsDoctoral research on fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors for smart-factory and IoT applications, including strain, temperature and performance-evaluation studies.

IoTIoT-based systems for patient health monitoring, energy-consumption metering and environmental tracking; a Social Distance Vest for COVID-19 prevention; and a comprehensive survey on IoT, machine learning and AI in precision agriculture.

EnergyResearch on net metering as a tool for expanding electricity access in Malawi, and on radioactive-contamination risks in nuclear power plant scenarios.

TeachingUniversity lecturer in electronics (2021–present); course instructor for the City & Guilds Diploma in Electronics Engineering (2020); and secondary-school physics and mathematics (2018).

Selected Publications

Selected from 19 peer-reviewed journal and IEEE conference papers.

P. S. Macheso and M. Zekriti, Enhanced Fiber Bragg Grating Strain Sensors for Smart Factory Applications: Performance Evaluation. Journal of Sensor Science and Technology, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 429–438, 2024.

P. S. Macheso and M. Zekriti, Modelling and analysis of fiber Bragg grating temperature sensor for Internet of Things applications (FBG-4-IoT). International Journal of Intelligent Networks, vol. 5, pp. 224–230, 2024.

P. S. B. Macheso and A. G. Meela, IoT Based Patient Health Monitoring using ESP8266 and Arduino. International Journal of Computer Communication and Informatics, vol. 3, no. 2, 2021.

H. E. Kapalamula, J. S. Mlatho and P. S. Macheso, Design and implementation of a Social Distance Vest for Covid-19 prevention (SODIV-COP). International Journal of Intelligent Networks, vol. 3, pp. 113–118, 2022.

D. Thotho and P. Macheso, Comprehensive Survey on Applications of Internet of Things, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Precision Agriculture. Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology, vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 30–45, 2024.

P. Macheso et al., Design of ESP8266 Smart Home Using MQTT and Node-RED. IEEE ICAIS, India, 2021.

Technical Skills

EngineeringEmbedded C programming · MATLAB · FDTD (Ansys Lumerical)

ResearchProposal writing · research methods and design · data analytics

Opalhawaye A. Nyamulani is a psychometrician and educational measurement researcher with a strong record spanning university lecturing, national examinations development, research consultancy and doctoral study in quantitative psychology.

She has taught across educational testing, chemistry and nursing education, reaching over 800 students across multiple institutions, and brings both the technical depth of a quantitative researcher and the practical experience of someone who has built and evaluated real-world assessments at national scale. A multiple scholarship and fellowship recipient, she is currently pursuing doctoral research in the United States.

Education

2023–28PhD, Psychometrics & Quantitative Psychology (in progress) — Fordham University, Rose Hill, Bronx, New York

2018MA, Educational Testing, Measurement & Evaluation — University of Malawi, Zomba

2013BA, Education Science — Chemistry (minor in Biology), University of Malawi, Zomba

Research Interests

FocusEducational & psychological test validation · psychometrics · Bayesian statistics · longitudinal & multilevel modelling · diagnostic classification models · testlet response theory

Selected Experience

TeachingUniversity-level instruction across educational testing, nursing education and chemistry with combined enrolments exceeding 800 students — including Testing, Measurement & Evaluation, Fundamentals of Test Construction (postgraduate), nursing-education and curriculum courses, and introductory chemistry; teaching assistant in psychology (2023–present).

ExamsExaminations Development Officer for Chemistry and Physics at national level, contributing to the design of high-stakes public examinations (2020).

ResearchInvestigator on endline, midline and follow-up evaluations for the TEAM Girl Malawi project and a School Improvement Plan initiative (2021–2023).

ServiceGraduate assistant and postgraduate coordinator, School of Education; member of teaching-practice, open-and-distance-learning and teacher-mentorship coordinating teams; and M.Ed. thesis committee member.

Awards & Recognition

2026Alpha Sigma Nu, Honor Society of Jesuit Colleges & Universities; and the International Peace Scholarship for International Women

2025Anna Anastasi Graduate Student Fellowship

2024International Peace Scholarship for International Women

2022Best Oral Presentation, UNIMA Research and Innovation Conference

Selected Publications

P. Chiwaya, L. Saddick, Y. Chakasika and O. Nyamulani, Investigating pre-service teachers' satisfaction with being trained as teachers and their career intentions. Malawi Journal of Education and Development, vol. 9, Zomba, 2025.

O. Nyamulani and L. Feuerstahler, Parameter recovery in Bayesian testlet models in small samples. National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME), Los Angeles, CA, 2026.

K. Hermannsson, S. Chiziwa, O. Odena, O. Nyamulani et al., The long-term impact of School Performance Review (SPR) in engaged schools and residual impact in past schools in Malawi. Link Education International, 2023.

Martin Thodi is a Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Malawi and the Lead Software Engineer at eCRG, with over six years building software for ICT-for-development projects across UN FAO, UNDP, MACRA, DCCMS and LUANAR.

As lead developer he has built the OCR software that automatically extracts rainfall data from hard-copy forms into a central database, a web application for automatic climate-data analysis and visualisation, and mobile applications for digitised rainfall and survey data collection with automatic transmission to DCCMS, work delivered for UN FAO Malawi and for the LUANAR / Michigan State University partnership.

He has also supported the deployment of low-cost network infrastructure linking District Climate Information Centres in the disaster-prone districts of Karonga, Salima, Mulanje and Nsanje to community radios for real-time weather forecasts.

Education

2018M.Eng, Information Engineering — Hiroshima University, Japan (Distributed Systems)

2013Wireless Networking Certificate — ICTP, Trieste, Italy

2013BSc in Computer Science — Chancellor College, University of Malawi

Alvina Rwaichi Minja is a cybersecurity researcher and engineer with three peer-reviewed publications and a Best Presentation Award at an international conference. Her work spans malware-evasion research, enterprise IT auditing, digital forensics and software product management.

She investigates adaptive malware evasion using genetic algorithms and deep learning, and has developed forensic frameworks for ride-hailing safety across East Africa. She combines penetration testing, SIEM/SOC operations and applied machine learning with proven leadership of engineering teams and complex multi-product delivery — equally effective as a researcher, an auditor and a project lead.

Education

2024–26MSc, Information Technology— Cybersecurity & Applied Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University (Kigali, Rwanda & Pittsburgh, USA). Coursework in ethical hacking, information-systems audit, security operations & monitoring, applied information assurance, digital forensics and cyber-risk modelling.

2019–23BSc, Computer Engineering & IT— Software Engineering, IoT & Cybersecurity, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2023–24Exchange Studies— KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm; selected among three students for Master's-level study under the Global Development Hub for outstanding project innovation

Selected Publications

A. R. Minja and J. D. Ndibwile, Evaluating Endpoint Detection Robustness Against Genetic Algorithm-Driven Code Transformations. 10th International Conference on Cryptography, Security and Privacy (CSP 2026), Sapporo, Japan — Best Presentation Award.

A. R. Minja and J. D. Ndibwile, TransForge: A Genetic Algorithm Framework for Cross-Category Evaluation of Endpoint Detection Robustness to Code Transformations. Future Internet, MDPI (Cybersecurity). Accepted; in press, 2026.

A. Minja, R. Maina, M. Oloyede and J. Ndibwile, Safe2Hail: A Forensic-Driven Post-Trip Tracking Framework for Ride-Hailing Safety in Africa. International Conference on Smart Mobility (SM 2026). Accepted, 2026.

Selected Experience

ResearchResearching adaptive malware evasion with genetic algorithms and deep learning; designed and evaluated the TransForge framework for black-box endpoint-detection robustness; and co-developed Safe2Hail, a forensic-driven post-trip tracking framework for ride-hailing safety in Kenya and Tanzania.

AuditingAudited the IT security controls of a major financial institution — access controls, patch management and incident response — assessed data integrity and a Business Continuity Plan, and delivered risk-ranked recommendations aligned to industry standards and central-bank requirements.

DeliverySole project manager for 10+ enterprise products (Electronic Cargo Tracking, Vehicle Tracking, Bus Ticketing, POS, EFD and BPM systems), leading the full SDLC and a team of five. Delivered an IoT RFID library system and a bus fleet-tracking system that cut manual fleet and debt operations by 90%.

TeachingFacilitated graduate seminars across ICT in Africa and Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and mentored students on research writing, ICT case studies and venture design.

Technical Skills

Pen TestMetasploit (msfvenom), Burp Suite, Nmap, Nikto, Wireshark, BeEF, ExploitDB, Hashcat

SOC/SIEMELK Stack, Wazuh, Splunk, Security Onion, Snort, Suricata, Bro/Zeek, OSSEC, Sguil

ThreatMITRE ATT&CK, MISP, STRIDE, DREAD, NIST CSF, FAIR

ForensicsVolatility, Autopsy, Strings

CodePython (scikit-learn, TensorFlow), genetic algorithms, C++, C, Java, MySQL, Linux, Bash/Shell, Git, Postman

Awards & Recognition

2026Best Presentation Award — CSP 2026, Sapporo, Japan

2025Finalist, Digital ID Hackathon & ID4Africa 2025, Addis Ababa — an agri-marketplace using digital identity to verify and connect farmers and buyers across Africa

2023Exchange Scholar, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm — selected for outstanding project innovation

Leadership

2024–25Auditor General, CMU Africa Student Guild, Rwanda

2022–23Niongoze Fellow (leadership training), Doyenne Organisation; Great Debater and Adjudicator, UDSM Debate Society; and ExCom Finance Officer, CoICT Student Council, University of Dar es Salaam

2021–22Human-Centered Design Trainer (HearMyVoice and Smart Girls') and Comprehensive Sexuality Education Facilitator (UNESCO & University of Dar es Salaam)

Patrick Troy Kadango is a monitoring, evaluation and research professional with a strong foundation in data systems, statistical analysis and evidence-based programme design. He has led MEARL frameworks across multi-sectoral health and gender-focused programmes, from indicator design through to donor-facing reporting and dissemination.

He is equally comfortable in the field collecting data and behind a dashboard turning it into decisions, combining technical rigour with strong communication skills to translate complex data into insight that programme teams and stakeholders can actually act on. His work has ranged from large-scale baseline impact evaluations to geospatial analysis validating the equitable distribution of schools under a national education initiative.

He holds a Dean's List merit award, and is currently completing a Master's in Economics at the University of Malawi.

Education

MastersMaster's in Economics (in progress) — University of Malawi (UNIMA), Chancellor College

DegreeBachelor of Social Science— Economics, Demography, Sociology & Development Economics, University of Malawi (UNIMA), Chancellor College

MSCEMalawi School Certificate of Education — Mzuzu Government Secondary School

Selected Experience

StrategyLed the design and implementation of MEARL frameworks for multi-sectoral health and gender programmes, developing performance indicators aligned with programme objectives, donor requirements and government reporting standards.

DataCoordinated routine, survey and special-study data collection on CommCare, ODK, CSPro and SurveyCTO; ran data-quality assessments, audits and verification; and conducted household interviews for a large-scale baseline impact evaluation.

EvaluationPlanned and conducted process, outcome, impact and economic evaluations; analysed, synthesised and visualised quantitative and qualitative data; and prepared analytical reports, dashboards and briefs for management and donor stakeholders.

CapacityProvided technical support and capacity building on M&E tools and reporting, facilitated data-review and learning sessions, and coordinated MEARL activities with clinical, community and implementing partners.

Technical Skills

M&EMonitoring & evaluation · project management · evidence-based programme design

AnalyticsStata, SPSS, R-Programming · Power BI, Tableau · statistical analysis & data visualisation

ToolsCommCare, ODK, CSPro, SurveyCTO · Microsoft Office Suite

SoftLeadership & management · communication & report writing

Professional Training

2025Leadership & Management Skills

2023R-Programming (basic to advanced); National Monitoring & Evaluation Week Conference

2022–23Project Management & M&E; Research Methods — data collection, management and analysis using Stata, R and CSPro

2021Research development, proposal writing for funding, M&E, and data entry and analysis using SPSS

2020Leadership, event management, communication and community building

Gift Chris Zulu is a Software Developer at eCRG and a graduate of Computer Science and Education at the University of Malawi. He operates at the intersection of software development and education, bringing the same discipline to building systems as to teaching people, an instinct that informs both the tools he builds and how he hands them over.

He has built and deployed a web-based administrative dashboard and content management system for a government water utility, managing user onboarding, training and full handover documentation, and designed an internal training and task-tracking platform that improved staff accountability and reduced recurring support issues. He is currently serving as technical lead on an EV-focused ride-hailing platform in active development.

Gift has also delivered structured Computer Studies instruction at secondary school level, produced teaching materials and visual aids for diverse learning styles, and founded a software development agency focused on building practical digital solutions for the Malawian market.

Education

2024BSc in Computer Science and Education — University of Malawi, Zomba

Technical Skills

DevPython, JavaScript, C++, Java · HTML, CSS, React Native · MySQL, PostgreSQL

SystemsLAN/WAN, TCP/IP, Windows & Linux, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Git/GitHub

AI/MLMachine learning fundamentals · TensorFlow, pandas, numpy · Data science

Idrisa Gama is a hardware developer and engineering student at the Malawi University of Science & Technology, interning with eCRG across robotics, mechatronics, IoT and digital fabrication. He builds real-world systems, not just concepts, working hands-on through design, prototyping and full system integration.

He co-developed the award-winning NthakaRover, an autonomous farm rover that took first place at the inaugural MUST Robotics Club competition, and contributed to a SmartFarm IoT monitoring system, for which he designed and 3D-printed a centrifuge irrigation pump. He is currently developing functional, affordable prosthetic limbs, with accessibility and real-world wearability as core design principles.

As a digital-fabrication technician he operates CNC and laser-cutting equipment in a professional environment, and uses CAD tools to produce commercial products. He is driven by a belief that engineering should solve real problems for real people, with a focus on automation, intelligent systems and accessible assistive technology.

Education

2024–BEng, Chemical Engineering— Malawi University of Science & Technology (MUST)

CertIntroduction to Artificial Intelligence — Cisco Networking Academy

Featured Projects

2026NthakaRover — 1st place, MUST Robotics Club inaugural competition. A compact autonomous rover that navigates farm environments and collects soil-health, crop-condition and pest-and-disease data for analysis. Contributed to design, prototyping and full system integration; in active development.

2025SmartFarm Monitoring System — MUST Design Competition. A team-built smart-agriculture IoT system pairing a microcontroller, sensors and farm machinery to collect real-time soil data and notify farmers via messaging and a web app. Designed and 3D-printed the centrifuge irrigation pump.

OngoingProsthetic Limb Development — functional, affordable and comfortable prosthetic limbs, with accessibility and real-world wearability as core design principles.

AISkin Cancer Detection & Prediction — a web-based AI diagnostic-support platform using machine learning to assist early skin-cancer detection.

Technical Skills

RoboticsArduino Uno / Mega · ESP8266 · sensor and actuator interfacing · DC, stepper and servo motors · hardware prototyping

DesignSOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, Fusion 360 · 3D printing · laser cutting and CNC operation · engineering drawing

CodePython, JavaScript, HTML/CSS · Arduino (C/C++)

Leadership & Roles

2026–Design Lead, MUST Robotics Club

2026–Vice Webmaster, Malawi Engineering Institution — MUST Students Chapter

StudioActive contributor, MUST Design Studio

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