A Mentorship of Humor, Frogs, and Family

On the final day of my DAAD scholarship application, I still had no supervisor confirmation. Miraculously, as I waited at the DAAD Nairobi office, an email arrived from Prof. Dr. Rolf Dieter Wilken:

“I do not know this student by the name Francis Orata, but I find his research proposal very interesting… I would like to supervise him.”

Those words changed everything. I got the scholarship and began my PhD in Chemistry at Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz (2006–2009).

Our first meeting was over seafood in Marburg. I quickly learned Prof. Wilken was not only brilliant, but also hilarious and deeply humane. Over the years, our mentorship turned into a warm, enduring friendship filled with laughter and unexpected adventures.

On a research trip to China, he tricked me into eating frog meat by ordering in Mandarin. Suspicious, I asked the waitress to draw what was on the plate. She drew… a frog. He laughed, “You’ve already had the soup!”

There were close calls as well, like when I insisted on test-driving a German car “Kenyan style,” nearly landing us in the Rhine River.

Back in Kenya, he visited my rural home, camera in hand, capturing everything from spiders to pit latrines. Later, we partnered to install a water system for local school children.

Today, I serve as Director of Research and Postgraduate Support at Masinde Muliro University, and as Chair of the Kakamega County Rural Water Board, working to bring clean water to over 2 million people.

“He made a paper frog and a fake driver’s license for me at graduation. That’s the kind of mentor he was full of wit, wisdom, and heart.”

Check our alumni series every Thursday. It could be you in Germany next!