Washington Yotto Ochieng on the navigation tech that keeps our world moving
From The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4
April 28, 2026 · 28 min
About this episode
Washington Yotto Ochieng discusses his journey from a child in Kenya to a leading figure in navigation technology.
As a child growing up on the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya, Washington Yotto Ochieng once watched a plane cross the night sky and told his mother he wished he could travel on it. But he remembers her encouraging him to dream bigger... Today, Washington is a Professor of Engineering at Imperial College London, and President of the Royal Institute of Navigation. Over a career bridging industry and academia, he has helped shape the movement of urban transport; how satellites guide us and locate us; and how governments manage the technologies underpinning so much of modern life. Professor Jim Al-Khalili speaks to Washington about his inspirational upbringing, how reliant we've become on technologies such as GPS, and his work encouraging the next generation of engineers in both the UK and Africa. Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor A BBC Studios production
People in this episode
Host: Jim Al-Khalili
Guest: Washington Yotto Ochieng
Topics covered
- navigation technology
- urban transport
- satellites
- engineering
- inspiration
- education
Keywords
- navigation
- GPS
- engineering
- urban transport
- satellites
- education
- inspiration
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Imperial College London, Royal Institute of Navigation
Places: Lake Victoria, UK, Africa
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