Kamoya Kimeu (1938 – 20 July 2022) was a Kenyan paleontologist and curator, whose contributions to the field of paleoanthropology were recognised with the National Geographic Society's LaGorce Medal and with an honorary doctorate of science degree from Case Western Reserve University.
[2] Young Kamoya Kimeu attended a Christian missionary school for six years, but left once he was old enough to herd the family goats in the field.
He also learned to speak English and Swahili, which proved invaluable in later life, when he translated for visiting scientists with whom he worked.
During his job interview, Louis Leakey spoke with him in fluent Kikuyu, a similar language to Kikamba, which encouraged Kimeu to work with the team.
[3][4] Kimeu was described as “a legend...responsible for some of the most significant fossil finds that shaped our understanding of our evolutionary past” by Carol Ward, a professor of anatomy at the University of Missouri.