Foreign Policy Magazine honoured Okumu with being a Global Thinker in 2016 for his rapid and innovative design of low-cost Aedes aegypti repellent sandals (as mosquitoes most frequently bite around the ankles) for use in Brazil to help tackle the 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic. Okumu's research into mosquito repellants aims to develop cheap, safe and durable protection from bites using everyday objects, including footwear and even chairs.