John Mwendwa has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest).
The announcement was made on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, in a statement by the KenInvest Board of Directors. Mwendwa is set to officially assume office in January 2025.
With over 20 years of experience spanning the public and private sectors, Mwendwa is celebrated for his instrumental role in advancing Kenya’s Ease of Doing Business agenda.
His efforts saw Kenya’s global ranking improve significantly, from 136 in 2013 to 56 in 2019.
In the past nine years, Mwendwa has spearheaded numerous legal and regulatory reforms, facilitating investment transactions worth nearly $1.5 billion in the last 18 months alone.
He has held key positions in the Ministries of Investments, Trade and Industry, the East African Community, and Industrialization and Enterprise Development.
Additionally, he has served in senior roles at Barclays Group in Kenya and South Africa and was previously the President’s Strategy and Executive Officer.
KenInvest Board Chairperson Sally Mahihu expressed confidence in Mwendwa’s ability to lead the authority.
“We are delighted to appoint John Mwendwa as the new CEO of KenInvest. His extensive experience and deep understanding of Kenya’s investment and business climate will be invaluable in advancing KenInvest’s mission to attract and support both domestic and foreign investments. We are confident that under his leadership, KenInvest will continue to strengthen Kenya’s position as a global investment hub,” Mahihu said.
In his acceptance statement, Mwendwa pledged to contribute to Kenya’s economic transformation.
“I am honored to be appointed to this role and am committed to leveraging my experience in the public and private sectors to drive investment growth and contribute to Kenya’s ongoing economic transformation,” he said.