The World Bank has appointed Ms. R. Mukami Kariuki as its new Country Manager for Uganda.
Ms Kariuki, a Kenyan national, who began work effective August 1, 2021, takes over from Mr Tony Thompson who has been Uganda’s World Bank Country Director for three years.
“Under Kariuki’s leadership, the World Bank Group will continue to work closely with the Government of Uganda and other stakeholders to provide innovative products and services that respond to its diverse development challenges and contribute to achieving sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction, with a specific emphasis on COVID-19 recovery, ” World Bank said in a statement.
Ms Kariuki has been the World Bank Country Manager for Zimbabwe. She was previously a lead specialist for water supply and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa, working largely in Southern Africa; practice manager for urban development for Sub-Saharan Africa; and sector manager for urban and water in East and Southern Africa. She has also been a global lead for urban development and poverty; sector lead for Tanzania, Burundi, and Uganda; and program coordinator for local government in the Philippines.
A regional and urban planner by training, Ms Kariuki has more than 20 years’ experience in development planning, local government and decentralization, infrastructure development, water supply and sanitation, climate change and disaster risk management. She has written or co-authored papers, articles, newsletters and blogs, including the World Bank’s Water Sector Strategy, 2003; the World Bank strategy, “Harnessing Urbanization to end Poverty and Boost Prosperity in Africa: An Action Agenda for Transformation;” “Local Private Providers of Water and Energy Services;” and “Water for the Urban Poor: Water Markets, Household Demand, and Service Preferences in Kenya.”