John Mwendwa, a seasoned investment, trade, and industry expert with over two decades of experience in both the public and private sectors in Kenya, the East African region, and across the African continent. In January 2025, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest). Prior to this role, he served as the Secretary for Strategy Execution at the President’s Strategy and Execution Office, where he was responsible for driving national investment initiatives, improving the business climate, and advancing private sector development.
He has served as a Senior Advisor responsible for Investments in the Ministry of Investments, Trade & Industry and led investment, trade and industry advisory services across the public-private sector interface across all sectors in Kenya for over a decade. He previously served as the Secretary Department of Business Reforms & Transformation, where he was responsible for developing and implementing the Business climate reforms agenda across the Government of Kenya. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, the President of Kenya awarded John the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) in 2018 for his pivotal role in championing the Ease of Doing Business agenda. This initiative resulted in Kenya achieving a remarkable global ranking of 56th in 2019, significantly improving from 136th in 2014.
Kenya also distinguished itself as one of the most improved countries globally and the third in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He has also served in a number of Government Ministries including East African Community & Regional
Development; Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Industrialization & Enterprise Development and Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. His earlier career in Banking saw him serve in various parts of the Barclays Group in strategy and executive management in Kenya and South Africa with short term assignments in Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania.
John’s expertise extends to business climate transformation and investment strategies. In 2019 and 2020, he authored several publications for the Government of Kenya, providing valuable insights into these critical areas. His leadership extends beyond his professional roles. He has held various board-level directorships, including at the Business Registration Service and the Industrial Development Bank Capital.
He has a Master of Commerce Degree in Finance from Strathmore University and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Finance from Kenyatta University and has received executive leadership training from the University of Oxford (UK) and Harvard University (USA). His professional affiliations include membership in the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments (CISI, UK) and the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM). He is a member of the Academy of Accounting and Financial Studies of Canada (AAFSJ) and has published several journals on topical stock market issues.
He is a founder member of the Global Economic Council for Africa (GECA), a not-for-profit organization that champions foreign direct investment lobbying efforts in Africa
