Rosemary Mukami Kariuki has taken over from Tony Thompson as the World Bank Country Manager for Uganda effective Aug.01.
According to a statement from the World Bank, Kariuki, a Kenyan national will now lead an active portfolio which, at the moment, stands at US$3.9 bn in commitments comprising 27 projects. Of these 27 projects, 21 are national in scope and the other six are regional operations.
As the new Country Manager, Kariuki is expected to work closely with the government of Uganda and other stakeholders to provide innovative products and services that respond to the country’s diverse development challenges.
Kariuki’s appointment comes at a time when Uganda is confronting both the immediate and longer-term health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. She will therefore be expected to help the government’s drive towards achieving Uganda’s sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction, with a specific emphasis on COVID-19 recovery.
Kariuki who boasts a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the State University of New York has over 30 years’ experience in development planning, local government and decentralization, infrastructure development, water supply and sanitation, climate change, and disaster risk management.
She also has a strong track record of serving clients in different capacities around the globe. Prior to this new assignment, Ms. Kariuki has held several leadership positions in the World Bank, serving as the Country Manager for Zimbabwe; Global Lead for Urban Development and Poverty; Practice Manager for Urban Development for Sub-Saharan Africa; Sector Manager for Urban Development and Water Supply in East and Southern Africa; Lead Specialist for Water Supply and Sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa; Sector Leader for Sustainable Development in Tanzania, Burundi, and Uganda; and Programme Coordinator for Local Government activities in the Philippines.
Tony Thompson who has completed his three-year tour of duty in Uganda moves back to the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington, DC.
