The new World Bank Country Manager for Uganda Rosemary Mukami Kariuki has assumed office. Ms. Kariuki will lead an active portfolio currently at US$3.9 billion in commitment comprising 27 projects in 21 national and six regional operations.
She succeeds Tony Thompson who has completed his three-year tour of duty in Uganda and moved back to the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington, DC. Her appointment comes at a time when the government of Uganda is confronting both the immediate and longer-term health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.
Under her 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.
Ms Kariuki 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 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 Program Coordinator for Local Government activities in the Philippines.
Ms. Kariuki holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the State University of New York and has also undertaken several short courses from different institutions such as the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the London School of Economics.
