Candidates for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission, including Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, will debate their visions and ideas for implementing Agenda 2063 this Friday at 19:00 EAT.  The televised debate, to be held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will focus on policy issues and solutions-oriented strategies. Each candidate will outline their approach to advancing AU projects with a continental focus and promoting Common African Positions.  Participants include:  Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Madagascar’s former Foreign Affairs Minister Richard Randriamandrato, and Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.

Prof. Winnie Iminza Nyamute brings over 30 years of experience as an accounting professional. She is a Professor of Finance and Accounting at the University of Nairobi and has previously served as a lecturer at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa .She began her career as a Finance Officer at the Kenya Water Institute and also served as Director on the board of the Nairobi Securities Exchange  where she was the Chair of the Board Audit & Risk Committee and is a former Director at Sameer Africa Plc and has just concluded her term on Board of Trustees of KCA University.

Prof. Nyamute holds a PhD in Business Administration, an MBA in Finance, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). She also serves on the boards of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and Acorn Investment Management Ltd.

Hannah Njeri Mbugua is a seasoned banker with over 30 years of experience. She began her career with Family Finance Building Society in 1990 as a Teller and rose to the position of Senior Corporate Branch Manager by 2020. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences from The Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) and certifications in Leadership and Management from Strathmore Business School. Hannah is also a member of the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) and the Institute of Bankers (KIB). In addition to her banking career, she has experience as an HR and Strategy Consultant at Boma Mabati Factory and a Director at Certified Steels Mills Ltd.

Dr. Peninah Wanjira Kariuki has over 35 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. She began her career at the Central Bank of Kenya and rose to become the Research Manager.She also served as Assistant to the Senior Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Nairobi.She joined African Development Bank (AfDB) and worked as Country Economist for many countries across the continent,including being the Country Manager of the Sierra Leone Country Office and Lead Policy Advisor in the Office of the President of the Bank in Abidjan,Cote d’Ivoire.

She holds a Doctorate in Development Economics from the University of Sussex,England,a Masters of Philosophy in Development Economics from the University of Cambridge and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Nairobi.