The Debt Relief for a Green and Inclusive Recovery (DRGR) Project is pleased to announce the appointment of Bogolo Kenewendo and Dr. Patrick Njoroge as its newest Co-Chairs.
by Arabella Wintermayr
Both Kenewendo and Njoroge bring extensive expertise and leadership in economic policy, financial stability and sustainability to the DRGR Project.
Below, learn more about Kenewendo and Njoroge, their professional backgrounds and the deep expertise they bring to the DRGR Project:
Bogolo Kenewendo: Former Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Botswana and Former Special Advisor to the UN Climate Change High Level Champions
Bogolo Kenewendo is an economic diplomacy professional whose career spans trade and investment, finance and development and public policy.
A global economist and politician, she has an extensive background in economic policy and environmental sustainability, with significant contributions made during her tenure as the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry in Botswana from 2018-2019. In this role, she was instrumental in implementing policies aimed at fostering economic growth while ensuring environmental sustainability and social inclusivity. In her role as Minister, Kenewendo was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in 2018 to the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation. Currently, she serves as Managing Director of Kenewendo Advisory.
Kenewendo’s appointment as Special Advisor and Africa Director to the United Nations Climate Change High-Level Champions in 2022 enabled her to further advance the integration of climate resilience into economic planning. In this capacity, Kenewendo has engaged with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, advocating for comprehensive strategies that address the impacts of climate change on economic systems, particularly in African contexts.
Kenewendo serves in various corporate and philanthropic boards, including as Chairperson of Bank Gaborone, Non-Executive Director of the Africa Free Trade Area Adjustment Fund Corporation and the Africa Center for Economic Transformation. She has served the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation, Advisory Group on the Gender Architecture of the UN, and the UN Advisory Group on Financing for Development. She is also a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Trade Advisory Group, Global Future Council on Global Public Goods in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and a WEF Young Global Leader. She is a Non-Resident Fellow with the Center for Global Development.
She is frequently named among Africa’s Most Influential People by various publications including the New African Magazine 2022. In 2022, she was named among Prestigious Time magazine’s TIME100 Next Honorees highlighting 100 emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership.
She holds a Master of Science in International Economics from the University of Sussex and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Botswana.
Patrick Njoroge: Ninth Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya and 20 Years of Experience Working with the International Monetary Fund
Dr. Patrick Njoroge, Kenyan economist and banker, holds an esteemed career in financial policy and regulation, notably serving as the ninth governor of the Central Bank of Kenya from 2015-2023.
His expertise has been pivotal in steering Kenya’s monetary policy and financial stability frameworks, with a focus on fostering economic growth and development within a stable financial environment. During his tenure, he oversaw an overhaul of the banking system, including the launch of Kenya’s first Banking Sector Charter and upgrading supervision at the Bank.
In November 2018, Njoroge was appointed to the United Nations Task Force on Digital Financing of the SDGs by Secretary-General António Guterres. He also served as Co-Chair of the High-Level Roundtable of the Dialogue on Global Digital Finance Governance, which extended the work of the UN Secretary-General’s Task Force and was hosted virtually by the Swiss government.
His expertise extends to international financial governance, having worked with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for over 20 years. Among other posts, he served as Advisor to the IMF Deputy Managing Director from December 2012, providing him with a broad perspective on global financial systems and economic stability. Prior to joining the IMF, he worked as an economist at the Kenyan Ministry of Finance and as a Planning Officer at the Ministry of Planning. He holds a PhD in Economics from Yale University and has received several awards and recognitions, including four awards for Africa’s Central Banker of the Year.