Erastus J.O. Mwencha

Erastus holds an MA in Economics from the University of York and a B.A. (Hons) in Economics from the University of Nairobi. He was decorated by the President of the Republic of Kenya with the highest State commendation, “Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart” (EGH), in recognition of his contribution to national and regional development. He is a recipient of several awards. He is the Chairperson of the Africa Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and TradeMark East Africa.

In January 2008, he was elected as Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission by the Heads of State and Governments of the 55 Member States of the African Union and was re-elected in July 2012. Previously, he served for 10 years as Secretary General for the 21 Member States of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the first Regional Economic Community to establish a Free Trade Area. Prior to his regional and continental assignments, Erastus served in the Government of Kenya in various senior positions. He is also a member of several Boards including the Brenthurst Foundation, Trade Policy and Capacity Training Centre (TRAPCA) and Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA).