Markets Wired

NAIROBI – U.S. candidate to lead the World Bank Ajay Banga visited Nairobi, Kenya on March 8 on the second stop of his global listening tour.

In the morning, Banga visited the Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) – a clean technology business incubator that was established with the support of the World Bank in 2012. During his stop, Banga met with Kenyan entrepreneurs working to address climate change in a range of sectors, including through climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy generation, water management, and other areas. While at KCIC, Banga underscored how combatting climate change and economic development are deeply intertwined and how investments in clean technologies can create jobs and expand economic opportunity. Banga also highlighted Kenya’s success in obtaining an overwhelming majority of their energy from renewable sources as its economy develops.

Later, to mark International Women’s Day, Banga hosted a roundtable conversation in Nairobi with gender-focused civil society organizations (CSOs) in Kenya. During the discussion, Banga solicited input from community leaders and reiterated the importance of the World Bank’s role in advancing financial inclusion and opportunities for women in the workforce.

While in Kenya, Banga also met with senior government officials at the State House, including President William Ruto, Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u, Secretary of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Alfred Mutua, and Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya Patrick Njoroge. During their engagement, Banga, President Ruto, and other Kenyan leaders exchanged views on how the World Bank can build on its strong and decades-long partnership with Kenya. Banga expressed admiration for Kenya’s success in developing renewable sources of energy. Banga also reiterated the critical importance of providing jobs, economic opportunity, and a good quality of life to young people in Kenya, Africa, and globally.

Finally, Banga thanked President Ruto and the government of Kenya for their support of his candidacy to lead the World Bank.