James Mworia

Dr. James Mworia Mwirigi is a Kenyan lawyer, accountant, and business executive. He is the managing director and chief executive officer of Centum Investment Company, the largest publicly traded private capital firm in Eastern Africa. He has served in that capacity since 2008. Mworia was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2017.

Background and education Mworia was born in 1978. He attended Alliance High School, Strathmore University, and the University of Nairobi. He has a Bachelor of Laws from University of Nairobi. He is also a certified public accountant and a chartered financial analyst. In 2016, Machakos University awarded him an honorary doctorate degree.

In 2008, at age 30, he was appointed chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director at Centum.

Other responsibilities He serves as the chairman of the board of directors at Sidian Bank. He also serves as a board member at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE), effective June 2015. In June 2018, he is expected to leave the board of the NSE, having served his three-year term, and having declined to offer himself for re-election.

In September 2016, he was named the highest paid executive among the five largest corporations in Kenya, with an annual compensation package valued at KES:201.1 million (approx. US$2 million) annually.

In October 2016, he was appointed Chancellor of Machakos University, a public university in Machakos County, Kenya.