First Female Chair Signals a Radical Shift At KEPSA

KEPSA Board: The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) has appointed Ms Flora Mutahi as the first female Board Chair and Mr Jaswinder Bedi as vice-chair. Ms Mutahi is part of the new leadership team unveiled during KEPSA’s 17^th Annual General Meeting held virtually.

“My appointment as the first ever female chair is a testimony to KEPSA taking a giant step in the right direction of entrenching inclusivity and meritocracy in our leadership,” Ms Mutahi said. “We should continue with this drive and include not just women but also youth, persons living with disabilities, and MSME owners and leaders.”

Flora Mutahi is a Certified Public Accountant, entrepreneur and corporate executive. She is chairperson of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers and the founder and chief executive officer of Melvin Marsh International Limited, the manufacturer of Melvin’s Tea, a Kenyan brand.

Ms Mutahi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and finance from the United States International University and an Executive Master of Business Administration, awarded by the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

During the AGM, KEPSA appreciated the outgoing leaders for all the successful initiatives they spearheaded. KEPSA also released its annual report documenting all actions and outcomes of year 2020 projects, including the upcoming plans detailing the shift into the new Simba II Era.

KEPSA CEO, Ms Carole Kariuki Karuga, highlighted part of the efforts that KEPSA has embarked on to support businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic period. She also applauded the outgoing leaders and entire KEPSA leadership for their determination in steering the organization to the next level.

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“Going forward our start-ups, micro and small medium enterprises (MSMEs) who form the largest number of our new members, can feel at home in our newly-established SME Club at KEPSA,” Ms Kariuki said. “As members they can more effectively formulate proposals and solutions to issues affecting them.”

After deliberations, the nominated directors to serve for the next two years were confirmed as Ms Flora Mutahi (Chair), Mr Jaswinder Bedi (Vice- Chair), Mr Darren J Gillen, Mr. Stephen Gatagama, Mr Troy Yue, Mr John Gachora, Mr Macharia Muthondu, Mr Mucai Kunyiha, Mr Allen Gichuhi, Mr Graham Shaw, Dr Elizabeth Wala, Ms Catherine Musakali, Ms Eva Muraya, Mr Bimal Kantaria, Eng. James Mwangi and Mr Nicholas Nesbitt (Ex-Officio). Some of the appointed leaders also served in the previous leadership team.

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Mr. Patrick Obath was appointed as the KEPSA Foundation Chair and Ms Gloria Ndekei will serve as the Vice-Chair. The outgoing Chair, Mr Nicolas Nesbitt. congratulated the new team saying, “I am proud of what KEPSA has achieved during these challenging and unprecedented times and gladly look forward with great anticipation to further successes in the years to come under the new leadership team.”

NEW KEPSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) is the apex body of private sector in Kenya. KEPSA brings together local and foreign business associations, chambers of commerce, professional bodies, corporates, multinational companies, start-ups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from all sectors of the economy.

It represents over 1, 000,000 million businesses under one umbrella, to enable them speak in one voice when engaging the Government, development partners and other stakeholders on cross-cutting policy issues affecting private sector development. KEPSA also implements programs that ensure growth of businesses and social-economic development of the country.