Meet Dr Andrew Mwihia Karanja, Former Mithika Linturi’s PA who Became CS
President William Ruto has appointed Andrew Mwihia Karanja as the new Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development.
Karanja was the personal assistant to former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.
Dr Karanja has over 36 years of experience in the public sector both locally and internationally in the fields of development economics, rural development and finance, agriculture and livestock development, and project formulation, management and evaluation.
He started his career as an extension officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
He also worked as a Planning Officer in the same ministry. Later he joined the Coffee Research Foundation (CRF) as a Research Officer/Agricultural Economist where he rose to Senior Agricultural Economist and Head of Economics Department.
Karanja joined the World Bank in 2003, as an Agricultural Economist.
He holds a PhD in Development Economics and Policy from Wageningen University, Netherlands (1998-2002).
He also holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nairobi (1987-1991).
He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the University of Nairobi (1984-1987).
He is a research fellow at Egerton University, Tegemeo Institute.
Currently he was working as an independent consultant in various fields of rural development and agriculture, project evaluation, and impact assessment. Recent consultancies include programs funded by the Government of Kenya, World Bank, African Development Bank, USAID, European Union (EU), Private sector companies, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) among others.
He has published over 26 papers and book chapters in both international and local publications. He has been given several awards and fellowships. In performance of his duties, Dr. Karanja is widely travelled in Africa, Europe and the US.
He has attended many international meetings and conferences. Some of the countries in which Dr. Karanja has undertaken assignments include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Ghana
