Senior Fellow Mwangi Kimenyi Named Director of the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings

Mwangi Kimenyi, currently a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution, has been named director of the Africa Growth Initiative, Brookings President Strobe Talbott announced today. Kimenyi replaces Ernest Aryeetey, who has been appointed vice chancellor of the University of Ghana.

Kimenyi joined Brookings as a senior fellow in May 2009 from the University of Connecticut where he served as associate professor of economics. He previously served as a research associate with the University of Oxford and also established the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) in 1999 in Nairobi to provide policy analysis and guidance to the Kenyan government and private sector. At Brookings, Kimenyi continues his research focus on Africa’s development including institutions for economic growth, political economy, and private sector development.

“I am delighted that Mwangi Kimenyi will be leading the Africa Growth Initiative and continue to build on the strong foundation for research and collaboration that Ernest Aryeetey put in place,” said Kemal Derviş, vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development program. “With a protracted global economic crisis threatening to derail many of Africa’s important gains, it is critical to provide rigorous policy analysis on the issues affecting Africa’s growth and development. Mwangi has been a key contributor to the initiative’s success over the past year and I look forward to continued growth under his leadership.”

Kimenyi studied at the University of Nairobi, received M.A. degrees in both economics and international affairs from Ohio University, and received his Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University. He has published numerous academic and policy articles as well as several books, including Devolution and Development: Governance Prospects in Decentralizing States (Ashgate, 2004); Restarting and Sustaining Economic Growth in Africa: The Case of Kenya (Ashgate, 2003); Ethnicity and Governance in the Third World (Ashgate, 2001); Institutions and Collective Choice in Developing Countries (Ashgate, 1998) and Economics of Poverty, Discrimination, and Public Policy (South-Western College, 1995).

The Africa Growth Initiative is housed in the Global Economy and Development program. The initiative was established in 2008 to conduct high-quality policy research and analysis focused on attaining sustainable economic development and prosperity in Africa, while amplifying the voice of African experts in policymaking and planning.