KENYAN APPOINTED TO WORLD BANK ADVISORY PANEL

KENYAN APPOINTED TO WORLD BANK ADVISORY PANEL

By Mugambi Mutegi

Mr. Wang’ombe Kariuki, the Competition

Authority of Kenya’s Director-General, has been

appointed to the World Bank’s Advisory Panel.

The key deliverable is advising on the World

Development Report (WDR) 2021.

The Director-General will be part of

distinguished thought leaders from across the

globe contributing to the seminal annual

publication which will be themed Data for

Better Lives.

The WDR, which has been produced since 1978,

provides in-depth analysis and policy

recommendations on important aspects of

development and serves as a reference point

for, among others, policy makers, governments,

civil societies, scholars, and multilateral

organizations.

The upcoming report will among others, focus

on opportunities and challenges of data to

improve the lives of poor people in low- and

middle-income countries, while trying to find a

balance between data’s potential to improve

lives and the risk of misuse.

Further, the WDR 2021 will seek to establish

cases where data collection by private entities

has been used for the good of society and also

propose data governance and policy reforms

needed for less developed countries to benefit

from the data economy.

The report shall also reflect on the data value

chain, including data creation and collection,

processing, sharing, securing access, archiving,

and destruction, and harnessing it to facilitate

more people participate in the digital economy

and enjoy the benefits of a data-driven society.

“The appointment takes cognizance of the fact

that competition law enforcement has a role to

play in poverty alleviation and that data is a

highly prized asset among companies which

can be leveraged for development or socio-

economic harm, said Mr. Kariuki.

“Private firms may use data to deter entry of

upcoming firms, thereby limiting or preventing

competition to the detriment of consumers,

specifically eroding their purchasing power and

choice.”

Past reports covered topics such as poverty,

agriculture, gender, the role of state, transition

economies, governance, infrastructure, health,

and trade.

Mr. Kariuki has an MSc in Competition and

Economic Regulation from City University,

London. He has served on the COMESA

Competition Commission Board and is a

founder member and first chairman of the

African Competition Forum (ACF).

He has also served as a commissioner in the

East African Community Competition Authority.

His main interests are in competition regulation

and economics of institutions and

development, currently focusing on the digital

economy and platforms business. He is a

distinguished authority in the competition

enforcement world for his advocacy efforts and

other initiatives geared towards developing and

modernizing various competition regimes.