A Kenya - U.S. Free Trade Agreement

Margaret Waithaka is Program Director - East Africa, for the East Africa Buy-In activity for the USAID Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub (USAID TradeHub). Through the Nairobi-based East Africa Buy-in activity, the USAID Trade Hub will facilitate increasing two-way trade and investment between the United States and East Africa in support of U.S. Government Prosper Africa Initiative.

Prosper Africa aims to substantially increase private sector trade transactions between the U.S. and Africa by increasing U.S. investments in Africa and African investments in the U.S.; by establishing new mechanisms that facilitate trade and investment and by reducing barriers to trade and investments. A major part of this work is promotion of global trade with emphasis on exports to the U.S. under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which expires in 2025.

Ms. Waithaka is an economic development specialist who has been involved in trade and investment promotion in various African countries for most of her 38-year career, working for UNDP South Africa, the Export Processing Zone Authority in Kenya and the Kenya Association of Manufacturers. She earlier on worked in the petroleum industry with Optimum Lubricants Ltd, Esso Kenya Ltd and Esso UK PLC in supply planning, oil refinery programming and lubricants blending. She holds a B.Sc. Hons. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Leeds, UK and a Masters of Business Administration from Saint Mary’s University, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Abigail Ellary supports Enterprise Florida’s mission by overseeing the International Trade Development and Foreign Direct Investment efforts all over Africa. She manages priority markets like the Southern African Development Community (SADC), comprising 15 member states including Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa.

Since joining Enterprise Florida in September 2012, Ms Ellary has been responsible for creating new trade opportunities between Florida and African business entities; enhancing existing economic development activities; working on strategies geared toward promoting Florida as business destination; and managing all government and private sector relationships across Africa on behalf of EFI.

Ms Ellary’s started her corporate career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in management consulting (4yrs); then moved onto the U.S Foreign Commercial Service (6yrs); and eventually consulted independently for seven years in business strategy, business development and marketing. Ms Ellary’s 17 years of experience in international trade facilitation was gained mostly through her roles as Commercial Specialist to the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service and as Associate Trade Advisor to Zurcom International.

Ms Ellary has also run her own consulting businesses, Ellary Consulting and ThinkTank Solutions; and managed various trade projects for Zurcom International.

Ms Ellary is the owner of Professional Women, a recruitment and human capital advisory business (founded 2015), by and for women in the marketplace; and its trading company Ellary Solutions (2017), a company that connects people, business and markets.
PW t/a Ellary Solutions is the official contracting company to Enterprise Florida for EFI’s Southern Africa representation.
Ms Ellary’s professional expertise resulting from diverse career opportunities include economic development, strategic planning, marketing management, corporate identity and brand strategy, business development, corporate communications, recruitment and human capital advisory.

Ms Ellary’s strengths are in leadership, strategy and communication. Her formal qualification includes an honours degree from the Durban University of Technology in Management Sciences; and credits toward a degree in Commerce. Ms Ellary has also done various leadership and management training.

Dr. Erick Rutto is the current Vice President of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI).

He has over 15 years’ experience in the Healthcare Industry with current positions including Chairman of the Reale Group of Hospitals and Clinics, Board Member of the Kenya Association of Private Hospitals and a member of the Kenya Medical Association (KMA).

He also serves as Board Member/Chairman of the Technical Committee, Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) and is a private investor in Mongen Limited a community economic empowerment social enterprise.

Catherine Nomura is Founder and President of Kountable Inc. For Catherine, Kountable represents the culmination of a professional lifetime devoted to unleashing the maximum transformative power of entrepreneurs as positive change agents and economic drivers across the globe. She brings over 25 years of leadership experience working with entrepreneurs and organizations that support them, following formative stints in retail banking and microfinance.

Catherine is a bestselling author with a wide and deep understanding of entrepreneurial growth and the conditions, mindsets and support mechanisms that both hinder and maximize it. Her hands-on experience spans the entire income spectrum of entrepreneurs from countless industries across five continents. Her bestselling book, The Laws of Lifetime Growth, co-authored with top entrepreneur coach Dan Sullivan, has been translated into 15 languages and remains in print around the world in its second edition 13 years after its original release.

Catherine holds a Masters Degree in Political Economy of Development from the University of Toronto and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from University of Victoria in Canada. She now resides the San Francisco Bay Area.

Isaac Maluki has extensive international experience in Investments, Finance, ICT and Garment Manufacturing. He has also conducted social audits and quality inspections in 10 African countries for over 17 years. Mr. Maluki, a Kenyan citizen, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business Administration from USIU Africa, Chartered Institute of Insurance Certificate in Financial Planning and a Social Accountability (SA8000) Certificate.

Under his leadership, he has built Shona EPZ Limited as a garment manufacturer for clients in Europe and North America through the AGOA initiative with a vision of guiding Shona EPZ Limited to becoming one of the largest garment manufacturers in Kenya.