Join us for the next Future Africa Forum with Catherine Irura
The Future Africa Forum is a periodic seminar series, through which African development experts share perspectives about the continent’s growth trajectory from their research and work. The Forum aims to create broad awareness of the challenges and opportunities for development in Africa, and to enable aspiring public sector leaders to explore various avenues through which these challenges can be addressed.
Each quarter, Future Africa convenes a Forum with experts on themes ranging from education to entrepreneurship, agriculture, peace and security, natural resource management, elections and democratic governance, healthcare, information technology and infrastructure development.
On Saturday 29th July 2023, we will host Catherine Irura, Managing Director of SOWITEC, Kenya for the ninth Future Africa Forum.
Register below.
The Energy Transition for Africa
The upcoming Future Africa Forum will focus on the energy transition that is both essential and tailored for the African continent, drawing from the perspectives of Catherine Irura. With the push to limit the impacts of climate change, Catherine will discuss the approaches and significance of transitioning to sustainable energy for African nations.
About Catherine Irura
With over 10 years’ experience as a project manager and legal practitioner working in renewable energy project development and compliance, Catherine is the Managing Director of SOWITEC Kenya Limited, focusing on delivering a Gigawatt scale of solar and wind projects in Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Catherine also leads the development of green hydrogen projects to accelerate the green energy transition.
Catherine is the Secretary of the Electricity Sector Association of Kenya, which is an electricity sector business member organization tackling issues in the energy sector through collaboration, advocacy and data driven solutions. She also leads the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) – Green Hydrogen subsector board which brings together private sector players together to work together with policy makers to create an enabling environment for green hydrogen investments.
Catherine holds a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Governance (University of Freiburg, Germany), a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Nairobi, and is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
Join us for the Future Africa Forum as Catherine shares her perspectives about the kind of energy transition that Africa needs, and encourages the next generation of African public sector leaders.
Moderator: Farzana Ibrahim ’22
Future Africa 2022 Fellow, Farzana Ibrahim, is a development practitioner, qualified accountant, champion for girls’ access to education and economic development, and a public policy enthusiast based in Nairobi, Kenya. Farzana holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and Finance from Kenyatta University and is a certified public accountant and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (ICPAK).Until July 2021, she worked as programmes and finance associate at the Africa Union Commission in Addis Ababa within the Programmes, Budget, Finance and Accounting Directorate.
Outside of work, Farzana is passionate about volunteering and her role as a young person as an actor in Africa’s development target and goals. I was a member of the 10th Cohort of the African Union Youth Volunteer Corp (AUYVC). She is currently volunteering as the Director of Finance for Wajibu Wetu Centre. Farzana was drawn to the Future Africa Fellowship because of the opportunity to further engage in the social, economic, and political development of the whole of Africa. In joining the Future Africa Fellowship programme, she hopes to gain crucial knowledge, experience, and leadership skills to further engage in the policy debates and conversations on Africa’s development.
About the Future Africa Forum
The Future Africa Forum is a periodic seminar series, through which African development experts share perspectives about the continent’s growth trajectory from their research and work. The Forum aims to create broad awareness of the challenges and opportunities for development in Africa, and to enable aspiring public sector leaders to explore various avenues through which these challenges can be addressed.
Each quarter, Future Africa convenes a Forum with experts on themes ranging from education to entrepreneurship, agriculture, peace and security, natural resource management, elections and democratic governance, healthcare, information technology and infrastructure development.
Key components of the Forum
During the Forum, public sector experts share their insights with our fellows and attendees about their experiences working in governments or international organizations. Following their detailed presentations, participants engage in a Q & A session with the experts to gain first-hand insights into the inner workings of public institutions and their influences in shaping African development.
Revisit Previous Forums