Wamweru Muthara

I have 10+ years of professional experience in the development and financial sectors. Since 2017, I have held Project Management and Technical Lead roles both locally and internationally, co-designing and implementing projects for women and youth economic empowerment in rural and urban settings.

I have 10+years professional experience in the development and financial sectors. Since 2017, I have held Project Management and Technical Lead roles both locally and internationally, co-designing and implementing projects for women and youth economic empowerment in rural and urban settings. 

Until now, I have been leading an initiative that facilitates women informal childcare providers in Nairobi’s Mathare and Ruaraka sub-counties, to organize and access services for childcare enterprise growth and development; thereby increasing access to quality childcare services and women’s economic participation. Through the initiative, I have worked with women childcare entrepreneurs and local food vendors to co-design and implement solutions such as the Affordable Child Care Food solution dubbed Mama’s Lunch, which provides affordable and nutritious meals to women-led childcare enterprises. 

Previously, I served as Director and Chief Technical Officer at Uthabiti Africa, where I was responsible for co-designing, testing, and implementing innovative initiatives for ‘Accelerating Growth of Women-led Childcare Enterprises and Workforce Development.’ My role entailed sector-wide stakeholder consultations and co-design of complex strategies such as ‘mass organizing and networking’ of women childcare entrepreneurs, in order to create incentive for formalization, childcare policy influencing, and access to critical services. Further, I have held Technical support and advisory roles at MS ActionAid Denmark, where I provided technical support, leadership, and guidance on economic empowerment projects for partner organisations, women and youth groups in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania. 

Presently, I also provide consultancy-based support for women and youth economic empowerment training at ActionAid Kenya’s Global Platform. In addition, I have participated in global advocacy and consultative processes on women and youth economic empowerment including; the UN Women’s Empower Women Program as a Global Champion for Women’s Economic Empowerment; and the UN Sec.General’s and African Union's Regional High Level Consultations on youth and women’s economic empowerment, among others. 

Lastly, I have traveled widely to attend training, make presentations, and work in countries like; Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Botswana, South-Africa, Canada, UK, and Panama, opportunities which I believe have all adequately prepared me to lead and support the agenda of advancing women’s rights and women’s economic empowerment at the local, national, and international levels.

Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) (Second Class Upper Honors), University of Nairobi, 2014 

Science of Early Child Development (Introduction Course), Red River College Polytechnic, 2022 

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, K.C.S.E, (Mean Grade: A Plain), Mutira Girls High School, 2008