The British not-for-profit international development organisation Crown Agents, which supplied locomotives to Kenya’s very first railway lines, has unveiled a strategic change in its Kenyan operations, with the opening of new offices in Nairobi to put Kenyan experts in charge of parts of its global operations.
Over the last year, Crown Agents has tripled its staff in Nairobi and has appointed Kenyan experts to manage various aspects of its global strategy and programs. This includes managing global recruitment and fund management strategy from Nairobi. These changes come after Crown Agents Kenya played a leading role in the administration of 8.5 million treatments against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) globally. The treatments were funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Children’s Investment Foundation (CIFF) as part of their efforts to eradicate NTDs globally.
Crown Agents Kenya has also collaborated with philanthropists and the Irish and Japanese Governments last year to deliver over 4.5 million pieces of assorted Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), ventilators, oxygen concentrators, and other medical equipment to hospitals around the country to support Kenya’s fight against COVID-19. Crown Agents Kenya is currently working closely with the Governments of Kenya and Jersey to reinvest three million pounds of looted funds hidden in Jersey into the Kenyan health sector. This is being done through the Framework for the Return of Assets from Corruption and Crime in Kenya (FRACCK), an asset recovery program signed by the Governments of Kenya, Jersey, the UK, and Switzerland. Crown Agents Kenya is leading the procurement of medical equipment and the training of health workers to provide enhanced health service delivery as part of the universal healthcare initiative.
To accommodate its increased staff, the British company is moving to larger offices in the Green House on Ngong Road. This move follows the appointment of Non-Executive Director David Mureithi, former Unilever Managing Director for Kenya, East and Southern Africa, and board chairman of Starehe Boys Centre and School, to Crown Agents’ global Board of Directors in 2021.
The strategic changes demonstrate a significant commitment to developing local expertise and empowering Kenyan experts to manage its global operations. These changes also reflect Crown Agents’ continued commitment to supporting Kenya’s development goals, particularly in health and governance. The organization’s collaborations with various stakeholders in the fight against COVID-19 and in asset recovery programs also demonstrate its commitment to promoting social justice and accountability. Crown Agents’ efforts to expand its operations in Kenya will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the country’s overall development goals.
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