Kenya National Chamber of Commerce Starts Recruitment Process of New CEO To Replace Ahmed Farah

• The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) chief executive officer, Ahmed Farah, resigned from the helm of the body on Friday, April 18
• Farah is reported to have tendered his resignation following a disagreement with the board on how the chamber should be operated
• The board of KNCCI is now looking for a new chief executive to take over from Farah, who had been with the chamber for less than a year

Bonface Kanyamwaya, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, has more than 10 years of financial, economic, business, markets, and aviation expertise, providing insights into Kenya and global trends.

The board of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) is seeking a new chief executive officer to fill the role left vacant by Ahmed Farah last month.

KNCCI president Erick Rutto said the position has been declared vacant, with interested candidates given until mid next month to submit their application documents.

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The position fell vacant following the shock resignation of Farah Ahmed, who had resigned seven months into the job.

"KNCCI is now in the process of recruiting a new CEO to fill the vacancy left by Farah. In the meantime, we wish to reassure our members and stakeholders that the chamber remains committed to delivering quality services to the business community," KNCCI president Erick Ruto told TUKO.co.ke.

Some of the requirements for the job?

Part of the requirements for the job include a master’s degree in business administration.

The candidate must also be a Kenyan citizen with a proven leadership track record.

When he resigned, Farah, a former director of TradeMark Africa in Kenya, said he left the job due to a disagreement with the board on how the chamber should be run.

However, the board, in a quick rejoinder, said that he was let go because he was unfit for the job.

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When did Farah took up the KNCII CEO job?

Farah took up the job at KNCCI in September 2024, succeeding Patrick Nyangweso, who was also allegedly pushed out by the board under unclear circumstances.

Ahmed Farah is a former director at TradeMark Africa (TMA) in Kenya. During his stint at TMA, he was instrumental in leading transformational programmes tailored to drive economic growth in Kenya and promote regional integration.

Apart from his former role at TMA, he sits on Kenya’s National Investment Council, where he plays a key role in crafting investment strategies to attract global investors and promote sustainable growth in Kenya.

Who are the other former KNCII CEO?

Farah took over from Patrick Nyangweso, who was appointed KNCCI’s CEO by former chamber President Erick Ngatia in 2023.

Nyangweso had served as KNCCI chief operating officer before his appointment as CEO.

He had also worked at several institutions as a head before joining KNCCI, including the National Taxpayers Association and the International Medical Corps.

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Kenya Hosts World Chamber Forum in Nairobi

In other news, Kenya hosted the World Chamber Federation (WCF) Africa Summit 2025 in March, a high-powered event that brought together top business leaders in Nairobi.

The event took place between Wednesday, 9 March, and Thursday, 10 March, in Nairobi, Kenya.

During the summit, stakeholders explored new opportunities for trade, investment, and development across Africa.

Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke