Ahmed Farah has been appointed Executive Director of the East African Business Council (EABC), taking charge of the region’s main private-sector lobby at a time of renewed pressure on intra-regional trade.

EABC Executive Board chairperson John Lual Akol Akol announced the appointment. He said the post was widely advertised and drew a large pool of applicants.

Mr Farah, a Kenyan, is a trade and investment policy specialist with more than two decades of experience across East Africa and other African markets.

He previously served as Country Director for Kenya at TradeMark Africa (TMA), where he managed programmes on trade facilitation, corridor performance, customs modernisation and private-sector competitiveness.

He has also led the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) as chief executive officer and held senior advisory roles at Deloitte East Africa and PwC, giving him exposure to both policy and corporate advisory work.“On behalf of the EABC Executive Board, I am pleased to announce that Mr Ahmed Farah emerged as the top candidate among all applicants and has been duly appointed as the substantive Executive Director of the East African Business Council,” said Mr Akol.“Mr Farah is a distinguished expert in trade policy and a former TMA Country Director. He brings exceptional technical expertise and leadership capacity, with a proven track record in regional integration, donor relations, fundraising, and facilitating public–private dialogue within complex EAC regulatory environments.”Mr Farah takes over as EABC intensifies lobbying on non-tariff barriers, high trade and logistics costs, and uneven implementation of East African Community (EAC) commitments.

The council has repeatedly flagged delays at borders, shifting regulatory requirements and inconsistent application of common market rules as constraints on regional business.

As executive director, he will oversee implementation of the EABC strategic plan, manage relations with national focal points and engage the EAC Secretariat and other regional organs. He is also expected to focus on resource mobilisation and policy advocacy at the ministerial and heads of State level.

He replaces Adrian Njau, who has served as acting director since John Bosco Kalisa resigned in July 2024.

Established in 1997, EABC represents private-sector associations and companies across the EAC partner states: Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Somalia and South Sudan. It acts as a conduit between business and regional policymakers on trade and investment barriers.

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