The World Bank Group has appointed Qimiao Fan as country director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda.
Announcing the appointment on Monday, the bank said Mr Fan, a Chinese national, “will oversee the design and implementation of the World Bank’s support program to the four countries which has an active portfolio of 102 projects totalling $17.2 billion.”
Mr Fan, who holds a PhD in economics from the University of Birmingham, has more than 35 years of experience in development practice. Based in Nairobi, he has held senior positions at the bank, most recently as director for strategic and corporate initiatives.
“Prior to joining the World Bank, [Mr] Fan worked as a researcher in development and transition economics at the London School of Economics in the UK and as a policy researcher at the Jiangxi Institute of Finance and Economics in China,” the statement said.
He also took a leave of absence from the World Bank and worked for a number of years as a senior executive in the private sector in China, including as a CEO and vice-chairman of the board.
The World Bank suspended new funding to Uganda last August following the passage of the anti-homosexuality act, and launched a review that recommended “additional measures… to ensure projects are implemented in alignment with our environmental and social standards.” The bank said it would not approve new funding until “the efficacy of the additional measures has been tested.”
In June, the bank said the Ugandan government had updated all relevant project documents to “incorporate specific mitigation measures arising from the AHA”. This followed consultations with the government and local communities to develop the measures, as well as input from civil society.
