Former CS James Macharia Named Sidian Bank Chair

Former Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has been appointed Chairman of Sidian Bank, taking over from Centum Investment Chief Executive Dr. James Mworia, who has chaired the lender since 2014.

• •The change marks Macharia’s return to banking after more than a decade in government
• •His appointment follows a broader board reshuffle that also saw the inclusion of new directors Paul Gachanja, Apollo Ong’ara, and Madhav Bhandari.
• •Dr. Mworia confirmed the handover in a LinkedIn post, describing it as an honor to pass leadership to “a seasoned banker with over 30 years of experience, including eight years as CEO of NIC Bank and a decade of distinguished service in Cabinet.”

Before joining government in 2013, Macharia served as Group Managing Director of NIC Bank, now part of NCBA Group, where he oversaw regional expansion into Tanzania and Uganda.

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He began his career at Deloitte in London and later worked with Standard Chartered Bank and African Banking Corporation across East Africa.

A trained accountant, he holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi and an MBA from Henley Management College in the UK. He is both a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya and a Chartered Accountant in England and Wales.

The transition from Dr. Mworia to James Macharia comes months after Centum sold its 64% stake in Sidian Bank for KSh 3.2 billion, marking a shift in ownership and governance.