Stephen Mwaura

Information

Title

Chairman and Founder

Biography

Stephen is an international consultant with broad expertise for over 25 years in digital financial services, Fintechs, payment systems, central banking practices and legal and regulatory frameworks. He is the founder Chairman of Fintech Institute a Nairobi based capacity building and digital financial services consultancy firm. Prior to working as an International consultant, Stephen was in charge of the National Payments System division at the Central Bank of Kenya, where he offered leadership in the modernization of Kenya’s Payment System and pioneered and championed mobile financial services in Kenya, Africa and globally - key among them the M-Pesa payment platform run by Safaricom. He worked as Director of Private Sector Division at the Kenyan Think Tank, The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis(Kippra), where he offered policy research on creating an enabling legal and regulatory framework for business especially modern financial services. He has considerable experience working with wide range of stakeholders in the digital financial world including Central Banks, Banks, Telecommunication firms, Payment Service Providers, Fintechs, Development Partners, Government Departments, and other Sector Regulators). At a regional level, he has extended his leadership expertise in the harmonization of various initiatives at East Africa Community (EAC), Common market for East and Southern Africa(COMESA), South Africa Development Community(SADC) levels. At an international level, he is a regular contributor and an acclaimed global speaker at World Bank, IMF International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) fora. He chairs Fintech series for the London based Central Banking Publications, bringing together Fintech stakeholders to financial centers including London, Brussels, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi, and Cape Town. Stephen holds a post graduate diploma from Fletcher School of Tufts University a B.Sc., degree in Mechanical Engineering and LLB degree from University of Nairobi and an MBA, Finance and International Business from Syracuse University, USA. He is pursuing a Masters of Law degree. In addition, he has excellent research capabilities and is frequently requested to carry out peer review assignments and book reviews for colleagues in the industry.