About Me

Meet Mercy Wanjau

Mrs. Mercy Wanjau is the Secretary to the Cabinet of the Republic of Kenya. She was appointed to this role in October 2022.

She is a commercial lawyer, regulatory and governance expert whose career spans over 20 years. She has worked in the private and public sectors, both at local and international levels, where she has recorded a history of success and transformational impact.

From 2019 to 2021, she served as the Director General (in an acting capacity) of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), the State Agency responsible for regulating the ICT Sector. During this period, she steered the institution to new heights despite the challenges presented by the ravaging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Notably, she led the passage of regulatory directives in the ICT sector that anchored technology as critical infrastructure, and ensured the country’s business continuity at the height of the pandemic.

She also previously served as the Director/Legal Services at CA, after having risen through the ranks through the years. Her service in the various roles she held profoundly contributed to shaping the ICT sector’s regulatory agenda, and contributed to setting the foundation for Kenya’s recognition as a leading digital hub in Africa.

A Certified Secretary and Professional Mediator, she has previously consulted with KPMG South Africa, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (Kenya) and also had a stint in commercial legal practice. She has also served on international secondment at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the UN specialized agency for ICTs, based in Geneva, Switzerland.

She has served as a Chairperson and Member on numerous Boards and Advisory Committees including; Chairperson of the Taskforce for the Development of a Data Protection and Privacy Framework for Kenya, Chair of the ITU’s Global Symposium of Regulators (2021), Chair of the Universal Postal Union’s Committee 4 on Conventions (2021) and the Chair of the Covid ICT Sector Advisory Committee (2020) among many others.

She is a graduate of the University of Nairobi (LLB Hons), University of Cape Town (LLM) and Strathmore Business School.

In addition, she is an Eisenhower Fellow and a published author with the ITU and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).