Jane Kabubo-Mariara is the Executive Director (ED) of the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) and is responsible for institutional development, fundraising and long-term sustainability, and delivery of all of PEP’s commitments. Since taking on the role of ED in 2016, Jane has been instrumental in strengthening and diversifying both PEP’s engagement with donors and partner organizations worldwide, as well as PEP’s service offering. Under her leadership, PEP has developed and delivered a range of programs that foster best practices for evidence-informed policymaking—including strengthening the capacities of local researchers in cutting-edge, gender-aware policy analysis and policy engagement—resulting in increased research uptake. 

Prior to working at PEP, Jane held several senior positions at the University of Nairobi, with the most recent one as the Director of the School of Economics, a role she held for six years. At the University, she was charged with academic and administrative leadership, as well as management of the School of Economics, alongside the usual professorial responsibilities.

Overall, Jane has over 30 years’ experience in teaching, research, management, and resource mobilization. Among many notable achievements in her academic career, she is credited with making remarkable contributions in teaching, mentoring and developing the capacity of young scholars to undertake research. Some of Jane’s specialty research interests include the impact of climate change on agriculture and adaptation, environmental and natural resource economics, multidimensional poverty, child poverty and youth employment, and labor markets and income distribution. 

In addition to her wealth of executive, academic, and research experience, Jane has also held numerous advisory roles, which have in turn made her a well-known figure in local, regional, and international academic circles, as well as in government. She is currently the President of the African Society of Ecological Economists (ASEE), a member of Central Bank of Kenya’s Monetary Policy Committee, the German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA) Advisory Board, and the Club of Rome’s Earth4All 21st Century Transformational Economics Commission.

Jane is also an integral member of the international scientific community and a thought leader in development economics, having authored multiple journal papers, books, monographs, and policy briefs, as well as several peer-reviewed working papers and mimeos.

Jane is a Professor of Economics at the University of Nairobi, from which she holds a PhD, an MA, and a BA in Economics.