Sidian Bank has appointed former Cabinet Secretary during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime, James Macharia, as its chairman. He takes over from Centum Investment Company Group CEO Dr. James Mworia, who will remain on the lender’s board.
Mr. Macharia, a veteran accountant who began his career in Deloitte’s Tax Consultancy Division as a consultant chartered accountant in London before returning to Kenya in 1989, has held high-level positions across accountancy, consultancy, financial management, merchant and commercial banking, general management, and cabinet-level public service.
He joined the African Banking Corporation from Standard Chartered Bank, eventually becoming Managing Director of the Zambian and Tanzanian operations of the South African-headquartered lender. In 2005, he was appointed Group Managing Director of the publicly listed NIC Bank Group, now part of NCBA Group. Under his leadership, NIC Bank established subsidiary banks in Tanzania and Uganda.
He succeeds Mworia, who has served as chairman since 2014, a period during which Sidian transitioned from K-REP Bank to Sidian Bank to strengthen its growth.
“I am immensely proud of the progress the bank has made under the stewardship of a dedicated management team and staff, and of the continued trust of our customers and shareholders. I wish the new chairman, Mr. Macharia, and the board every success as they lead Sidian into its next phase of growth and transformation,” Mworia said during the handover ceremony on Thursday, October 23, 2025.
Mworia noted that the new chairman will play a major role in the lender’s next phase of growth, thanks to his wealth of experience in accountancy, financial management, and commercial banking.
After a long career in the private sector, Mr. Macharia was appointed to the Cabinet in 2013. He served for 10 years as Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Health; Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development; Ministry of Public Works; and also acted as Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.
In 2014, he received the Presidential Award, Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart. One of his priorities now is to guide the lender into its next phase of growth. Whether he will succeed remains to be seen, as results will only become clear over time.
