Director of Programs
Jennifer Nyakinya is an experienced international development professional with over a decade of experience in leveraging data and evidence to inform policy reforms and foster inclusive, sustainable economic growth. She serves as the Director of Programs at the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), a pan-African non-profit membership organization committed to advancing the use of rigorous scientific evidence in shaping development policy and practice across the continent.
In this role, she leads the policy engagement portfolio, evidence-generation initiatives, and strategic partnerships. A key achievement has been steering NIERA’s successful transition into an independent nonprofit, fully operational beyond its six-year hosting arrangement at the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa).
Prior to that, Jennifer served as a Programme Specialist at PwC Kenya, seconded to the FCDO’s A+ East Africa Research Fund (now the Evidence Fund), where she where she provided management consultancy services for a portfolio of research grants. She also worked with CBM International, overseeing community-based programs in inclusive health, rehabilitation, education, and livelihoods across East Africa.
Over the years she has contributed to several youth-focused initiatives, including as Technical and Vocational Education Lead for USAID’s Empowered Youth Project in Kenya; as a Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant for the Metro AgriFood Living Lab Programme and County Creative Arts Residence and Empowerment Program. Jennifer has also served as Technical Project Coordinator for the World Bank-funded Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project.
She holds a Masters of Business Administration and BSC in International Business Administration from USIU-Africa and completed Executive Education in Public Policy Analysis at the London School of Economics. Jennifer was a CEGA Visiting Fellow jointly hosted by the University of California, Berkeley and Northwestern University and was selected as a J-PAL Evaluating Social Programs African Scholar in 2023.
In addition to Jennifer’s professional roles, she frequently moderates panel discussions at high level conferences and workshops, drawing on her communication and facilitation skills to foster meaningful dialogue and shared insight. She is a member of the Project Management Institute – Kenya Chapter and volunteers with the Global Give Back Circle, where she mentors teenage girls and supports them in unlocking their full potential.
