Ruth Kagia is currently a High-Level Envoy and Advisor for Education. She works as an international development consultant and advisor with several agencies, including GPE and the World Bank.

Between 2014-September 2022 Ruth Kagia served as the Senior Advisor/Deputy Chief of Staff in the Executive Office of the President of Kenya. In this role she led the management of the President’s flagship and international development cooperation programs and engagements. She concurrently served as the Head of the Presidential Policy and Strategy Unit in which role she led a team of technical experts to anchor, incubate and coordinate the President’s priority programs.

Prior to rejoining Government in 2014, Ms. Kagia worked at the World Bank from 1990-2013 during which she held various positions including as World Bank Global Director for Education (2002- 2008). In this capacity she led the establishment of the Global Partnership for Education (at that time known as the Fast-Track Initiative), currently the largest global fund dedicated to transforming education in lower-income countries. In 2008-2012 she served as World Bank Country Director for Southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho and for part of that time Mauritius and Madagascar as well). Before joining the World Bank, Mrs. Kagia worked with the Kenya Government in teaching, education management, and research.

Ms Kagia holds degrees from the Universities of Nairobi, Kenya, Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA, and the Commonwealth University, UK.