Ann N. Nderitu

Ann Nderitu is a elections and governance expert and practitioner with 15 years’ experience in this field 10years of which she worked in the Electoral Commission and 5years as Registrar of Political Parties. Before joining election field, Ann worked as an Educationist and a Curriculum developer for a period of 10 years. She is a career public service professional. Currently she is the Registrar of Political Parties in Kenya. She is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP). The Registrar is responsible for strategic and visionary leadership for effective implementation of ORPP’s mandate of registration, regulation of political parties and Administration of Political Parties Fund. She was appointed by the President of Kenya after a competitive recruitment process and parliamentary vetting. Since 2018 at which she assumed ORPP apex leadership, she has spearheaded transformational programmes in streamlining registration and compliance of political parties through legal and digital reforms. The institution has since experienced transformation through re-engineering internal business processes including customer service delivery models, digitalisation of all critical services and establishment of innovative and creative human capital. In simple terms she has transformed political parties’ governance and created a level playing field for all including the marginalized. Ann Nderitu has a vast experience spanning over 25 years in her forte with accomplished assignments locally, regionally and internationally. In varied public and cross-sector portfolios held, she has a demonstrable proven track record. She holds a Master’s Degree in Linguistics, Bachelor of Education (English and Literature) from The University of Nairobi; Diploma in Public Administration (Israel); Diploma in Project Management, Human Resource, Corporate Governance, Transformative Leadership among other professional certification. Currently I am pursuing a PhD in Organizational Leadership at Regent University in Virginia, USA. She is a Certified BRIDGE Accrediting Facilitator who is internationally recognised for running numerous electoral training programmes and elections observation missions of over 30 countries across the globe; a credential that qualifies her among the few Elections Management and Electoral Training Experts in African continent and beyond. She has been a team leader in writing and publishing over 20 manuals and training guides of election and political processes in Kenya. She has also led teams in electoral legal reforms for the last 4 elections in Kenya and supported more than 10 African Countries in their quest to establish framework in regulation of political parties and election administration. In recognition of her superlative performance and contribution in the Public Service in her area of expertise Ann Nderitu has received several awards among three Presidential National Awards namely: Moran of Burning Spear, MBS -2017 Chief of Burning Spear, CBS- 2022 Trailblazer Award; Women in Leadership and Decision Making – 2023 Doctor of Corporate Governance (Honoris Causa), Commonwealth University - 2023 Under her watch ORPP has received numerous awards including; Fire Awards for 4years in a row for being the best Independent Office in Financial Reporting and Accountability. Besides being a corporate leader, she is also passionate about empowering women and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in general to meaningfully participate in elections and politics. She has successfully steered empowerment and mentorship programmes across the country, with many young girls and aspiring women leaders having been moulded through her impactful initiatives. Ann Nderitu consciously promotes good governance and believes the same can be achieved through inclusion, political tolerance, justice and rule of law in an environment of responsible citizenship.