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What East Africa’s Senior Executives Are Reading in 2026 — and Why It Matters We explore the books quietly shaping how East Africa’s most influential leaders think, lead, and make sense of a fast-changing world.

Top East African executives featured. From top to bottom in descending rows: Abdi Mohamed, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer- Absa Bank Kenya, Sylvia Mulinge- MTN Uganda CEO, Fabian Kasi- Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Centenary Bank Uganda, Sanjay Rughani- Standard Chartered Bank Uganda CEO, Peace Ayebazibwe Kabunga- Executive Director, Housing Finance Bank Uganda, Ruth Zaipuna- Chief Executive Officer, NMB Bank Tanzania, Njeri Jomo- Chief Executive Officer & Principal Officer, Mary Mulili - Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, UBA Kenya, Robert Kibaara- Group Chief Executive Officer, HF Group, Diane Karusisi- Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Kigali, Twinemanzi Tumubweinee- Executive Director, National Payment Systems, Bank of Uganda, Catherine Muraga- Managing Director, Microsoft Africa Development Centre, Ken Njoroge- Co-founder, Cellulant and Founder, PANI, Dilip Pal Group Chief Financial Officer, Safaricom PLC, Frank Molla-Managing Director – Africa, MDP Consumer, FMCG & Corporate Leadership, Lina Githuka- Managing Director, Kenya Wine Agencies Limited, Risper Genga Ohaga Group Chief Financial Officer- East African Breweries PLC, Anne Muraya- Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte East Africa, Allan Kilavuka- Former Group Managing Director & CEO, Kenya Airways, Julius Kipngetich- Group Chief Executive Officer, Jubilee Holdings, Jubilee Health Insurance, Carol Musyoka- CEO, Carol Musyoka Consulting, Martin Oduor-Otieno- Founder, The Leadership Group, Imran Osman- Chief Executive Officer, Avenue Healthcare- Dr. Sylvia Vito Africa Head, EVA Pharma International.

Frank Molla, Managing Director for Africa at payments giant MDP, is a strong believer that books are quiet mentors and companions that steer leaders toward depth, courage, and beautifully human leadership. Read with intention, he believes, books help leaders lead with wisdom and shape cultures.  Driven by this conviction, Molla spoke to a number of leaders across Eastern Africa to gain a glimpse into what they are already reading or plan to read in 2026. Most of the leaders he engaged are past speakers at the Executive Connect Club, an initiative he founded in Nairobi, Kenya, and which has since…

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About the Author

Paul Murungi is a Ugandan Business Journalist with extensive financial journalism training from institutions in South Africa, London (UK), Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda. His coverage focuses on groundbreaking stories across the East African region with a focus on ICT, Energy, Oil and Gas, Mining, Companies, Capital and Financial markets, and the General Economy.

His body of work has contributed to policy change in private and public companies.

Paul has so far won five continental awards at the Sanlam Group Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism in Johannesburg, South Africa, and several Uganda national journalism awards for his articles on business and technology at the ACME Awards.

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