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 spread its wings across the East African region.
Rooted in the local word Romo, meaning a place of connection, Executive Connect uses storytelling to humanise leadership and reinforce the ethos that as we rise, we lift.
The reading list he shared offers a rare and revealing snapshot of what some of the region’s most senior executives are consuming intellectually as they enter 2026 and, by extension, the ideas shaping how they lead, decide, and build institutions.
What follows is not a casual set of recommendations. It is a map of the intellectual terrain East Africa’s senior executives are choosing to inhabit in 2026 one defined by values-based leadership, strategic discipline, inner growth, African identity, and long-term thinking.
Leadership and management: Returning to first principles
A striking feature of the list is how strongly it leans toward human-centred leadership.
Several executives including Lina Githuka, Managing Director at Kenya Wine Agencies Limited, and Njeri Jomo, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Officer at Jubilee Health Insurance, are reading The High Road Leadership by John C. Maxwell, a book that argues leadership legitimacy is built on character, emotional maturity, and the discipline to put others first even in polarised environments.
That theme deepens with The Humanised Leader, a book by Martin Oduor-Otieno, being read by Anne Muraya, Chief Executive Officer at Deloitte East Africa; Abdi Mohamed, Managing Director and CEO of Absa Bank Kenya; Julius Kipngetich, Group Chief Executive Officer of Jubilee Holdings; Robert Kibaara, Group Chief Executive Officer of HF Group; Risper Genga Ohaga, Group Chief Financial Officer at East African Breweries PLC; and again by Njeri Jomo of Jubilee Health Insurance. The book makes the case that sustainable leadership is measured by how leaders elevate people, build trust, and create shared purpose beyond profit.
Discipline and execution are not absent. Mutinta Tembo, a senior strategy executive in the Zambian banking sector, is reading Leadership Strategy and Tactics by Jocko Willink, a practical manual on leading under pressure, taking ownership, and building disciplined teams.
Peace Ayebazibwe Kabunga, Executive Director at Housing Finance Bank Uganda, is turning to The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes, which distills decades of research into five practices that help leaders inspire, enable, and encourage others.
Fabian Kasi, Managing Director and CEO of Centenary Bank Uganda, stands out for breadth. His reading spans Measure What Matters by John Doerr, a guide to focusing organisations through clear objectives and measurable outcomes, and The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek, which challenges leaders to prioritise purpose and resilience over short-term wins.
Other choices reinforce the collaborative nature of modern leadership. Michael Mugambi, a senior executive in Kenya’s corporate sector, is reading Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together by William Isaacs, a book that shows how deep listening and shared inquiry unlock collective intelligence.
Dilip Pal, Group Chief Financial Officer at Safaricom PLC, has selected The Art of Spending Money by Morgan Housel, which explores the psychology behind financial decisions and the importance of aligning money with values.
Catherine Muraga, Managing Director of the Microsoft Africa Development Centre, is reading The Insider’s Guide to Innovation at Microsoft, by Dean Carignan and JoAnn Garbin, highlighting how innovation can be institutionalised through culture, systems, and learning at scale.
Allan Kilavuka, former Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Airways, meanwhile, is reading Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, which argues that courage, vulnerability, and trust are essential leadership skills, not soft options.
Personal growth: The inner work of leadership
Beyond frameworks and strategy, the list shows leaders investing in self-awareness and psychological insight.
Ken Njoroge, co-founder of Cellulant and founder of investment firm PANI, is reading Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson, a practical guide to understanding behavioural differences and improving communication.
Imran Osman, Chief Executive Officer of Avenue Healthcare, has chosen The One Thing by Gary Keller, which argues that extraordinary results come from ruthless prioritisation and sustained focus.
Dr. Sylvia Vito, Africa Head at EVA Pharma International, is reading Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown, a reflection on belonging, integrity, and the courage to stand alone when values are tested.
Ruparelia Foundation to Hold Free Eye Camp in Bukedea in Honour of Rajiv RupareliaRuth Zaipuna, Chief Executive Officer of NMB Bank Tanzania, has chosen The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett, blending personal reflection with practical laws on mindset, leadership, and performance.
Risper Genga Ohaga of East African Breweries PLC is also reading Red to Green by Byron Osiro, a book centred on sustainability, transition, and responsible leadership. Catherine Muraga’s additional read, Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed, makes a compelling case for learning openly from failure as a driver of progress.
Memoirs and life journeys: Learning from experience
Executives are also drawing lessons from lives lived at scale.
Anne Muraya of Deloitte East Africa is reading Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, an unvarnished account of building the Nike brand through uncertainty, persistence, and risk.
Carol Musyoka, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Carol Musyoka Consulting, has turned to The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger, a leadership memoir that explores values, decision-making, and leading creative organisations through change.
Sanjay Rughani, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank Uganda, is reading Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, a sweeping novel about identity, redemption, and moral complexity.
African narratives feature prominently. Sylvia Mulinge, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Uganda, is reading Brave Love by Juli Boit, a deeply personal reflection on compassion, loss, and human connection. Mary Mulili-HSC, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of UBA Kenya, has chosen Carlos Slim: The Power, Money and Morality by Diego Osorno, an investigative biography that interrogates wealth, influence, and ethical responsibility.
Fabian Kasi of Centenary Bank Uganda is also reading The Traveller: Crossing Borders and Connecting Africa by Thebe Ikalafeng, a journey through African identity, mobility, and the power of connection across the continent.
Big ideas, global context, and Africa’s place
The list also places African leadership firmly within global debates.
Abdi Mohamed of Absa Bank Kenya is reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, a sweeping exploration of how ideas, myths, and institutions have shaped human societies.
Catherine Muraga of Microsoft Africa Development Centre is engaging with The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman, a warning about the disruptive power of emerging technologies and the need for responsible governance.
Twinemanzi Tumubweinee, Executive Director for National Payment Systems at the Bank of Uganda, has chosen Why Africa Is Poor by Greg Mills, confronting uncomfortable questions about leadership, policy, and development choices on the continent.
Fiction and literature: Moral reflection
Even fiction has its place. Abdi Mohamed, Managing Director and CEO of Absa Bank Kenya, is reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy, a stark meditation on love, survival, and moral choice in a broken world.
Diane Karusisi, Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Kigali, has chosen Ainsi Pleurent Nos Hommes by Patrick Mudekereza, a literary exploration of masculinity, memory, and vulnerability.
Martin Oduor-Otieno, founder of The Leadership Group and an executive leadership coach, is reading The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, a quiet examination of duty, regret, and the cost of unquestioned loyalty.
Why This Reading List Matters
Taken together, this is not a vanity exercise. It is a leadership signal.
Across banking, aviation, technology, policy, and payments, East Africa’s senior executives are deliberately investing in human-centred, values-based leadership; strategic discipline with a long-term horizon; inner growth and emotional intelligence; and African identity within global conversations.
In a region navigating rapid growth, demographic pressure, and institutional reform, the ideas leaders absorb today will quietly shape the organisations and societies they influence tomorrow.
As Frank Molla puts it, books may be quiet mentors. But the leaders they shape are anything but quiet in the impact they go on to make.
