NAIROBI, Kenya—Jan 30, 2026—The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has appointed Selam Demissie as its new East Africa Regional Managing Director, strengthening Washington’s investment and economic engagement across the continent.
Based in Kenya, Demissie will oversee DFC-backed projects aimed at accelerating market-driven growth and deepening U.S. economic partnerships in the region.
Her appointment comes as the United States seeks to expand its development finance footprint amid growing global competition for influence and investment in Africa.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau’s visit to the region, underscoring Kenya’s strategic role as a regional hub for U.S. economic and foreign policy engagement in East Africa.
In her new role, Demissie will leverage DFC’s expanding investment capacity to refine and scale strategies that attract, retain and support private investors across priority sectors, including energy, agriculture and infrastructure.
She will build on existing research, partnerships and investment pipelines to advance commercially viable projects aligned with U.S. development and national security objectives.
DFC Chief Executive Officer Ben Black said a stronger on-the-ground presence in Kenya was critical to sourcing high-impact investments that benefit both the United States and its regional partners.
“Kenya is a strategic partner and a regional anchor for advancing U.S. interests in East Africa,” Black said, noting that DFC’s expanded powers under reauthorisation enable more ambitious investments that advance U.S. foreign policy through economic development.
Deputy Secretary of State Landau said mobilising private-sector capital in strategic partner countries such as Kenya plays a key role in fostering long-term stability and prosperity across the region.
Demissie brings extensive experience in structuring debt facilities and loan guarantees for energy and agriculture projects across Africa and Latin America.
Prior to joining DFC, she led programmes focused on strengthening private-sector frameworks to expand energy access, helping governments run competitive procurement processes that lowered costs and attracted private investment.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains a central pillar of DFC’s global portfolio and strategy, accounting for more than $10 billion in exposure, making it the corporation’s second-largest regional focus.
The appointment signals a renewed push by the United States to position development finance as a key tool of economic diplomacy in Africa, as the continent’s role in global growth, energy transition and geopolitical competition continues to expand.
