Shem Joshua Otieno

Shem Joshua is a Policy Analyst and Advocacy Officer in sovereign debt management with a key responsibility to contribute to sustainable solutions to the African debt crisis and the aversion of future debts. Under this portfolio, Shem takes the lead on issues around responsible borrowing, fair and transparent arbitration debt mechanism and publicly supported private finance. 

Before joining AFRODAD, Shem worked at the Institute of Public Finance as a Public Finance Management Research Fellow where he was undertaking research and policy work in promoting PFM strategic implementation in Kenya. This enhanced his expertise in the field of policy, research and advocacy vis-a-vis debt management in Africa as a whole. 

He has experience in the academic field where he has taught as a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant in the field of Economics at Egerton University, Kenya from 2018 to 2021. With in-depth knowledge on social economics, Shem has also worked with UK-Aid Organization, East Africa as Economic Consultant on areas pertaining to social inclusivity, accountability and capital formation. He also worked with the government of Kenya under the Ministry of Education as a Policy Analyst at the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) undertaking policy implementation and research under his portfolio.

Shem is a graduate with BSc. Economics and Statistics, Master of Arts in Economics, and Certified Public Account (CPA 1&2) from Egerton University, Kenya. Currently, he is undertaking a PhD. in Economic studies with a research interest in debt and Illicit Capital/financial flow/flight in Africa. Shem is a regular policy presenter at the annual CSAE Conference on Economic Development in Africa – University of Oxford, United Kingdom with research interest in the implication of debt overhang theory towards increased debt and IFFs in Africa.