Nairobi — Former Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has been appointed the new Chairman of Sidian Bank, succeeding Centum Investments CEO James Mworia, who has held the position since 2014.

The bank said Mworia will remain on the Sidian Bank board.

Macharia, who boosts, experience in accountancy, consultancy, financial management, and commercial banking, began his career at Deloitte's Tax Consultancy Division in London before returning to Kenya in 1989.

He later worked at Standard Chartered Bank and the African Banking Corporation, where he rose to Managing Director of the Zambian and Tanzanian operations.

In 2005, he became Group Managing Director of NIC Bank, leading its expansion into Tanzania and Uganda.

Macharia joined public service in 2013, serving as Cabinet Secretary in the Ministries of Health, Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, and Public Works, as well as Acting CS for Water and Irrigation.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Nairobi and an MBA from Henley Management College, UK. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (Kenya) and a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Sidian Bank also announced the appointment of two new board members -- Prof. Paul Gachanja and Apollo Ong'ara.

Prof. Gachanja is an Associate Professor of Economics and Registrar (Administration and Finance) at Kenyatta University, while Ong'ara is a Financial Consultant and the Managing Partner of Baker Tilly.