Westerwelle Foundation appoints Joshua Murima as Kenya Country Director

International non-profit organization Westerwelle Foundation has appointed Joshua Murima as the Country Director for Kenya reflecting the organization's commitment to supporting young Kenyan founders and promoting entrepreneurship in the country.

Murima will lead the foundation’s activities with a special focus on the needs young entrepreneurs in Mombasa and, more broadly, the coastal region.

Founded by Guido Westerwelle, the former German foreign minister and serial German entrerprenuer Ralph Dommermuth, the Westerwelle Foundation is known for its Young Founders Programme and Westerwelle Startup Hubs in Tunisia, Rwanda, and Tanzania, which have together supported more than 1500 inspirational young entrepreneurs both on the African continent and the Global South.

A fourth Westerwelle Hub will become operational in late November and formally opened in January 2025. Westerwelle and Dommermuth believed in equality and recognized the potential of youth to tackle global challenges through entrepreneurship, particularly in developing regions.

Following his appointment, Murima expressed his understanding of the challenges young entrepreneurs face and his commitment to supporting them.

“As someone born and raised in Mombasa, I have personally navigated the path to higher education, industry experience, and global networks,” he stated.

“With over eight years in the startup sector across Kenya and Africa, I have collaborated with prominent founders, led investor relations, and driven market engagement in a leading startup intelligence firm. I’m now channeling this experience into local impact," he said.

Under Murima's leadership in Kenya, the Westerwelle Foundation aims to explore expansion opportunities in East Africa, leveraging the region's strong infrastructure to support young entrepreneurs.

This will be achieved by setting up new incubation and acceleration programmes supporting businesses with local and regional growth. Over the next year, the organization plans to enhance its impact by equipping youth to start and grow businesses, create job opportunities, and empower themselves, thereby positively influencing local communities.

Murima envisions that the Kenyan startup landscape will see “increased specialization of sectors and product focus,” with investors narrowing their interests.

He identifies climate tech and fintech as ongoing drivers of growth, while also spotlighting the rising emphasis on blue-tech and travel tech, all areas where the Westerwelle Foundation seeks to deepen its engagement through active collaboration with other ecosystem stakeholders.