Dr David Thiru Njihia

Dr David Thiru Njihia is a highly dedicated scholar with a passion for Leadership Development with a focus on youth in the sports development field. He holds a Ph.D. in Organisational Leadership Development (minor in Business and Entrepreneurship) from Pan Africa Christian University (PAC).

He also holds an (MBA) Masters in Business Administration in Strategic Management from Kenyatta University. A Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (BBA) from United States International University-Africa. He also holds a national diploma in Business Administration (KNEC) and a higher diploma in Human Resource Management from Kenya Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM-K).

David has made significant contributions to the field of sports for development as a beneficiary, practitioner, and recently as an academic and researcher. He is a Pioneer member of the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) and the first recipient of the Best Player and Sportsman award in the 1987 MYSA league. He was also the captain of the first MYSA all-star team to play in the Norway Cup in 1990. David worked with a Norwegian multinational (Norsk Hydro EA Ltd now YARA Ltd) in Kenya for 5 years before returning to MYSA as the head of finance in 1999.

In 2009 David became the pioneer Director of the MYSA Sports and Community Leadership Academy. He also worked to produce the first MYSA Sports and Community Leadership Curriculum with support from Laureus Sports for Good Foundation and prominent global scholars. He became the Chief Executive Officer of MYSA in 2012. In June 2016 he joined FIFA as the Regional Project Leader for “FIFA 11 for Health Project” Africa. From 2017 to 2023 July, he pursued and completed his Ph.D. while at the same time, being an adjunct lecturer at USIU-Africa and later at St Paul’s University. In November 2020 he was appointed the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League manager until November 2022. In June 2023 he joined St Paul’s University as a lecturer in a full-time capacity in the School of Business, Department of Leadership.