Prof. Esther Mombo is a distinguished academic leader and theologian currently serving as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of St. Paul’s University. With a career deeply rooted in the institution, she previously held the positions of Academic Dean and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs, alongside roles as the Director of the St. Paul’s Institute of Lifelong Learning (SPILL) and Director of International Partnerships and Alumni Relations. Her leadership extends into the global arena, where she has served as the Co-Moderator of the World Council of Churches’ (WCC) Commission on Education and Ecumenical Formation and as the East African Coordinator of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians (CCAWT). Furthermore, she contributes her expertise to the boards of the American Friends Service Commission and the Friends World Committee of Consultation and serves as the Chair of the African Contemporary Institute of Research in Africa (AICMAR).

A renowned scholar, Prof. Mombo has shared her expertise globally as a visiting professor at prestigious institutions such as the University of Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin, Yonsei University in South Korea, Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, and Utrecht University. Her commitment to academic excellence is further evidenced by her work as an external examiner for numerous universities across Africa, including Kenyatta University and the University of Pretoria. Her research and teaching interests are centered on Mission History, Interfaith Relations, and Theology & Gender Studies, with a specific focus on African women’s theologies.

Prof. Mombo’s transformative work in gender justice and her extensive contributions to African academia have earned her two honorary doctorates: one from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2007 and another from her alma mater, the University of Edinburgh, in 2023. Her solid academic foundation includes a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh, an MPhil from Trinity College, Dublin, and a Bachelor of Divinity from St. Paul’s University. Today, she leads the university’s "flight" into the future, committed to nurturing graduates who serve with moral clarity and social responsibility.