Prof. Wambalaba has a strong interdisciplinary background with emphasis on economic development in the context of both rural and urban development. He holds a double major BSc in Economics and a BA in Business Administration (1983); an MSc in Economics focusing on Economic Development (1985) and a Certificate in International Business Studies (1985);a second Master’s degree in Urban Studies with emphasis on Transport Planning and Spatial Analysis (1989); and a PhD in Urban Studies with emphasis on Economic Analysis and Transport Planning (1993).

He is a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP – 1999) and earned other related certificates including Transit Operations Planning from MIT (1994), and Public Private Partnerships by Institute for PPP in Washington DC (2005).He has led and facilitated several strategic plans at university level especially in the transport sector in Kenya and the United States.

Prof. Wambalaba has a little over 30 years of experience in both the United States and Kenya, inclusive of 11 years as a senior urban transportation planner in Portland, Oregon USA, three years as senior research associate at Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at University of South Florida (USF) in USA, and six plus years as Director/ Associate DVC-AA Research for Research and Academic Program Development at USIU Kenya. Previously, Francis managed a capacity building program including coordination of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) teaching faculty through CUTR at USF for three years; managed an on-line technical advisory clearinghouse serving professionals across the United States and Canada with some members from Europe and elsewhere; and several grant funded research projects. He has also been a project manager for large projects including transportation projects in Portland Oregon and the Gates Foundation-funded Agribusiness capacity building in Kenya.

Prof. Wambalaba has a strong interdisciplinary academic background in the context of economic development of both rural and urban development strategies. In addition to the above credentials, he holds certificates in Public Private Partnerships by Institute for PPP in Washington DC (2005), Public-Private Cooperation (2012) by Kenya National Economic and Social Council.