Pressy Akinyi has been appointed Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy for East Africa at Apple, bringing experience in legal practice, international trade, regulatory affairs and private-sector policy advocacy to the technology company.
Akinyi who assumed the role in early October 2026 joins Apple from the American Chamber of Commerce in Kenya (AmCham Kenya), where she served as Policy Lead from January 2025 to October 2026.
At AmCham Kenya, she led policy and advocacy initiatives covering US–Kenya trade and investment, regulatory reform, the digital economy, energy, healthcare, agriculture and manufacturing. Her work involved advising multinational companies, coordinating sectoral task forces and engaging government officials, regulators and parliamentarians on policies affecting businesses.
She also developed policy submissions, legislative memoranda and regulatory responses, drawing on US, European Union and international frameworks to advance private-sector positions.
Legal Career and International Trade Experience
Akinyi began her legal career at TripleOKLaw LLP in Kenya, where she worked as a lawyer from September 2022 to January 2024 before returning as a Trainee Advocate from January to August 2024. During her traineeship, she was named Trainee of the Quarter, finishing in first place.
Her experience also includes international trade policy and regional economic integration. She served as East Africa Regional Representative at Afronomicslaw from June 2022 to January 2024 and was a member of the Youth Advisory Board of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat from April 2022 to June 2023.
In November 2022, she worked as an International Trade Law Researcher with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). She also completed a legal internship at Australian law firm MinterEllison between February and April 2022.
Akinyi was a member of the Development Committee at Africa in the Moot from June 2024 to June 2025.
Policy Advocacy and Regulatory Reform
During her tenure at AmCham Kenya, Akinyi contributed to advocacy around Kenya’s Finance Act 2025, including efforts to remove a proposed withholding tax on software payments, support the adoption of Advance Pricing Agreements and preserve enhanced investment allowances.
Her work also covered Kenya’s energy and infrastructure sectors. She led sustained engagement on power-sector reform that contributed to the lifting of the moratorium on power purchase agreements, reopening more than 1,100 megawatts of capacity for negotiations.
In the digital economy, Akinyi worked on policy initiatives relating to Kenya’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030 and AI Code of Practice. She also advocated due-process safeguards in cybercrime legislation, with a focus on the regulatory environment for digital platforms and emerging technologies.
Her policy portfolio extended to healthcare and life sciences, where she worked on advocacy surrounding the Health Products and Technologies Bill, seeking greater regulatory clarity and stronger supply-chain integrity for pharmaceutical and medical technology businesses.
Before becoming Policy Lead, Akinyi worked as a Policy and Legal Specialist at AmCham Kenya from September to December 2024, conducting legal and regulatory analysis, preparing policy submissions and supporting engagements with government agencies and Parliament.
Education and Professional Development
Akinyi earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi in May 2022, where she was recognised as the best student in International Economic Law and Regional Integration Law. She was also involved in the university’s law journal, moot court activities and student leadership.
She subsequently attended the Kenya School of Law from January to November 2023 and was admitted to the bar as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
Her professional development includes studies in International Economic Law at Georgetown University’s Institute of International Economic Law and Global Trade Academy in 2023. The programme covered international trade, the World Trade Organization, regionalism, trade agreements and investor-state dispute settlement.
In 2025, she completed a University of Michigan course on Generative AI: Governance, Policy and Emerging Regulation, examining AI governance frameworks, responsible deployment, compliance and the policy implications of generative AI.
Her appointment comes as technology companies navigate increasingly complex regulatory questions surrounding artificial intelligence, digital markets, cybersecurity, data governance and cross-border trade.
