Board Diversity and Financial Performance; Evidence from Kenya

Using panel data from firms listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange during the period 2004-2014, this paper examines the effect of board diversity and firm performance. Specifically the study investigates the effect of independent directors, board size, gender and financial expertise of directors and firm performance. The study finds, steadily with trends in most countries, the representation of women on the corporate board remains low. Regression results indicate that board independence has a negative and significant relationship on firm performance. The study also finds that gender diverse boards perform better as measured by Return on Assets (ROA).